Maryland Vs. George Mason: A DMV Women’s Hoops Showdown
As the never-ending mission to highlight DMV area hoops continues, we were once again brought back to College Park, Maryland, to see the Maryland Women (7-0) take on George Mason (4-2).
Following a convincing win against Bethune-Cookman, it was expected that Maryland would be more than ready to face a George Mason team that had given them a scare in 2024.
Maryland was ready, but George Mason, in a season freshly removed from their first NCAA Tournament appearance, was ready in their own right.
Mason’s coach, DMV product Vanessa Blair-Lewis stated, “Our girls are excited about playing top-tier teams,” and that excitement showed in the way the Patriots delivered the first haymaker in this contest.
Mason played at their pace in the first quarter, impressively, as Maryland is typically the team that creates havoc and plays the game at their speed.
The power of the Patriot scoring punch was Zahirah Walton, who scored 13 of her game-high 27 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field in the first quarter.
With Walton on fire and the defense playing well, the Patriots took control. Due to turnovers of their own, leading to losing the first quarter points off turnovers margin 14-6, they were unable to make Maryland pay for a slow start out of the gate. The quarter ended 24-23 George Mason.
In the second, both defenses stepped up. Maryland was able to lock in defensively and make things tough for the opposing team’s leading scorer, but still lacked control when the ball was in their hands.
Outside of Oluchi Okananwa, who scored 13 of her team-high 23 points in the first half, the Terps lacked firepower offensively for much of the first half.
However, as the clock dwindled down into halftime, Saylor Poffenbarger hit a leaning two as time expired to tie the game at 36. A shot that proved to be a momentum builder for the Terps and proof they survived the early Patriot punches.
But as Oluchi said in the postgame presser, “It’s a game of runs, we’re going to get punched, but what is really important is that we punch back.”
Oluchi Okananwa in the postgame presser
From the opening whistle of the half, Maryland truly punched back. In the 3rd quarter, Maryland forced 9 turnovers and outscored Mason 32-17.
Despite a relatively even 4th quarter, the Terps were able to keep George Mason at bay en route to an 84-62 victory.
For Maryland, we caught another glimpse of the team's resilience. On an off shooting night from beyond the arc (2 of 17 from three), it was their defense and ability to get out and run that made them successful.
Also, this game highlighted the huge role that freshman Guard Addi Mack has early into her college career. A big part of Maryland upping the pace in the second half included Mack. When she runs, others run with her, and Maryland is a dangerous team to beat when they outwork you up and down the floor.
It will be fun to see how this team responds to a top-20 matchup against Kentucky on November 26th.
For George Mason, we saw the fight and talent that truly signify how much this program has turned around. Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis and a roster full of DMV talent walked into the game as an underdog by most projections, but not in their own eyes.
George Mason Head Coach Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis talks about her team delivering a punch early.
That mentality and fight were on display all night despite not having everything bounce their way.
As they look to build on their first tournament birth and have the firepower to repeat in the A-10, finding a way to channel the intensity they brought in the first half of this game will be key in that pursuit.
Mason is back in action against Rider at home tonight at 7:00pm.
Overall, a great display from two local programs, and I’m excited to stay locked in to the progress of these teams throughout the season.
Maryland Vs Princeton Recap 11/16/25
The #9 Maryland Terrapins (5-0) bested the Princeton Tigers (2-1) 84-68 Sunday afternoon in College Park.
The early-season non-conference clash demonstrated how both teams can be successful as the college basketball season intensifies.
The first quarter was all Maryland out of the gate. The Terps spearheaded a hot start with a 14-5 run, predicated on defense and getting out and running in transition. This quarter set the tone for what eventually led to the Terps outscoring Princeton 21-7 on fastbreak points and 38-22 in the paint.
Princeton’s defensive focus was on the interior due to a size mismatch.
Since the Tigers were throwing everything they had to compete in the paint, Maryland’s perimeter shooters were able to settle for comfortable long-distance shots and get into a rhythm early.
Saylor Poffenbarger led the charge for Maryland with 8 points in the 1st quarter while shooting 2-3 from downtown. Poffenbarger's early scoring run helped fuel Maryland's fast start by making the shots the Princeton defense was forced to give up with their focus on defending the interior.
Despite Maryland’s hot start, Carla Berube’s Princeton was able to adjust in the second quarter. Coach Berube and Princeton switched to a press to put more pressure on Maryland and slow down the paint penetration that had plagued them in the first quarter.
Princeton Coach Carla Berube speaks on her defensive strategy and the result of Maryland making the most of their open looks
Princeton created havoc in passing lanes and got their hands on the basketball as Fatima Tall, a local product from Georgetown Visitation, had 3 steals in the quarter.
The Tigers outscored Maryland 20-8, ended the second quarter with a 12-0 run, and headed into the half only down 34-30.
In the 3rd, Maryland was able to handle the press and get back to attacking the basket. The Terrapins went 8-10 from the field, and Kaylene Smirkle relentlessly attacked the lane, drew fouls, and went a perfect 8-8 from the line in the quarter (11-11 from the FT line for the game) as UMD extended the lead to 61-48 heading into the 4th quarter.
Maryland Coach Brenda Frese on how her team was able to maintain their poise and lead after Princeton’s Run in the 2nd quarter.
The 4th quarter was almost even between the two teams, which allowed the Terps to fend off any attempts at a Princeton run and seal victory.
Princeton proved to be one of the best programs in the country and a true early-season test for the Terrapins.
If you’re a Maryland fan, you should be encouraged by the way the team responded in the wake of the news that starting Guard Lea Bartelme is out for the season with an ACL tear.
While devastating, you see the benefits from the recruiting trail paying dividends as newly minted Big 10 Freshman of the week, Addi Mack stepped right into the starting point guard role and played like a seasoned veteran.
“We didn’t even flinch,” said coach Brenda Frese in regard to how her team stepped up to the adversity of playing without a key player in the lineup.
Maryland had four scorers in double digits, and three scorers (Mack, Poffenbarger, Okananwa) with more than 15 points. They turned defense into offense, got out and ran, hit open shots, attacked the lane, and only missed one free-throw as a team.
We already knew that the Terps have a very balanced attack and versatile athletes on the defensive end, but we learned that this team, with several new players from last year, has mental toughness and depth to withstand injury and still fire on all cylinders.
If you’re a Princeton fan, you were able to confirm that playing a team with size like Maryland's will prove to be difficult all year.
However, Princeton’s actions they use to get shotmakers like Madison St. Rose, Fadima Tall (DMV Product - Georgetown Visitation), and Olivia Hutcherson open will work against almost anyone if they work against Maryland.
Noted by Hutcherson in the postgame presser, you’re not going to see teams with a combo of size and athleticism that Maryland has that often in the Ivy League.
Overall, a great measuring-stick contest for both teams that proves why both of these programs are among the upper echelon in the country.
Going forward, I encourage all fans of hoops and especially those looking to learn more about what it takes tactically and mentally to be a successful team to take a look at the games either of these programs play in the rest of the season.
Check out the District of Buckets Instagram and Twitter/X for more content on this game and other hoops related content.
Look Good, Feel Good, Play Good: Ranking the Top 5 NBA Jerseys of the 2025–2026 Season
Look good, feel good, play good.
With pre-season wrapping up and the season at the doorstep, it’s time to look at one of the more fun aspects of the upcoming season, the new (or throwback) threads teams will sport.
Today, I’m ranking my top 5 jerseys of the 2025-2026 season.
Honorable Mention: Cavs Classic (Rumored)
The Cavs Classic navy blue throwbacks are rumored to be in play for Cleveland this season, but since I haven’t seen much outside of a few tweets about it, this jersey stays as an honorable mention until there is more confirmation.
The Navy blue jerseys are iconic. They gave Cleveland a unique look and ushered in the beginning of the LeBron James era in the 2000s.
These were the jerseys in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit, one of the most Iconic Cleveland basketball moments as a young LeBron James closes out a series against one of the best defenses in the NBA.
5. Washington Wizards
A Jersey near and dear to my own heart, the Wizards 2026 city edition.
Nostalgia sells, and credit to the Wizards for putting together a jersey that reminds fans of the Arenas-Butler-Jamison days. The first stretch since their name change that saw the Wizards as a competitive playoff-level team.
While it might remind some of a Duracell battery with a gold, black, and white colorway, it also reminds us of a time when D.C. basketball was fun.
An era when many hoped they would eventually knock off LeBron James in the playoffs.
Sadly, it never came to fruition.
The main thing keeping this jersey from a higher rank is how much this colorway makes me want to see the full throwback again.
Gilbert Arenas in the Gold Throwbacks
A personal preference, but after seeing the success of the traditional Wizards uniforms a few years back, it seemed like giving the fans a full throwback would’ve been a successful model to run back in subsequent years.
4. Orlando Magic
The Magic channeling their '90s roots always provides a great jersey..
It’s simple, I have this jersey in my top 5 for the full commitment to a true full rebrand. While the elements are from the past, it shows something new for an exciting era of Magic basketball.
3. Utah Jazz:
While some of the other explanations might be long-winded, this one is simple:
Mountains on a Jazz jersey always work, and it’s refreshing to see it done in a modern way.
Not really much to analyze. Mountains on a Jazz jersey = Cool, and sometimes, it’s better to keep it simple.
2. Sixers Classic:
Super close to my number 1 spot, and enforces my belief that humans peaked as jersey designers in the late 90’s-early 2000s.
While this classic Jersey can stand alone, the throwback court complementing this one will elicit memories so vivid of the Iverson days that they might expect Joel Embiid to do a “practice” rant postgame.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
Hands down, the best jersey of all time.
Simple design with a phenomenal logo, and a call back to their WCF days with Kevin Garnett and Latrell Sprewell.
Hopefully, with the release of this jersey, the Timberwolves brass is signifying that the Kevin Garnett jersey retirement is around the corner, as the issues regarding the team's sale have since been resolved.
From the jersey design to the throwback court and marketing rollout, this is a masterclass in execution. It captures nostalgia and the identity of basketball in the Twin Cities, while being stylistically unmatched.
Argue with me all you want, but this is the perfect jersey.
Final Thoughts
Shoutout to the teams above for tapping into the past to provide a stronger connection to their fanbases.
While the Jerseys look good, it’s almost time to see if these teams will back up the elite style with elite play.
Until next time….
Playoff Fever
The WNBA playoffs are one of the most overlooked events of the sports-watching season, often deserving more attention from sports fans.
With MVP and award races over, the quest for a champion is in full swing, and the Indiana Fever are looking to spoil the party of playoff favorites.
The basketball world has kept its attention on the Fever throughout the season, yet much of the coverage has focused on topics beyond their on-court performance.
The constant thinkpieces about teams being overly physical with star guard Catilin Clark and her personal issues with referees often overshadowed the team's play on the court.
Despite a myriad of injuries, including key pieces of the rotation, the limited fever took down the Atlanta Dream in round one, and shocked the Aces and 2025 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson in the first game of the semi-finals.
Leading the charge on the scoring front is Kelsey Mitchell, the lethal lefty with one of the deepest scoring bags in the W.
Kelsey Mitchell goes for a Layup - Photo Creds: ESPN
Mitchell averaged 20.2 points per game in the regular season, but has raised her game in the playoffs. Averaging 23.4 points on 45.5 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three-point land, and 96.6 percent from the free throw line.
This team goes as Kelsey goes, and when she’s aggressive, the rest of the team follows. In game one against the Aces, Mitchell scored 34 points, and in game two, we saw Mitchell score 13 points on 14 shots.
The drop in efficiency and lack of scoring for Mitchell contributed to a convincing Aces 90-68 win.
To match up with the Aces outside of Kelsey, the Fever are relying heavily on Odyssey Sims and Natasha Howard for scoring, the only uninjured “Tres Leches” member Lexi Hull as a true glue player, and Aliyah Boston, the post player with the toughest assignment in the series—slow down A’ja Wilson.
Despite the competitive Game One, it looks like the Aces have the depleted fever figured out, and I’d expect the play down the stretch of the series to emulate what we saw in Game 2.
While the Fever are overmatched, I still implore anyone still reading at this point to check out their next game Friday night to see a great example of a team that’s bought in and truly gives their all on the court.
51st State of Basketball: A Monumental Rebuild
“Rebuild”... A word lamented by all.
Players, Coaches, GMs, and most of all fans never want to hear or speak of entering a rebuild process.
While there are success stories that come to fruition, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder culminating a long rebuild process with a competitive championship-winning team, there are plenty of franchises across the realm of competitive sports that never reach that ultimate goal.
The Washington Wizards and Mystics are both seeking to assemble the building blocks of sustained success.
The structure of the NBA, WNBA, and G-League teams under the Monumental Sports umbrella is overseen by the President of Monumental Basketball, Michael Winger, with a true system of strategic basketball unity.
Since his induction to the role in 2023, we’ve seen the Wizards and Mystics take on the brunt of a rebuild process primed to create winners in DC.
We’ve seen both teams cut player salaries through trades and get young talent. The promise is there, but at this phase of a rebuild, fans are looking for some success to fuel future hope.
On the Mystics' side, the rebuilding process is showing progress. Despite a tough 2025 season record of 16-28 and a difficult ten-game losing streak to end the year, the team established a promising young core.
The Mystics brought in three highly touted rookies in 2025. Georgia Amoore, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen.
Early in the season, despite losing Amoore, the Mystics were competitive, but after trading away Brittany Sykes, they seemed to lose that magic for the rest of the season.
With dynamic play from rookies and a hyper-talented guard awaiting her debut after injury, the ‘Stics have the building blocks and a vision, but still need more pieces to be a contender.
Wizards
The Mystics' player movement and setup from an outsider's view mirrors the Wizards.
The Wizards have a fun combination of young talent highlighted by Bub Carrington, Alexandre Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and incoming rookie Tre Johnson.
The major difference between the state of these two teams is that while we’ve seen flashes from the young guns, we have yet to see anyone take a leap to truly put the league on notice nightly.
Despite the questions, the talent is there and will be further helped by the veteran presence in the Wizards' locker room. Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum were acquired by the team as low-risk, high-reward options that, when healthy, can raise the scoring floor of lineups that include the raw young talent.
Overall, it’s an uncertain but exciting time to lock into pro basketball in the city, but I truly believe the building blocks across the organization can build a sustainable winner.
While the building blocks are there, both teams are searching for the star power to put DC professional hoops back on the map.
I’m optimistic that day will come, I just don’t expect it in 2025-26.