Maryland coach Brenda Frese confronts guard Oluchi Okananwa during NCAA tournament loss to North Carolina
Maryland Terrapins women's basketball coach Brenda Frese had a nose-to-nose 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.
Maryland entered the matchup as the No. 5 seed in their region, facing the No. 4-seeded Tar Heels at the Dean E. Smith Center. The incident occurred in the third quarter after Okananwa committed a turnover, missed three free throws and missed a layup, prompting Frese to substitute her.
"I believe in you, but you got to want this moment," Frese told Okananwa on the sideline.
Okananwa led Maryland with 21 points, six rebounds, two steals and six turnovers. She returned to the game and contributed further.
After the game, Okananwa expressed appreciation for Frese's coaching style. "Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart," she said. "I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day."
Frese, who has coached the Terrapins since the 2002-03 season, described the moment as part of building player relationships. "The best of the best, the elite of the elite, want to be coached hard," she said. Previously, Frese coached at Ball State (1999-2002) and Minnesota (2002).[1]
It was Okananwa's first season at Maryland after transferring from Duke, where she played two prior seasons.[2]
Sources
- University of Maryland Athletics, "Brenda Frese" coach bio page, accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/brenda-frese/1348
- University of Maryland Athletics, "Oluchi Okananwa" roster page, accessed October 2024, https://umterps.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/oluchi-okananwa/25778
