Maryland women’s basketball adds Arkansas transfer Saylor Poffenbarger

Poffenbarger, an elite rebounder, will return to her home state.

It’s been a busy offseason for head coach Brenda Frese and Maryland women’s basketball. They continued that activity on Monday, with Arkansas guard Saylor Poffenbarger announcing that she will transfer into the program.

Poffenbarger, a 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore, is a native of Maryland, continuing the recent trend of players transferring back to their home state to play for the Terps. In the past two offseasons, Frese brought in Jakia Brown-Turner and Abby Meyers, both of whom were able to parlay strong graduate years into professional contracts.

Poffenbarger showcased her talent with the Razorbacks last season, averaging an impressive 11.2 rebounds and 10.2 points per game — both career highs. Notably, she shattered Arkansas’ single-season defensive rebounding record and holds the distinction of being the only player in program history to record 19 or more rebounds in four games over the course of a career.

Poffenbarger’s achievements include being named SEC Freshman of the Week five times during the 2022-23 season and earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team that year. Last season, she ranked second in the NCAA for defensive rebounds per game and shot 32.9% from three.

Poffenbarger’s arrival fills a crucial need for Maryland, especially in the rebounding department. With no player taller than 6-foot-2 in the rotation last year and the team’s leading rebounder averaging just 6.4 rebounds per game, Poffenbarger is a valuable addition.

Moreover, her defensive versatility adds another dimension. Despite being listed as a guard, Poffenbarger can seamlessly transition to the forward position if required, flexibility that could prove beneficial given Maryland’s recent transfer acquisitions of guards Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle. In such scenarios, she would join a rotation that includes Allie Kubek, Emily Fisher, recent transfer Mayé Touré and incoming freshman Breanna Williams.