Maryland coach Brenda Frese confronts guard Oluchi Okananwa during NCAA tournament loss to North Carolina
Authored by lion-bet.net, 23 Mar 2026
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 the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on March 22, 2026, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Maryland entered as the No. 5 seed against the No. 4-seeded Tar Heels.
The confrontation occurred in the third quarter after Okananwa turned the ball over, missed three free throws and missed a layup. Frese subbed her out and met her on the sideline, saying, "I believe in you, but you got to want this moment."
Okananwa led Maryland with 21 points, six rebounds, two steals and six turnovers.
Postgame, Okananwa expressed support for Frese's coaching style. "Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart," she said, via The Athletic. "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, head coach at Maryland since the 2002-03 season[1], said the moment stemmed from her belief in Okananwa. "It’s always been a pulse that I’ve been able to have with individuals and players," Frese said. "We do, at times, have to have those tough conversations. You can’t have them without a relationship. ... At that moment, I watched Oluchi struggle within this tournament. She’s just too gifted, so I wanted to implore how much belief I have in her and challenge her."
Okananwa transferred to Maryland from Duke ahead of the 2024-25 season[2]. Frese previously coached at Minnesota for part of the 2001-02 season and at Ball State from 1999 to 2002[1].
The game took place at the Dean E. Smith Center, North Carolina's home arena[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
- ESPN, "Duke transfer Oluchi Okananwa commits to Maryland", April 23, 2024, https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40049579/duke-transfer-oluchi-okananwa-commits-maryland
- University of North Carolina Athletics, "Smith Center", accessed October 2024, https://goheels.com/facilities/smith-center/13