Good Game with Sarah SpainMaryland basketball head coach Brenda Frese joins Sarah to discuss why a preseason trip to Croatia helped this year’s team bond, how recruiting high school kids is different than taking a shopping trip in the transfer portal, and what she remembers most from her 2006 championship-winning team. Plus, a call for your favorite starches and an ode to a different kind of slice.
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Send us your favorite starch recipes for “Starch Madness!” Send ‘em to goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
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Follow Maryland women’s basketball on Instagram here
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Watch Alexa Gasparotto’s triple axel here
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Watch Montana State’s buzzer-beating game-winner to clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament here
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Read Sportico’s July 2024 story on the private equity rules in the NWSL here
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The NCAA basketball schedule can be found here
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The PWHL schedule can be found here
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The Unrivaled schedule can be found here
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The NCAA hockey schedule can be found here
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The LOVB schedule can be found here
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Find the PVF schedule here
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Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
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Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist
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Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're unclear whether we're supposed to celebrate Saint Patrick's state the weekend before when Chicago dies the river green and parties in the streets, or the actual day of on Monday, when the river is still sort of greenish and Chicago wins are once again partying in the streets. As a good Irish girl, I guess I'll have to do both. It's Friday, March fourteenth, aka Pie Day, so while we usually celebrate you orange.
Slices, treat yourself to a.
Slice of something a little sweeter today, and maybe test out your math knowledge while you're at it. See if you could beat my record of memorized digits after the decimal three point one, four and amount. On today's show, we'll be chatting with marilynd women's basketball head coach Brenda Freeze about leading the Terps to their first national title in six speed dating in the transfer Portal, era, to squad's Big Ten rivalry with Ohio State, and how her team's feel and headed into the NCAA Tournament. Plus buzzer beaters and overtime magic and Ode to Potatoes and your new favorite swag. It's all coming to right after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today in college hoops, there were a couple wild endings in conference tournaments on Wednesday night. First, the Montana State Bobcats downed in state rival Montana fifty eight to fifty seven at Boise's Idaho Central Arena in the Big Sky Championship now effectually known as starch Madness. Thanks Idaho, a last second put back layup by Merra Dykster at the buzzer was the Differencedykster had ten points in the game, and teammate Esmerelda Morales led all scorers with twenty five points. The win was the cherry on top of a near immaculate season. Montana State won the Big Sky regular season title outright, dropping only one of their eighteen conference games. Then, the Bobcats became the first team in Big Sky Tournament history to post two wins by margins of more than thirty points over Northern Colorado and Idaho State. With the championship victory, Montana State earned the Big Sky's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and we'll make an appearance there for the fourth time.
In program history.
We'll link to the footage of Dyster's game winner in our show notes so you can watch the final sequence for yourself. Over in the Mountain West Conference, the San Diego State Aztecs clinched an automatic bid to the Big Dance via a seventy two to sixty eight triple overtime win over the Wyoming Cowgirls, the first three OT championship game in the history of the conference's tournament. The Cowgirls entered the contest the number two seed and the Aztecs were the number four seed, but it was the Aztecs who punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since twenty twelve.
Wyoming never led in OT.
Veronica Cheffe led San Diego State with twenty four points, and three of her teammates also reached double figures to the NWSL, where the regular season gets under way tonight. If you missed yesterday's show, we included a full team by team preview ahead of my interview with Chicago Stars goalkeeper a Lissa there. We also have a little update on the status of Chicago Star Mallory Swanson, though the update is really that we don't have an update On Thursday, the team confirmed that she won't be playing in the season opener tonight against the Orlando Pride, with head coach Lauren Donaldson saying, quote to me, it's a week to week thing. I kind of just give her space and let whatever happens happen. We can't do much about our situation right now because that's her space. We just want her to be happy and the club is behind her end quote. The club announced in January that the star player would be missing the start of training camp due to personal reasons, and that they were fully supportive of her decision. We're sending our best to mal and hoping to see her back on the pitch whenever she's ready. In pro vibes, It's week ten of the Love season and players are in Houston this weekend for three matches at the Fort Ben County at the Center. The first match is tonight and it's a duel between the league's top two teams, Love Atlanta and Love Houston at eight pm Eastern. Atlanta is nine and two overall and Houston six and five, but the Texas squad has the two players with the most points thus far this season. In opposite hitter Jordan Thompson and outside hitter Jess Mrzik this weekend's action, there will be only three weeks left before the Love Finals get started on April tenth. We'll link to the remaining regular season schedule and ticket links in our show notes. There's also PVF action tonight and over the weekend. We'll link to that schedule in our show notes as well. And we've got Beach Vibes news. The Association of Volleyball Professionals aka the AVP, the biggest and longest running professional beach volleyball tour, has a new TV deal. Per report by Brian Steinberg in Variety, a package of regular season games will air on CBS Sports Network leading up to Big CBS airing the AVP League Championship on August third. The CW will also broadcast Saturday night matches beginning Memorial Day and ending Labor Day. The AVP is such a great live experience I've been going for years. Super exciting that fans will be able to watch from Afar on TV now as well on the ice. After reviews by the PWHL Player Safety Committee, the league announced consequences on Tuesday for a couple of incidents. In a contest between the Toronto Scepters and Minnesota Frost on March ninth, Toronto defender not A Fast was fined two hundred and fifty dollars for cross checking Frost forward Kendell coins Schofield in the head with the shaft of her stick. The contact wasn't penalized during play, but she has been fined. It's the first fine Fast has gotten in the PWHL. Say that five times the first fine Fast is gotten. Additionally, Minnesota forward Britta curl Salem was suspended one game for an illegal check to the head on Scepters defender Megan Carter that earned curl Salem her second one game time out of the season. Coin Scofield scored an overtime of that game to lift Minnesota to a two to one win, and at present, the Scepters and Frost are number two and number four in the league standings, respectively. The squad's match up again on March thirtieth. There are also two PWHL games this weekend, so we'll link to the schedule in our show notes. Two unrivaled basketball where ahead of playoff weekend, the Three on three League has announced its first end of season award winners that includes first team honorees Ifisakallier of the Lunar Owls, Chelsea Gray of ROSEBC and Kaylea McBride of the Laces and Second team honorees Skyler Diggan Smith of the Lunar Owls, Ryan Howard of the Vinyl and Angel Reese of ROSEBC. Recipients of the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards are still to come. Unrivaled playoffs get underway on Sunday with the semi finals. The first matchup is between number two seed ROSEBC and number three Laces BC, followed by top seed Lunar Owls BC against number four seed Vinyl BC. Rose has been a bit of a dark course. The team dropped four of its first five Unrivaled games, but a surge in the later half of the season has earned producer Mishas squad an eight and six record and a spot in the Brief Big Dance. Notably, Kalia Copper, who is averaging nearly seventeen points per game, has not played for Rose since February seventh while rehabbing an injury. The league's last player update indicated that she would return quote toward the end of the Unrivaled season end quote.
We're at the end, so we'll see if she suits up.
Meanwhile, Lace's BC started the season on fire, going four to one in the first five games, but ultimately injuries hit Four of their six originally rostered players Alyssa Thomas, Kaylea McBride, Tiffany Hayes, and Kate Martin all injured at one point or another. The league even made the tough decision to cancel one of the team's games. Relief players were signed so the Laces could keep playing, but there's no doubt it had an effect on their performance and chemistry. They ended the regular season seven and seven and on a two game winning streak. Their last loss was against Rose on March eighth, onto the Lunar Owls, who have all but run through the rest of the field, finishing with only one loss in fourteen games to ROSEBC in late February. Unrivaled co founder Nafisakalier is the anchor for the squad and leads the whole league at twenty five point seven points per game. The club's in pretty healthy all season and enters the semis as a clear favorite and last but not least Vinyl BC up and down regular season for this club, they finished five and nine one bright spot. Ryan Howard and Deerica Hamby have been one of the most dynamic duos in unrivaled Offensively, both are top five in the league in scoring, averaging upwards of forty points per game combined. Their team's played off hopes. We're in jeopardy up to the last night of regular season action and they have a tall task in front of them against.
The Hoodi Hoo Crew.
Catch all the semi finals Sunday doubleheader action tip it off at seven thirty pm Eastern on TNT and True TV. A Little Sports Business News Monarch Collective, a private equity fund dedicated to women's sports, has increased the size of its fund to two hundred and fifty million dollars, up from the initial one hundred and fifty million it funded in twenty twenty three. The firm, led by Jasmin Robinson and Angel CITYFC co founder Karen Nortman, has investments in three NWSL teams, Angel City, San Diego and the new Boston expansion team per Sportico. The new one hundred million dollar investment is thanks to many of the fund's original contributors, including Melinda French Gates, Hello Sunshine CEO, Sarah Hardin, and former Netflix executives Cindy Holland and Annie m.
Hoff.
We'll link to another Sportico story in the show notes that provides more detail on the rules around private equity investment in the NWSL.
And finally, we want.
To give a huge shout out to Alexa Gasparo, who became just the eighth US woman and the first black woman to land the extremely difficult triple axel at a competition in Poland earlier this month.
Huge kudos to you, Alexa.
Y'all don't want to see me try to land a triple axel, or really any axel for that matter. We'll link to the video of Gasparado hitting the breathtaking skill in our show notes. We're going to take a quick break when we come back my chat with head turp Brenda.
Freeze joining us now.
She's been the head coach of the University of Maryland women's basketball team since two thousand and two, leading the team to a national championship win in six and final four runs in twenty fourteen and fifteen. She was voted AP National Coach of the Year in O two and twenty one, ACC Coach of the Year in twenty thirteen, Big Ten Coach of the Year four times, and Matt Coach of the Year in two thousand. She's a mom to teenage twin boys, the star of the video series Under the Show, which is in its twenty first season, and she hasn't seen a losing season in over twenty years.
It's Brenda Freez. Thanks for joining us.
Coach, Oh thanks for having me.
I want to start with that sixth season.
You were just four years into your journey with the Terps and led the team to a national championship. It is a memorable standout team for many people, including my producer Meisch, who got absolutely hooked on hoops that year growing up in the DMB. And I wonder if, looking back these years later, if you can remember the hardest part of that journey as a leader.
Oh man, it was uncharted territory, so you know, and back in the time, you know, you talk about those battles between Duke and North Carolina and in the ACC all those rivalries, so it was continuous. When you just talk about being the underdog. You know, no one really kind of expected this young, fearless team. I mean we started two freshmen, two sophomores, and a junior, and it just kind of evolved. I think kind of the special thing that season was that they kind of started the mantra overtime is our time, and all of a sudden they started having a lot of success in conference play, and then as it unfolded, I mean they went six to zero in overtime and had two of their biggest games in the NCAA tournament, one against Utah to go to the final four to Boston won that game, and then you know, everyone knows the game against Duke, the overtime win in the national championship games. So just a lot of first and you know, an incredibly you know, wonderful year with the team that no one expected to be able to go win a championship.
Okay, I have two follow up questions.
Is it the distance that has you calling them they instead of us?
Right? Probably?
Okay?
And then I know you tell the team day one, we have enough talent. It's all about the work that we're going to put in. Anybody can be the champion. But if you're being honest, at what point during that season did you really think, oh my gosh, like we could win this.
Yeah.
I think as the season unfolded, when when we started to have the overtime wins and I saw how fearless they were. You know, you kind of built and built that up through conference play, but it really was, you know, all of a sudden as you got into the NCAA tournament that you know, you kind of just saw each game kind of build its own sense of momentum, and you just kind of saw this fearless confidence team that you know, really just had no you know, fear that that they were going to get be.
I so admire coaches in their ability to do as much as they can to get a team ready and then have to accept what happens because they're not out on the court. That's very difficult for me to imagine doing as competitive as I am, and so it must be such a wonderful feeling to be like, oh, I got gamers like overtime, clutch time, like these are.
The girls who are going to get it. That's so cool.
You've had a couple of really talented teams that came up just short of finish line you're talking to some folks that have never been in a high pressure environment, what would you tell them about the challenges of a title run, no matter how much talent you have.
I mean, yes, you have to have the talent to be able to get there, but there's also you have to have the breaks that fall your way, and anything can really happen. And you know, I mean one, I mean, staying healthy is one of them. As you're going into postseason and through the tournament, and then you know, it's matchups. I mean, there's certain kinds of teams that you want to play against, and then there's other teams that are kind of your kryptonite. And so the margin for error is so slim to go win a national championship, to have every single player playing at their best, to not have someone wake up and have the flu and be out or have an injury. So I think what people don't realize is just how narrow the margin is to be successful.
So, how long after a tournament loss an agonizing do you spend thinking about decisions you made, plays that didn't work out, calls that didn't go your way, and all the other minutia of the game. How long do you allow yourself to ruminate before you say, Okay, I'm sad it's over, moving on.
I think as a coach, you always take it with you. I mean, you know, it's internally in you. I think for me, I close the chapter. When I go back on, I would finalize and watch the film. I mean, yes, you're going to go through internally in your head. But for me, I try to go watch that film, Like you said, probably within the first forty eight hours, sometimes seventy two, depending how crushing of a blow is, and then you know, learn from it, dive into it, and then move on, you know, just sticking in that place of pain. Yes, it can refuel you and motivate you, but at the same point you've got to be able to move on to what's next. And in today's day and age, I mean, you know, for us, your season ends and you're right into the transfer portal, so there's not a lot of time to really, you know, sit and worry about what's happened. You've got to move on to your team.
People often think about powerhouse programs like Yukon and more recently South Carolina when thinking about women's basketball, but under your watch, Maryland has not only won that national championship, but seven regular season conference championships, seven tournament championships. You've launched the career of so many players and stars in the W like Alissa Thomas, Brandon Jones, Christy Tolliver. What do WNBA coaches know they're going to get from a player that you coached?
You know, they know there's not going to be any drama. These kids are. They know how to work. I think that's why so many WNBA coaches kind of appreciate our players transition really well. I know that we develop them so they are prepared for that next level. They're gonna be the ultimate team player. I mean in a system like Maryland, you're gonna play within the team. You're going to value you know, what we have instilled in them, within our culture and where our values take place. So they're able to take all of that and be really self sufficient. I think there's a lot of no nonsense that they don't have to worry about that they definitely are going to know how to transition to be pros.
In an honest moment, does it ever bother you that your name isn't brought up as often as Gino or down or maybe even someone like kim Olky.
I think the longevity of those coaches have been here for a really long time.
I mean, I.
Respect all the work that they've put in, and.
I am who I am.
I've never gotten into it for some sort of name recognition and feel that I need to be valued.
By anyone else.
I know who I am and who our program here is at the end of the day, and to me, that's the most important is that I'm just impacting lives, and you know, I think for me selfishly, yeah, I'd love to get to more Final fours because I love what it takes just for your players and for you know, the parents and the families to be a part of success.
When it comes to recruiting.
Do you think, Matt, there's a lot to have that sort of household name and be the name that gets brought up often.
I definitely think it has in the past. I think it's changing.
That's more parody.
I think players now aren't afraid to, uh, you know, go be the one and go to other programs.
I think before it used.
To you know, write you know, ESPN would only show you con in Tennessee, and now you're seeing just on a national scale that so many names, so many stories are being told, and I think that's why you are seeing the parody is you can access anyone in everyone nowadays, and I think that's what's really helped, you know, be able to branch out the game and be able to have more parody.
If you want some more headlines, might I recommend a sweater with a basketball who built into it.
That'll guarantee you some run on the internet? Yeah, not your style.
You know, some of the top players that you coached ended up transferring, like Angel Reese who went to l s U and then helped that team win a national champion. How did that impact you in the moment and how do you balance wanting what's best for a player and then also wanting what's best for your program.
I think the transfer portal is there for a reason, and you know, there's better fits for other players in different situations.
For Angel, that was the best fit.
For her, and you know, for for us, I've always felt like the players that stay here and that we're you know, also able to bring into the portal and players that have wanted to have, you know, great situations, want to be a part of a family experience, want to be a part of a really strong culture. Have done really well here, and so I'm okay with it. You know, I think that you know that everybody has their own reasons. We've been very successful as well ourselves with the amount of players that we've been able to get in here within the portal, and you know, sometimes the ones that go or are meant to go.
Yeah, how does your strategy differ when you're recruiting players out of high school versus in the transfer portal.
Well, high school you're able to build those relationships for a long time, and you know, the transfer portal is pretty much speed dating and very quick. I mean luckily for us. I mean we do love the fact in the portal when we can find kids that we have recruited in the past or that we know and we've had relationships with. I think that always, you know, is a good thing for your culture that you know their past and you know their history. But it is a lot more difficult, it's a lot quicker. You don't have to spend the amount of years and time that you once did with high school kids. You know, players out of the portal have more experience, and so you know, there's positives and negatives to both, and you just have to be able to adapt around it.
There's proof of concept because they've played at the collegiate level. You can watch wherever they've played before they get to I've always wondered if another coach knows that their player wants to leave, are they open to conversation with coaches at the places that player is looking or is there some animosity about a player deciding to leave a program and there's no real communication about where they might end up.
Yeah, there's been a blend.
I know, you know, when I have a relationship with a head coach, I mean, I'm always wanting to connect. I think early on in it, you know it was taboo. You didn't want to have those conversations. But we now all know and understand what the portal is about, and we're all going to be dealing with it. So I think those conversations are helpful for the most part when you're able to have them.
Yeah, to really understand why a player might be leaving, and if it's going to be a better fit where you are. Some of the same reasons they're leaving might pop up, or whatever you coached through your program's transition from playing in the ACC where your rival was duke to now playing in the Big Ten. What one team do you now see as Marilyn's top rival.
You know, I would say probably for us, it's been Ohio State. I think those battles back and forth have just been intense.
They've been great.
You know, coach McGuff does a great job at Ohio State, and just back and forth through the years, we've had that history. You know, even this year, our last game of the season, you know, we were both new we had a double by we were going into that game and you know, neither team really had to win that game to secure anything, and it felt like an NCAA tournament game.
Both teams just went added.
It went into overtime and we were fortunate to get the win. But you know, those games have been really intense.
Yeah, it's it's really interesting to see teams adjust to a new conference and get used to playing in new buildings and against opposing you know, fans, and which teams organically become rivals and which ones it feels a little bit forced.
But let's talk about this year's team.
You returned only one player from last year, starting five, Your roster looked almost completely different front to back. How do you quickly create team chemistry and buy and from the new look players.
Our stuff is really intentional with the team building really the bonding piece of it. We were fortunate this past year to be able to take a foreign trip, so right now the fact when they got to campus about three weeks later, we were.
Going over to Croatia.
What a better way to be able to bond for eleven days over in another country. And that really took off for us between that trip, the practices, the games that we were able to have. But even you know in a year when you're not taking that for us, it's intentional. In the summertime, we'll do a lot more activities, events at the house really, you know, trying to build that chemistry even before your season gets started. We'll always you know, take a trip away, a weekend away where we spend time together because I think when you're breaking bread and you have the overnights and you kind of get to let your guard down, both as players and coaches, you're able to to know each other a lot better, which then is going to build that chemistry on the court for your team that you have.
Best memory from Croatia.
The first thing that comes to mind ziplining.
Oh, I mean that was unbelievable and just really seeing some kids get, you know, out of their comfort zone, the fear I think for all of us, you know, to be up on these mountains and be going through it.
So those a pretty neat event.
That's awesome.
What should our listeners know about your team heading into March Madness? They're gonna sit down, make their brackets or pick the team they want to root for if they don't have a rooting interest.
What so they know about the Terps one?
You know, I went bet against us.
You know when this team, you know, is fighting hard for each other and you know they're really really good at drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line and you know, really playing for one another.
Okay, Basketball often referred to as a game of runs. Seasons can be like that too. This year had a lot ups and downs with injuries, some really big wins, some disappointing losses. And I know that fans would like to see their team win every single game. But as a coach, particularly as you head into March Madness, I imagine you like one or two l's to see the team react to that, to see how they get through adversity, to see them perhaps get behind in a game and recognize that they could come back to sort of make sure that you're developing and continuing to evolve and hitting your peak at the right time. How do you balance sort of getting really concerned when you have a loss versus Okay, here's what we might have learned from that, and I think we're going to be better down the road.
Yeah, I think for us, you know, we always win or lose. We evaluate every game, and you know, we've had wins that could feel like losses and vice versus. So I think, you know, similar to what I said when I end a season is you've got to go back, watch film, make it teachable to what lessons you can learn, and even out of losses, there's a lot of great lessons that you can learn that really will help.
You so you don't make the same mistakes twice.
And so for us, once we closed that book, that film session, you know, we're onto the next and for us that's in the past and it's just moving forward to get better.
It's sort of a long debate in the talking Head sports community when a team has gone undefeated a whole season, especially if they're winning by double digits pretty much every time, whether they'll get to the tournament and not be able to handle if they get behind a team that's not used to being behind and fighting back. If you were given the option of an undefeated run toward the tournament, would you take it or would you rather have one loss?
Oh? Great question, h man.
Well, you know I only had one season when we went into the Big Ten. We were eighteen to zero going into the NCAA tournament, and so you know, you could feel that target start to mount as time went on. So I definitely think probably the taking the loss to be able to learn it probably as helpful. But you know, again, and I don't think I would be upset if I.
Was under beat.
Fans wouldn't be either. Let's talk about a loss. The Terps went from the very high high of beating number twelve Ohio State in overtime at home, in front of this electric crowd on the last second shot to losing the first round of the Big Ten Tournament to Michigan.
The solid run at the Big Ten tournament could have put you.
Know, top sixteen, maybe set you up to host games during March madness. How do you handle that swing from that amazing game to that early loss.
Yeah, Unfortunately, we've had those swings this season, so it's not like it was the first time. And I think just you know, continuing to have perspective. I think fortunately for us, it wasn't our last game, and I think it gives us clarity that's not how we want to end our season, for our five seniors in the NC DOUBLEA tournament, and you know, every team, you see how loaded the big ten is and how hungry and motivated everybody is, it's going to be the same way in the NCUBLEA Tournament. So I think, you know, a big wake up call for our kids. You know, hopefully we get a little healthier. We'd you know, had lost another starter with Sailor Poffenberger not you know, being able to be up to the point that we need her to be to be able to significantly impact us, and losing Bree McDaniel and Shy coming through. So the rest right now for us is kind of where we needed to be at and now we'll help hopefully, you know, give us the freshest start we can have in the in the NCAA Tournament.
What has surprised you most about this team starting with the beginning of the season till now.
I would say that, you know, I.
Didn't realize, say, we're going to be so competitive when when we first kind of put them all together. Just you know, just a really motivated group. And I think that's kind of been the neatest thing about them, is that they they do want to be elite.
They they want to be great.
I think having a perspective of twenty three wins in a season and in the Big Ten, you know, one of the comference is in the country, and you know, the losses we have taken have all come around injuries.
So I think the.
Resiliency thing has been the thing I've learned about them, because you know, when we were rolling and had won fourteen straight games, you know, we were healthy and we were a complete team. And then as adversity has hit, they they've really had to show a lot of great resiliency.
You talk about that a lot. That's sort of your go to word. What does that mean to you as a coach and for your players.
You know, the ability to you know bounce back, you know, the like I think that's basketball is also you know, prepares you for life, and you're going to have, you know, a lot of great highs in life, but you're also going to have those lows. And it's really your ability to be able to get up the next morning and be able to take it on. And if we can learn that, you know, through the game of basketball and be stronger because of it, you know, it's just going to prepare us for what Liza out ahead.
It feels that way, especially in women's college troups this season too, where there are as absolutely no gimmes. The number one seed's been bopping around, people are taking l's left and right. So yeah, it's been it's been a test for a lot of teams to understand what it means to come back and be resilient after a loss. You know, my team's in high school and college often had rallying cries or inside jokes that carried through the season, something that organically came from a joke or a trip or a moment. And I wonder if this team has a strange stuffed animal mascot or a cheer or a superstition or something that they'll come back to as the tournament starts.
Oh, man, that's a great question. There's a lot of stuffed animals that come on the plane. I will say that, no, I mean it is a group that's kind of superstitious, so they kind of in their own right, they all kind of have their own little nuances that they like, you know. The one I'll say is like, you know, pregame. I don't know how many go back to the locker room and go to the bathroom and go meditate and go. So there's this team has been unique in that area where of any other team I've had, as I'm thinking of it out loud, they've just kind of have their own little kind of pregame routine once they go out on the floor.
So that's been mindfulness.
Yeah, very apropos for the younger generations, which I love that they're finding that out young and applying that to their sport. I mentioned Under the Shell, which is the sort of docu series reality show about your program that's going on twenty one seasons, which is crazy. They've been there for the birth of your children. I'm wondering if there's anything you haven't let them show, or any moments that do you have final edit on.
And You've said yeah, let's cut that part.
I do have final edit.
But you know, when I first got hired here, Debbie Yao is the athletic director then who's now retired, and she had the vision it was she named it and just kind of you know, everyone has a coach's speak, coaches show game highlights, and she wanted it to be different, and I think that fits my personality. I love that it's the stars of the show are our players. It's not me, and it doesn't need to be me. I don't have an ego that it needs to be me at all. That it's the players, it's their backgrounds, it's their stories. And that's what I'm really most proud of is when I, you know, RO six team, they'll they'll get together and they go back on YouTube and they watch it, and you know, it's just pretty cool that it's all archive for them to go back and see.
So do you have to then make executive decisions for the players about what they might not want to have out in the world or if something's less flattering or I mean just imagining young women being able to come I don't look cute in that one coach or like that's a bad angle for me, do you have to feel those kinds of lives.
I mean, we you know, we definitely if there's ever anything that's sensitive, we're going to run it by the players. Yeah, we definitely do do that. But for the most part, we've never you know, had a problem. And you know, even like sometimes when you know they filmed, you know, some of our toughest losses. I mean those are real life, you know, for our fans and to be able to experience just kind of the heartache of what goes on inside the locker room.
Yeah, you have an all women coaching staff. Was that intentional?
And why you know.
It wasn't, you know, because I've had men on staff and in my time here, but as things evolved, it's become you know, all women. You know, I will say it's probably been one of my best coaching staffs. I think it's just been really neat to see how in sync everyone is pulling for each other, the mentorship for from them and you know, to lead to our players. So you know, definitely didn't start out intentionally, but kind of got built that way. And I'll say, you know, it's just you know, been something that I've really enjoyed.
What would you say to girls and women about coaching as a career, especially as salaries are going up college women's basketball and that has resulted in more men going out for and getting jobs, the hiring ranks unfortunately not reflecting the growth we see in women's sports as far as women coaches go. How would you encourage girls and women to take on the challenge and to believe that they're capable.
Yeah, well, I think, like everyone see, you have to be built for it. It's a really intense, pressure packed job anymore, and you know you have to be prepared for for what lies ahead.
But you can do it.
I mean, you know, whether you're a mom like i am, I mean, it takes a village and you can nowadays, you know you can build that the way you can to be successful. But you know, anything you put your mind to, you're going to be able to do. And you know what better, you know, female role models for our players to be able to have and to be able to look up to and be able to see, you know, women doing hard things. You know, this is a profession that's really demanding. But at the same point, you know they can see that you can be really successful in it.
You've perfectly set me up for my final question, which is, you know, if you want it badly enough, you can make it work. And you've made it work despite having twin sons. But they've also had the opportunity to grow up watching you coach and lead this hugely successful basketball program. Why is it important for boys in particular to see that?
It really is? I can't tell you enough.
I mean right now, you know, my boys are always sending me things off of social media and you know who's entered the transfer portal, and they're so fully invested, and it is they get to watch a mom you know, kind of grind twenty four to seven within a season and just you know, you know, with this job is all encompassing. They watch the work ethic, they watch what it takes every single day. So it is I mean, it doesn't matter if you're male or female. Just being able to see that role model, you know, allows my boys to see that, you know what you know, they can you know, grow up and be anything they want to be. And they're getting a living example every single day.
And shout out to your husband for driving them to aau and schlapping them around everywhere while you're winning ball games. We love that balance and that teamwork. Thank you so much for taking the time. Great great season, and good luck in the tournament.
Oh well, thank you so much and I really appreciate you having me.
Thanks so much to Brenda for joining us.
And a big thanks to friend of the show Claimed Kannikan, who knows all the stake, story stats and stars of the Maryland program and really help me prep for that interview. We got to take another break. When we come back, it's time for you, slices to get in the game. Stick around, Welcome back, slices. We love that you're listening, but we want you to get in the game every day too. So here's our good game play of the day. First tap been with coach Freeze and Maryland women's basketball. We'll find out their NCAA tournament seed and draw during the selection show on Sunday. So if you like what you heard and need a team to root for, hitch your wagon to the Turtles. Also, slices, we want to do something fun during March Madness, something different starch madness. Now, we know we're not the first folks to get a kick out of that pun and we're not even the first to build a bracket around it, but we are the first to put our own special, good game spin on it.
So here's how it's going to work.
We need starch based recipes from use slices, So send us your favorite corn and potato dishes.
The starch has to be the star. Folks. Now, what constitutes a starch?
Well, after quite a bit of research, we are still wondering that ourselves. Some folks, for instance, think rice is a starch, and some say it's a grain, but a starchy grain. So for our purposes, just consider us the Potato and Corn Conference. Send your rice, pasta and lay goom dishes to another podcast. But if you've got a really great one featuring like a deep cut, lesser known starch, the humble parsnip, perhaps, I don't know, try your luck.
Maybe it'll make the cut.
We'll seed your recipes and then we'll throw them into our Starch Madness bracket. Then you slices will vote on them via Instagram until we get a final four. I will make and post and eat the final four recipes and use my taste buds to choose a winner.
So send us your recipes.
People, We want to post the bracket next week and have final four votes in by March twenty eighth, So send them now, get them in. Think you got something that'll make my taste buds sing? Send it our way. And remember I'm a vegetarian, so if you want your recipe picked, you probably should pick something that doesn't have meat in it. Send those recipes to good Game at Wondermedia network dot com, or you can leave us a voicemail and talk about the recipe at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy, and don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review.
It's easy.
Watch the really great news that we're gonna share with you soon, but not today. Rating ten out of ten Ooh, you're gonna love it. Review without giving anything away. What we've got for you is bright and colorful and potentially profane, but it's sure to put a smile on your face. It's something a lot of you have asked for and that we hope you'll be super stoked about. You can't get it anywhere else, and people who don't have it are going to be super jealous once you've got it. Oh, and it's not dangerous or illegal or part of a pyramid scheme at least not yet. Okay, that's it. Stay tuned for the big reveal on Monday. Now it's your turn, rate and review. Thanks for listening, See you next week. Good Game, Coach, Freeze, Good Game Potatoes, and other starches you The Day I Learned that corn Wasn't a vegetable. Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kapla, and Emily Rutter. Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez and Grace Lynch. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and I'm your host Sarah Spain
