Maryland’s Brenda Freese, Oluchi Okananwa have viral moment during game
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Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball coach Brenda Frese faced guard Oluchi Okananwa during an intense coaching moment on Sunday.
Frese and Okananwa came face to face in 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 came into the game as the 4th seed.
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Maryland Terrapins head coach Brenda Frese watches the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Xfinity Center on March 24, 2025. (Daniel Kucin Jr./Imagn Images)
The long-time head coach was unhappy with Okananwa’s performance in the third quarter. He turned the ball over, missed three free throws and missed a layup before falling off the floor. Frese confronted Okananwa on the sideline.
“I believe in you, but you have to want this moment,” Frese said.
Okananwa led the team by scoring 21 points. He grabbed six rebounds and recorded two steals. However, it resulted in six turnovers.
He told reporters after the game that he liked the hard-nosed style of coaching.
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Maryland head coach Brenda Frese, center, and assistants prepare for a play against North Carolina during the second half of the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on 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. Athletic. “I’ve told him that before and I’ll keep telling him that forever. I like to train hard. That’s what he does with me every day.”
Frese has served as Maryland’s head coach since the 2002-03 season. He is 688-208 as a head coach. He also had stops at Ball State and Minnesota.
“There’s always been a pulse that I’ve been able to get with individuals and players,” Frese said. “We have to have these tough conversations from time to time. You can’t have those things without a relationship. You have to be able to do that. The best of the best, the elite of the elite, want to be trained hard.
“At that moment, I watched Oluchi compete in this tournament. He’s so talented, so I wanted to tell him how much I believe in him and challenge him. I know what a winner and competitor he is. Just challenge him, do you want the moment? I knew to give it a minute, bring it back. And you saw him go out, get a bucket, steal it and never look back.”
North Carolina guard Taissa Queiroz (left) battles Maryland guard Oluchi Okananwa (right) for the ball during the second half of the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament on 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 with averages of 17.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He was an All-Big Ten Conference selection in the 2025-26 season.
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