Maryland women’s basketball’s Kyndal Walker comes from a long line of athletes who helped shape her into the person — and player — she is today.
Walker’s father Bill and late mother Dana were both college athletes. (Kyndal was 12 years old when her mother passed away in 2018.) Bill played basketball at Holy Cross, averaging 11.7 points per game during his career. His performance earned him induction into the Holy Cross Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. Dana ran track at Arizona State, where she earned All-American honors.
In addition, her brother Bryce played basketball at Virginia.
“I wish I could say it runs in the family,” Walker’s father said. “I can say that we’re blessed to have some smart and athletic people in the family. Basketball is something that I participated in. My younger brother also participated and had some success at the collegiate level, both of us. It’s just something the kids, and Kyndal in particular, got a bug for and they developed their own passion and interest in it.”
Kyndal Walker is now a redshirt freshman for Maryland women’s basketball, averaging 5.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in mid-February after missing all of last season with a hand injury. Her basketball journey began not too far from College Park, in her hometown of Beltsville.
Walker used to “beg and almost cry” to go to her brother Bryce’s practices and games when she was younger, according to her dad Bill. She also used to imitate the drills being run in the corner of the gym — “often better than the boys,” Bill added.
That early curiosity quickly turned into competition as Walker got older, with the driveway acting as a proving ground.
“My brother and I actually put my dad into retirement after all those driveway games,” Walker said. “We always compete, even now. We go out and play together. He’s toughened me up over the years, whether on the mini hoop in the basement or the actual hoop. It’s always been a family thing — always competitive — and sometimes it leads to a quiet house for the rest of the day.”
Bill confirmed that the basketball played during the COVID-19 pandemic got intense.
“My son, being a teenager at that point in time, it was some things I could accept,” Bill said. “But when Kyndal started going at me really hard I realized I didn’t want to snap an Achilles or a knee or anything else that would be humiliating … because they wouldn’t let me live it down.”
But even with those competitive moments and long days of battling for bragging rights, the Walker family has always looked out for one another when it comes to improvement.
“My dad has kind of always been my indirect trainer,” Walker said. “He’s always coaching me up and pointing out things with my game. And my brother, being a college player as well at Virginia, was also helpful. It’s a different type of game, but on the boys’ side, it also takes just as much skill and talent. It’s a lot easier when you have those two.”
Walker announced her commitment to Maryland on April 26, 2023, as a four‑star recruit in the Class of 2024. Before committing to Maryland, Walker led St. John’s College to three consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference titles. Along the way, she earned 2024 Washington Post All‑Met Player of the Year and 2024 Gatorade District of Columbia Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors.
Winning is familiar territory for Walker — and one of the main reasons she chose to join the Terrapins.
“I think it’s just the winning culture that’s here,” Walker said of choosing Maryland. “When you have this 30 minutes from your house, it’s hard to turn down. I’ve always been someone who has come to Maryland games when I was younger. Even throughout my high school recruiting process, just being front and center and able to see the success that this program has had was big for me.”
Walker’s father took her to Maryland games when she was in elementary school.
“She told me back then, ‘Dad, one day I would love to play for University of Maryland,'” Bill said. “I saw her honing in on this and then to see her now wearing the jersey, having the chance to compete and contribute to the team, it’s a dream come true for her, and it makes me an awfully proud father.”
Walker was expected to serve as a key depth piece for the Terrapins in 2024-25, but a hand injury forced her to medically redshirt. It was a tough blow for a player who came to campus eager to make an impact.
“I think the biggest challenge was to stay ready,” Walker said. “I had an injury where it wasn’t something I could get up shots because it was my dominant hand. I think all the little things were the challenging part. So, working on my body, staying healthy, staying in shape, things like that were challenging, but it helped me learn a lot about myself and my team.”
Despite missing all of last season, several moments stand out to Walker. Among her favorites: Maryland’s 111-108 double-overtime win against Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 24, 2025, and the Terrapins’ 100‑99 double-overtime victory against Minnesota on Dec. 7, 2025, when Maryland put together a 10-0 run in the final 44.3 seconds. Walker took part in the latter effort.
“From this year, the Minnesota game, being able to win that game in overtime was just crazy,” Walker said. “You live for those big games, live for those big moments, so that fact I’ve been able to be a part of a good amount of those since I’ve been here and end up on the good end of the stick, I’m happy about it.”
Maryland appears poised for another March Madness push as it looks to improve upon last season’s Sweet 16 exit. Individually, Walker remains focused less on accolades and more on the impact she can make on her team.
“My goals usually come in [smaller] things, like winning game by game, winning a loose ball,” Walker said. “Little things like that are my little goals that all build up to my bigger goals, so I try to take things step by step throughout the year. I always try to push to achieve those goals, whatever it may be, but as long as I’m playing like Kyndal Walker, that’s the biggest thing for me.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics
Issue 297: February / March 2026
Originally published Feb. 18, 2026