Breaking and setting basketball records at a Michael Jordan pace is nothing new for Maryland's highly touted freshman phenom and Israeli native Shay Doron.

Leading her high school team to a No. 1 ranking in the country as a senior McDonald's All-American was not as challenging as expected. And tying an NCAA record with 23 free throws in her first collegiate game was nothing short of expectation for the basketball star.

For Doron, 18, "the hardest thing I have ever done was to leave Israel after my sophomore year of high school."

Born in Ramat Aviv, a small suburb outside of Tel Aviv, Doron spent her childhood jet-setting back and forth between the United States and Israel before finally deciding to move to Long Island where she played for perennial powerhouse Christ the King High School. Unsure of the future, but confident in her talents, Doron and her family decided to leave Israel to improve her basketball skills by increasing the level of competition.

"I'm an Israel fanatic," said Doron. "I love the place, and so it was really tough to leave my close family and friends, especially those that were starting to join the army."

Doron said leaving was a heart-wrenching experience because she knew not only about the dangers involved in joining the army, but also because the army is an integral part of Israeli society as well as "a life-changing experience - something you can't understand if you don't live there." Regardless, she received a tremendous amount of support and encouragement and decided that "in order to be one of the best, I had to play with the best in the world."

Two seasons and an endless amount of accolades later, including being named a McDonald's All-American, a Parade All-American and the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in New York, Doron proved she was ready for the next level of competition.

Despite the Terrapin women's lack of success, having finished last season with a dismal 10-18 record, Doron chose the Maryland mainly because of women's basketball head coach Brenda Frese.

Impressed with Doron's international experience and intense work ethic, Frese knew that Doron would be an integral part to the Terrapins' rebuilding process.

"Shay made a big sacrifice in leaving her country to come over here, but we were happy she did," said Frese. "As a freshman, she has already made a huge impact."

Aside from leading the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game and in addition to helping her team double their conference win total from last season, Doron was honored as the first Terrapin women's basketball player in school history to be named to an All-Atlantic Coast Conference squad as a freshman.

"Shay has what it takes to be the best," said Frese. "The sky is the limit for her as long as she continues with her competitiveness, her drive and her tremendous work ethic."

With a bright future ahead of her, Doron has set high expectations for herself, hoping to be the first Israeli ever to be drafted by the WNBA. Although such a lofty goal is highly likely, she would be more than happy to return to Israel and play overseas if she is unsuccessful in her pursuit.

"I always tell my teammates how beautiful Israel is. I'm even trying to convince a couple of seniors to consider playing there after they graduate," Doron said.

Doron said two of them "are dying to go" but are concerned about the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Regardless, she never avoids discussing the issues and always tries to educate her teammates about what life is truly like back at home. "I want people to know about my dedication, love and support of Israel," she said.