Speaking recently, Maryland women’s basketball redshirt senior Saylor Poffenbarger emphasized the importance of the Terrapins’ resilience and momentum as they worked to get out of a midseason slump and push toward the postseason.
Maryland is 21-6 overall and 9-6 in the Big Ten, having steadied itself after a four-game losing streak. The Terps are now riding a four-game winning streak after taking down Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and Ohio State.
Reflecting on the team’s midseason struggles, Poffenbarger said the experience strengthened the group.
“I think, yes, it does speak to we have had a lot of adversity, and I think it just shows the resilience of the team,” Poffenbarger said on Glenn Clark Radio Feb. 11. “I think it was easy to come in and kind of feel bad, but after each loss, we kind of wanted to develop new habits. We wanted to continue to learn. We wanted to grow together.”
Those losses forced the Terps to remind themselves of their expectations, and Poffenbarger believes the lessons arrived at just the right time.
“It taught us a lot about ourselves at the right time,” she said. “I think it showed us that you have to make a lot of sacrifices to win at this level and be super successful at this level.”
That process helped Maryland to rediscover its goals and aspirations as the end of the season neared. Poffenbarger said the coaching staff was great at keeping the team focused during the difficult stretch.
“Our staff did an amazing job of keeping us high, keeping us humble, keeping us wanting to learn and like super hungry,” she said. “And I think that shows why we are bouncing back the way we are, because we do have a huge level of fight and competitiveness, our want to win is very big.”
The 6-foot-2 Poffenbarger has been a consistent performer for Maryland with scoring, rebounding and defending. She is averaging 10.4 points and 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 2025-26. She reached 1,000 career points as part of a 30-point effort at Minnesota in December.
Poffenbarger has recorded a couple of double-doubles recently as well. She had 11 points and 11 rebounds in a win against Penn State on Feb. 12, then had a 13-point, 11-rebound, four-assist, three-steal game against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 15.
A native of Middletown, Md., Poffenbarger began her college career at UConn and Arkansas but is now in her second year with the Terps.
“I’m a very big family person, so being able to have my family in the stands every night, having my friends, being able to make certain events … it just makes everything more special,” she said.
The close proximity to home has helped Poffenbarger navigate her own personal hardships.
“Everything that I’ve ever gone through in life, I’ve kind of poured into my family to get through it,” she said. “So I think just having them here for my final two years has been really special.”
With February being National Cancer Prevention Month, the team has been hosting games for cancer awareness, wearing pink and showing support for those affected. Poffenbarger was holding up a sign at one game in support of someone special to her.
Poffenbarger carries the loss and memory of a family friend, Ella Bresee, who battled cancer and helps her be motivated daily.
“She taught me so much resilience and fight. Any time I was ever around smiling, she was happy. She never let anything defeat her,” Poffenbarger said. “… I think about the fight that she showed every single day, and the joy she had doing it.”
With new confidence and a strong bond, the Terps are pushing through the season as it comes to an end. They have now flipped the script and are now on a four-game winning streak as they look forward to their upcoming game in College Park on Sunday, Feb. 22 against Purdue.
As Maryland nears the postseason, Poffenbarger said the team’s focus is on collective effort rather than individual work.
“We did a new thing where we choose a player before each game, and you just pour into that person … and sometimes, when you take it off yourself, everything comes easier,” she said.
For more from Poffenbarger, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics