At the start of the Michigan women's basketball season, it was hard to know what to expect from the Wolverines.
Michigan started three freshman, lost their best player to the transfer portal, and had a completely different team. But in Kim Barnes Arico we trust.
Michigan women's basketball has one of the best head coaches in the game. She's also recruited some elite talent to the program and it shined right away in the 2024-25 season.
Olivia Olson, one of two five-star freshmen on this roster, was named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year. She and Syla Swords, the other five-star freshman, each earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors this season.
Mila Holloway, the freshman point guard, also earned her way onto the Big Ten All-Freshman team. So the future is bright, but the Michigan women's basketball team has won 20 games, is the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten tournament, and will be playing in the NCAA tournament.
How to watch, what to know for Michigan women's basketball in Big Ten tournament
The Wolverines made the Big Ten semifinals last season and will open their 2024-25 tournament against 12th-seeded Washington.
Washington is likely in the NCAA tournament after a win on Wednesday over Minnesota in the opening round. The Huskies caught fire from deep, which makes for a scary matchup on Thursday for Michigan women's basketball.
The Wolverines knocked off Washington 82-69 in Ann Arbor earlier this season. Elle Ladine (17 ppg) and Sayvia Sellers (15 ppg) are two dangerous scorers for UW, and each shot 40 percent from 3-point range.
Olson and Swords are the two leading scorers for Michigan women's basketball at 16 points and 15.6 per game. They combined to make 92 3-pointers, with 60 coming from Swords. Both average more than five rebounds per game in addition to being third and fourth on the team in assists.
Jordan Hobbs is another critical player for Michigan women's basketball. The honorable mention All-Big Ten selection averaged more than 13 points per game and was a vital leader.
Tip-off against Washington is set for approximately 2:30 PM EST on Big Ten Network. The first game of the day is at 12 PM EST and the Wolverines play 30 minutes after.