The Michigan women's basketball team made history in the 2025-26 season, or at least equaled it.
Michigan tied the school record for wins with 28. The Wolverines also reached the Elite 8 for just the second time in program history, falling short after a loss to top-seeded Texas.
That game showed how far Michigan still has to go. The Wolverines didn't play their best against Texas, a team that reached the Final Four last season, too. The Longhorns dominated the paint, to the point that Michigan shot just 26.2 percent on twos.
The 3-point shooting wasn't any better. The bigger issue was the way Texas dominated inside, just like Iowa did to Michigan women's basketball, twice, in the last month of the season.
Michigan needs to learn and grow from that loss against Texas. Kim Barnes Arico also needs to forfity the frontcourt with a legitmate big, and one of the best in women's college basketball is now available.
Audi Crooks, the second-leading scorer in women's college hoops, from Iowa State, entered the transfer portal on Thursday.
The 6-foot-3 center is a two-time all-american. She led the Big 12 in scoring the last two seasons, and did it with an average of 25.8 points per game this season, while shooting 64 percent from the field.
Crooks is a bit of a liability on defense, although that's overblown. Her defensive rating per 100 possessions was under 100 for the past three seasons and under 95 in each of the past two. It was the fourth-best rating on the team in 2025-26. She's a solid rebounder but doesn't block shots. However, her scoring ability in the low post is a game-changer.
Audi Crooks would make Michigan women's basketball onstoppable on offense
Michigan women's basketball ranked 38th in the nation in 2-point percentage. Te'Yala Delfosse shot 58 percent on twos, but she's not a true post presence. Ashley Sofilkanich is solid. She averaged 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, plus 1.1 blocks. She needs help, though.
Adding Crooks, along with a top-50 freshman, Fope Ayo, who is a 6-foot-5, and should offer a rim-protecting presence, should help solidify the frontcourt, although it remains to be seen how much Ayo can contribute right away.
Michigan would need to figure things out defensively with Crooks, but adding her would make the Wolverines' offense, with three all-americans, nearly impossible to stop.
Of course, it won't be easy. Crooks will have plenty of suitors, and the NIL price tag could get costly. Still, if Michigan wants to reach the next level, this is the sort of move it needs to make, whether its Crooks or another elite big.