The No. 6 Michigan women’s basketball team’s dynamic duo of sophomore guards Olivia Olson and Syla Swords dominated Oakland from the onset. Their complete skillsets created difficulties time and time again for the Golden Grizzlies.
The aforementioned duo caused problems for Oakland with their strong shooting. Olson and Swords accounted for 21 of the Wolverines’ 30 first-quarter points. This scoring triumph continued until the final buzzer — they captured 41 of the team’s 97 points. And even still, their impact soared well beyond scoring.
“Because (Olson and Swords) are drawing so much attention on offense, it’ll open it up for others, as well,” junior guard Macy Brown said. “Anyone on our team can score, but the thing about Syla and Liv is that they’re the two most unselfish players I’ve played with on and off the court.”
The majority of Olson’s scoring came in the first quarter, where she totaled 13 points. Early on, she demonstrated her strength getting to the basket, finishing multiple contested layups. Looking for aggressive drives to the hoop paid dividends in additional ways as she knocked down all four of her free-throw attempts.
After spending most of the second quarter on the bench, Olson brought much-needed energy into the third quarter, adding eight more points.
Olson finished with a game-high 23 points. This was her fourth 20-point game of the season, as she has continued to be the most consistent performer.
While most of Olson’s box score contributions were highlighted by her scoring, her impact extended far beyond putting the ball in the basket. On the Grizzlies’ last possession of the first half, Olson picked up full-court defensively, stuck with the ballhandler the entire way, and forced a steal. Late in the third quarter, she followed her mark stride-for-stride in the paint and blocked an attempted layup.
Swords followed Olson in scoring, with 18 points for the Wolverines — 12 of which came from three-pointers. Swords’ shooting was on full display as she connected on four three-pointers, her most in a month. Swords’ success from three forced the opponents to defend at the hip, allowing for driving opportunities.
“She’s an unbelievable three point shooter,” Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “ … We’re going to try to get her as many touches as we can because she’s going to knock them down. And I think we saw that today.”
It wasn’t just the three-point shooting that made Swords so dominant. She displayed her ability to be a two-way guard as she excelled defensively. This defensive prowess is highlighted by her two blocks — especially impressive given that she spends most possessions guarding from the perimeter.
Another key in Swords’ strong showing was her unpredictability as a guard. She spent several offensive possessions as the true point guard, able to create for herself and teammates. But on other occasions, she moved off the ball. This showed the defense an unfamiliar look, and Swords capitalized by moving effectively off screens. With just over a minute to go in the first quarter, senior guard Brooke Quarles Daniels screened for Swords before she connected on her second three-pointer.
Olson and Swords’ dominant performances are a crucial building block for Michigan as it enters conference play. If the dynamic duo continues to put up significant numbers moving forward, it will undoubtedly leave opposing defenses shuffling for answers.
