Duke transfer guard Oluchi Okananwa commits to Maryland women’s basketball

The 2025 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player joins the Terps.

Maryland women’s basketball filled its final roster spot Friday, adding Duke transfer forward Oluchi Okananwa, who announced her decision on social media.

“What a great day to be a Terp. The final piece to a very special team,” head coach Brenda Frese said in a release Friday. “[Okananwa’s] IQ and athleticism are high level. She’s a dynamic player who will bring qualities to our perimeter that any team would love to have.”

The 5-foot-10 guard averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last season with the Blue Devils. In 2024, she was named ACC Sixth Player of the Year and an All-Freshman Team honoree.

“Coach Frese’s passion for the game and her players is unmatched, and she creates a culture where accountability, growth and family matter,” Okananwa said in a release Friday. “Maryland felt like home — a place where I knew I could grow both as a player and as a person.”

Okananwa was named the 2025 ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game over three games in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also shot 10-of-11 from beyond the arc in the tournament and tied a career high with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game against NC State.

“She will thrive in our up-tempo style, because she can really get up and down the floor,” Frese said. “She’s a two-way player who will be hard to play against. We know, because we played against her last season.”

This past season, Okananwa recorded five points, two rebounds and two assists against Maryland on Nov. 10. She also had three steals and two blocks in her only career game at Xfinity Center.

Okananwa never started a game at Duke, but averaged 9.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 71 games. She has two seasons of eligibility.

“I chose to commit and play for Maryland women’s basketball because of the program’s rich legacy, competitive spirit, and the incredible coaching staff that believed in me from the start,” Okananwa said.