Two Maryland high school recruits highlight Lady Terps Top 10 signing class for 2023

BALTIMORE - Two Maryland high school players are part of the Maryland women's basketball team's 2023 signing class.

The Terps signed five players, and it is considered to be a Top 10 recruiting class.

Forward Hawa Doumbouya, who attends Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Essex, and averaged 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks last season.

"I loved the environment and how I instantly felt the love and family," Doumbouya said.

The Terps also added Montgomery County native Riley Nelson, from Clarksburg. The five-star recruit attends The Bullis School in Potomac.

She is the No. 17-ranked incoming freshman overall by Blue Star Basketball and No. 18 by ESPN. 

Nelson was named the 2022 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior. She averaged 17.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.6 blocks per game last season. 

She was a Team USA Finalist and led her team to the 2019 and 2022 Regional titles and the 2022 Montgomery County championship. Nelson led her team to a runner-up finish in the 2022 State Championship. 

"I came to Maryland for the family atmosphere," Nelson said. "I really felt like Maryland was going to be my home away from home. Maryland gives me the feeling that I just belong here."

Maryland coach Brenda Frese announced the program's recruits that make up the No. 7-ranked class in the country, as ranked by ESPN. 

The full class includes Summer Bostock (Toronto, Ontario), Doumbouya, Emily Fisher (Libertyville, Ill.), Nelson and Amiyah Reynolds (South Bend, Ind).

Reynolds is also a top-50 signee. She is ranked No. 35 overall by Blue Star and No. 43 by ESPN. Fisher is ranked No. 80 by ESPN.

This is the 16th top 10 recruiting class signed by Frese in her 21 years at Maryland. Frese brought in the top recruiting class in 2016 and 2019 and she signed the nation's No. 2 recruiting class in 2007, 2010 and 2018.

"I can't say enough about how hard our staff, Karen Blair, Lindsey Spann, Kaitlynn Fratz,  worked on signing another Top 10 class to our program," Frese said. "I appreciate their tireless work ethic to make it all come together. This class addresses many of our needs on our roster and will continue to provide depth and versatility to impact our program."