Brenda Freese of Maryland, Oluchi Okananwa has a dangerous moment during the game
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Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese went head-to-head with guard Oluchi Okananwa during an intense practice session on Sunday.
Frese and Okananwa went head-to-head during the Terrapins’ 74-66 loss to the Tar Heels in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Maryland entered the game as the 5th seed, while North Carolina was the 4th seed.
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Maryland Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese looks on during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Xfinity Center on March 24, 2025. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images)
The long-time coach is not happy with Okananwa’s streak in the third quarter. He turned the ball over, missed three free throws and missed a layup before being ejected. Frese met Okananwa on the sidelines.
“I believe in you, but you have to seek this moment,” said Frese.
Okananwa scored a team-leading 21 points. He grabbed six rebounds and two steals. However, he ended up having six turnovers.
He told the media after the game that he likes the tough training method.
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Maryland coach Brenda Frese, center, and assistants line up against North Carolina in the second half of the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
“The coach understands that I am a competitor at heart,” he said via The Athletic. “I’ve told him this before, and I’ll keep telling him this forever. I love training hard. That’s what he does with me every day.”
Frese has been the head coach at Maryland since the 2002-03 season. He is 688-208 as a head coach. He also had stops at Ball State and Minnesota.
“It’s always been intense that I’ve been able to experience from people and players,” said Frese. “We have to, sometimes, have those tough conversations. You can’t have them without relationships. You have to be able to have them. The best, the top elite, they want to train hard.
“At that time, I watched Oluchi struggle in this tournament. He’s very gifted, so I wanted to convey how much I trust him and challenge him. I know he’s won and he’s competitive. Just challenge him, do you want that time? I knew I had to give him a minute, bring him back in. And he saw that he went out, he got the bucket, he never looked back.”
North Carolina guard Taissa Queiroz, left, battles Maryland guard Oluchi Okananwa, right, for the ball during the second period in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)
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It was his first season with the Terrapins after spending two years with the Duke Blue Devils. He finished the season, averaging 17.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He was an All-Big Ten Conference selection for the 2025-26 season.
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