Maryland women’s basketball’s Taylor Mikesell to enter transfer portal

Maryland women’s basketball had another member of its program enter the transfer portal Thursday, as guard Taylor Mikesell announced her intention to leave College Park.

Mikesell becomes the third Terp to enter the portal this offseason, following centers Olivia Owens and Shakira Austin.

“First of all, I would like to say thank you to the University of Maryland for allowing me to fulfill my dream of playing D1 basketball. But, after much thought and consideration, I feel it is in my best interest to enter the transfer portal and explore other options at this time,” Mikesell wrote in an Instagram post. “I would like to say thank you to my coaches, professors, and Terp Nation for supporting me every step of the way.

“Most of all I want to say thank you to my teammates for becoming my sisters for life. I love each and every one of you and I’m so thankful for everything you’ve done for me over the past two years. Please respect my privacy throughout this process, this is a very sensitive time.”

Mikesell set the program record for three pointers made by a freshman in 2018-19 to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was a key starter in both her seasons as a Terp.

In her sophomore season, Mikesell saw an increased workload that included time at the point guard position. She averaged 13.4 points 3.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 2019-20 to earn a Big Ten honorable mention.

Head coach Brenda Frese brought in a pair of transfers Wednesday in Chloe Bibby and Katie Benzan. The latter half of that pair will be immediately eligible this season after sitting out the 2019-20 season.

Benzan could step right into Mikesell’s role in the team with one year of eligibility left. The Harvard alum was a first-team All-Ivy League selection for each of her three seasons and holds the league record with 287 made three pointers.