No. 16 Maryland welcomes No. 25 Washington to XFINITY Center on Wednesday night in a ranked Big Ten showdown with significant coaching connections and playoff positioning implications for both programs. We’ve got the latest projected starting lineups, key matchups to watch, and the details of how you can catch this all-ranked women’s college basketball clash.
Washington Women’s Basketball Projected Starting Lineup
- Sayvia Sellers
- Hannah Stines
- Avery Howell
- Brynn McGaughy
- Yulia Grabovskaia
Maryland Women’s Basketball Projected Starting Lineup
- Oluchi Okananwa
- Yarden Garzon
- Saylor Poffenbarger
- Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu
- Bri McDaniel
A Family Reunion for Tina Langley and Brenda Frese
The coaching matchup takes center stage on Wednesday. Washington head coach Tina Langley served as an assistant under Maryland’s Brenda Frese from 2008 to 2015, helping the Terrapins reach two Final Fours in 2014 and 2015. This marks Langley’s first return to College Park since leaving the program a decade ago.
“It’s a family reunion being able to go against Tina Langley, who was with me for two of our final fours in 2014 and 2015,” Frese said ahead of the matchup.
Maryland enters needing a bounce-back performance after losing three of its last four games, including an 85-78 overtime defeat to No. 8 Iowa last Thursday. The Terrapins erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime, but Oluchi Okananwa and Yarden Garzon fouled out, leaving Maryland without its top two scorers down the stretch.
Washington rides a four-game winning streak into College Park after dismantling Rutgers 76-48 on Monday. The Huskies held Rutgers to the fewest points by a Big Ten opponent against Washington this season, a defensive performance that signals they’re peaking at the right time.
Sellers vs. Okananwa Headlines Guard Battle
The perimeter matchup between Sayvia Sellers and Oluchi Okananwa should determine the game’s tempo. Sellers leads Washington at 18.3 points per game (seventh in the Big Ten) while shooting 38.5% from three-point range.
The junior guard has emerged as one of the conference’s most dynamic scorers, earning preseason All-Big Ten recognition and a spot on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List.
Okananwa counters with 17.1 points per game and elite defensive instincts that made her the ACC Tournament MVP at Duke last season. She ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 43 steals and gives Maryland a disruptive presence that can turn games with transition opportunities.
Yarden Garzon provides Maryland’s biggest three-point threat, leading the Big Ten with 59 made threes this season. The Indiana transfer shot 40.7% from deep last year and has maintained that efficiency in College Park. Washington will need to locate her on every possession.
MORE: UCLA vs. Illinois Projected Lineups, Key Matchups, and How to Watch
The rebounding battle favors Maryland on paper, as the Terrapins lead the Big Ten at 38.3 boards per game and rank sixth nationally in rebounding margin. Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu anchors the interior at 6.8 rebounds per game, though Washington’s Avery Howell has surged lately with 8.0 rebounds over her last 10 contests.
Freshman Brynn McGaughy gives Washington size and production off the bench or in the starting lineup, posting 17 points and seven rebounds against Rutgers. The 6’3″ forward earned a spot on the Tamika Catchings Award Watch List.
Both teams desperately need this win. Maryland seeks to snap out of its recent skid and improve its Big Ten positioning with a 12-2 home record on the line. Washington looks to prove it belongs in the conversation among the conference’s elite programs after earning a spot in the AP Poll for nine of 12 weeks this season.
How to Watch Washington vs. Maryland
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: College Park, MD
- Arena: XFINITY Center
- TV Channel: B1G+
- Live Stream: B1G+
- Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network (Maryland); 950 KJR-AM (Washington)
