It’s a new season and almost an entirely new roster for the Michigan women’s basketball team.
With only a few players graduating at the end of last season, the Wolverines didn’t expect to need to restructure anytime soon. However, that quickly changed when six of Michigan’s players entered the transfer portal, leaving just four behind.
Those four returners are senior guard Greta Kampschroeder, sophomore guard Macy Brown, junior guard Alyssa Crockett and senior guard Jordan Hobbs, Hobbs being the Wolverines’ only returning starter. Hobbs and Kampschroeder are Michigan’s only senior returners — the only returners that had regular minutes last year — and are expected to take on leadership roles, a challenge they’re eager to take on.
As for the remainder of the Wolverines’ wide-open roster, the bulk of those gaps were filled by their highly-touted recruiting class. Yet even with the five new faces, three roster holes remained, and Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico turned to the transfer portal to close those gaps with junior center Yulia Grabovskaia, junior guard Brooke Daniels and graduate forward Ally VanTimmeren.
At the helm of it all sits Barnes Arico, who is tasked with leading this conglomeration of players. One of Barnes Arico’s biggest challenges will be getting Michigan — a team that’s essentially never played with each other — to function as an effective unit.
And as the Wolverines head into their first home game of the season against Lehigh, The Michigan Daily breaks down their roster:
Freshmen
One of the most striking features of this season’s team is its youth — and the talent that lies within it. The five freshmen, two of which were five-star recruits, made history as the program’s highest-ranked recruiting class with ESPN ranking it eighth in the nation.
With such a young team, Michigan has wasted no time in putting some of the youngsters on the court, with three already in starting positions.
First up is guard Mila Holloway, who will serve as the Wolverines’ first true point guard in years. She started off strong in Michigan’s exhibition against Northwood, tallying 15 points in the 18 minutes she was on the court. A shifty player, Holloway’s ability to effectively facilitate the ball mirrors the Wolverines’ fast-paced offensive goals for the season. Her ball-handling skills will be sure to help power Michigan’s offensive production as a steady court presence.
Guard Olivia Olson also joins the Wolverines’ roster this season as a McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit. Averaging more than 25 points per game in her senior year of high school, Olson was an eagerly-awaited prospect for Michigan. And, similar to Holloway, Olson got off to a hot start in the Wolverines’ exhibition, recording a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Timberwolves. With her performance, Olson only showed a glimpse of her potential and tenacity.
The last freshman addition that is expected to start for Michigan is the highly-anticipated freshman guard Syla Swords. Similar to Olson, Swords is a five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American. But what makes her unique is the fact that Swords brings a wider breadth of experience to the roster. This summer, Swords competed in the 2024 Olympics, making her the youngest basketball player in Canadian history to do so. Having already competed against world-class athletes, Swords offers a unique perspective to the team — one that has already paid dividends. Against the Gamecocks in the Wolverines’ season opener, Swords was unstoppable, tallying a 27-point, 12-rebound double-double.
“I’m happy that she’s in our program,” Barnes Arico said Nov. 4. “She’s just a competitor. … She made a lot of those plays happen by her effort and her hustle. She’s just awesome.”
Two freshmen who haven’t seen the court for Michigan are forwards Aaiyanna Dunbar and Te’Yala Delfosse. Though they have yet to play for any significant minutes, both players recorded impressive high school stats and were elite contributors in the Amateur Athletic Union.
While these youngsters will inevitably face ups and downs, the flashes of potential shown so far hold promise for the Wolverines. More than likely, Michigan will find itself with quite a young starting lineup — and these freshmen will be a big part of it.
Forwards
Occupying the forward roles are Crockett, VanTimmeren and Grabovskaia.
Though Crockett hasn’t seen the floor yet this season, VanTimmeren and Grabovskaia have shown glimmers of their potential already. VanTimmeren joins the Wolverines after missing a year due to injury at Boston College, while Grabovskaia hails from Russia and enters Michigan’s roster after spending a year at Middle Tennessee State. Playing a combined 31 minutes against South Carolina, Grabovskaia and VanTimmeren corraled a total of 11 rebounds. Working in the paint, both Wolverines could prove to be valuable assets to the team when it comes to crashing the boards. Notably, Grabovskaia, standing at 6-foot-5, brings some much-needed size to the team and an advantage in the paint.
While Michigan’s forwards could be effective off the boards, the Wolverines are ultimately relying on a more guard-focused system.
Guards
The bulk of Michigan’s guards are returners with the exception of Daniels. Daniels, a transfer from Oakland, was effective all over the court last season, leading the Grizzlies in scoring, rebounding and assists. Scoring double figures in all but three of her games with Oakland, Daniels seeks to continue that momentum with the Wolverines. Similarly, Brown, who is in her second year with Michigan, also wants to continue building upon the base she’s already established.
Rounding out the guards for Michigan are Hobbs and Kampschroeder. As veterans of the program, the starting duo is simply seeking to hone both their game and leadership skills. Hobbs in particular has already come out strong this season, tallying 19 points against the Gamecocks.
“Their commitment to our program has been unbelievable,” Barnes Arico said Oct. 2. “Their sacrifices, their dedication, the way that they feel about our program and the effort they put in to help us be successful is second to none. … They’ve also been in our program the longest and want our program to continue to be outstanding year in and year out.”
Indeed, Hobbs and Kampschroeder have played under Barnes Arico longer than anyone else. Their veteran status make them perfect candidates to lead the Wolverines’ guard-dominant style of play. For the past two games, Michigan’s starting lineup has been — and will likely continue to be — comprised entirely of guards. So, expect to see more of the pair as they continue to grow as both players and leaders.
Outlook
With so many newcomers and a wealth of young talent, it can be hard to organize the array of moving parts into efficiency. Despite having only two games under its belt, though, Michigan is off to a promising start.
“We were exposed against young women who were determined to play,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said Monday. “They made an impact like as a collective unit.”
This season, the Wolverines will likely be a guard-focused team. Though Michigan doesn’t possess much of a height advantage in the paint, it will depend on its speed and physicality to be a worthy competitor.
Led by a few key veterans, the Wolverines will also lean on their youth as their season progresses. While its youth could be seen as a disadvantage, for Michigan it could work in its favor as the freshmen have already proved to be up for the challenge.
Predicted starters
Jordan Hobbs, guard
Greta Kampschroeder, guard
Mila Holloway, guard
Syla Swords, guard
Olivia Olson, guard
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