Maryland Terrapins women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese had an intense sideline exchange with guard Oluchi Okananwa during the team's 74-66 loss to North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament on March 22, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
The confrontation occurred in the third quarter after Okananwa turned the ball over, missed three free throws and a layup, prompting Frese to sub her out. Frese came nose-to-nose with Okananwa and said, "I believe in you, but you got to want this moment."
Okananwa led Maryland with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals but recorded six turnovers. She returned to the game and contributed further.
After the game, Okananwa said she appreciated the coaching style. "Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart," she said. "I’ve told her this before, and I’ll keep on telling her this forever. I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day."
Frese, who has coached Maryland since the 2002-03 season[1], explained the moment as part of building relationships with players. "It’s always been a pulse that I’ve been able to have with individuals and players," she said. "We do, at times, have to have those tough conversations. You can’t have them without a relationship. ... The best of the best, the elite of the elite, want to be coached hard."
Frese led Maryland to the 2019 NCAA championship[1] and holds a career record of 732-265[2].
Okananwa transferred to Maryland from Duke ahead of the 2024-25 season after two years with the Blue Devils[3].
Sources
- University of Maryland Athletics. "Brenda Frese - Women's Basketball Coach". Accessed October 2024. https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brenda-frese/1438
- Wikipedia. "Brenda Frese". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenda_Frese
- ESPN. "Oluchi Okananwa transfers from Duke to Maryland". April 9, 2024. https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39966466/oluchi-okananwa-transfers-maryland-duke-blue-devils
