With its lofty ranking, the No. 6 Michigan Women’s Basketball team’s two-game road trip tested the sports truism: "This is where you find out what kind of team you really are." Last week’s team was mistake-prone, who wilted against size, strength, and athleticism.
The first half of the game versus the Ducks saw the Wolverine’s usual offensive efficiency, ending it up 44-28, on 61% shooting. The second half is where the Ducks’ athleticism caused Wolverine mistakes, with 10 of their 26 turnovers, and the offensive efficiency cratered, shooting 24%.
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said, “(The Ducks) started to score and they were able to get to that pressure. Their length became disruptive. In that pressure, we were turning the ball over for easy buckets, and it allowed them to get into their press.”
The second half against the Ducks foretold what would happen when they played the Huskies. The Wolverines averaged 92.4 points per game before that but only managed 52. Again, athleticism was the problem, as the Huskies defense handled the Wolverine offense, and commanded the rebounding 43 to 27.
“I thought Washington did a really good job of slowing us down and slowing the tempo and pace of the game,” Barnes Arico said. “And (Washington) brought a toughness and an edge on their home court.”
Gutsy OT win
What bodes well for the Wolverines this season is their performance in the overtime win versus the Ducks. They showed heart, desire, and fortitude to overcome adversity. Several players contributed in the final five-minute period.
Sophomore Syla Swords opens the final overtime with a three, 79-76, Wolverines. Junior Macy Brown steals and converts a layup to increase the lead to six. Swords drives and dishes to sophomore Te’Yala Delfosse to get the lead to seven. Junior Ashley Sofilkanich grabs a tough catch and finish esat the rim on an out -of-ounds play to keep the lead with 47 seconds left. With 18 seconds left, Swords sinks a free throw (!) to ice the game.
Truism: Free throws are easy until you start missing
Before the road trip, Michigan hovered around 70% for free throws, which is below the 75% that is generally accepted as good. But the rate nosedived to 65%. Against the Ducks, it was 42% (Yikes!) and versus the Huskies it was a not-much-better 53%. This won’t do at all in the B1G, given the anticipated physicality of league play. Michigan has to make opponents pay at the free throw line.
Back in December, Barnes Arico said after their win over Akron, “Free throws are obviously something that we have to get better at. We’re such a good shooting team. We should not be this poor from the free-throw line. So that’s a focus and concentration.”
In Eugene and Seattle, the gyms were hostile and rowdy. If you’re a shaky free-throw shooter, you’re not going to become better when the game stops, and you’re given the ball with everyone looking at you, and the fans doing whatever they can to distract you.
Now, being a good shooter and being a good free throw shooter are two separate things. Shooting comes in the flow of the game, generally working with your teammates to get pre-determined looks that you’ve practiced. Plus, you have the option to turn down the shot. You can’t turn down a free throw. Everyone who has picked up a basketball believes they have the solution to bad free throw shooting, but there’s only two things that truly work, a thought-free routine and an unshakeable confidence. Although there is a third consideration. Play at home.
Another Truism: "Tough times never last, but tough people do"
With that said, good thing there’s a lot of games left, 16 as a matter of fact, all but one in the B1G, and the farthest road trip is to Piscataway against Rutgers. Let’s remind ourselves of the big picture. As of January 4, 2026, the NCAA’s NET rankings still had Michigan at #6, and Oregon was ranked #26 and Washington #31. So, the trip’s hosts were considerably better than the last opponents, Oakland #270, Akron #297, and Purdue #65.
As they say, it’s time to turn the page, take it one play at a time, and want it more. Because it’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.