Michigan women's basketball took a huge step forward this past season, and a lot of it was thanks to a freshman trio that ended up making up the majority of the Wolverines' offense. After an exit in the second round to No. 8 Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan knew they would be losing some key players, but hoped their youth would stick around.
In April, their freshman trio made the announcement that they would be sticking around for another season, giving Michigan the lift it needed. The biggest loss that the Wolverines suffered was the loss of Jordan Hobbs, who averaged 13.6 points per game. With the freshman trio of Syla Swords, Olivia Olsen, and Mila Holloway sticking around, that means Michigan returns three of its top four scorers from last season.
Even though the 2025-2026 season is still quite a way away and some teams are still reeling from the 2024-2025 season, On3's Talia Goodman is already making her top 25, and she is showing some love to the Michigan Wolverines by ranking them at No. 10.
Even though Michigan finished sixth in the Big Ten last season, that is very good after the conference produced two of the top four teams in the NCAA Tournament. Not to mention the fact that Ohio State and Maryland were also very tough teams to contend with in the conference.
Going into the 2025-2026 season, Michigan has a shot to really take over in the Big Ten. With their top players returning and bringing in quite the scorer, Ashley Sofilkanich, who averaged 19.7 points at Bucknell, Michigan should be a tough offense to stop next season. Not to mention, bringing in three 4-star athletes should also help the team grow.
If there is one thing that head coach Kim Barnes Arico likes to do, it is use her young players, so all three of those 4-star players could see a lot of time on the court next season if they earn it.