Less than a week after the Michigan women’s basketball team’s season ended with a loss to Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, one of the Wolverines’ key pieces has entered the transfer portal.
Originally reported by On3Sports’ Talia Goodman, junior center Yulia Grabovskaia entered the transfer portal on Thursday. A Michigan spokesperson confirmed to The Michigan Daily that Grabovskaia had entered the transfer portal shortly after the On3Sports report.
Grabovskaia averaged 5.3 points per game and 4.1 rebounds in 13.5 minutes for Michigan. The 6-foot-5 center, who transferred from Middle Tennessee the year prior, was the tallest player on the Wolverines’ roster, and played fluctuating minutes depending on who Michigan’s matchup was.
Coming into the season, the Wolverines were aware they were undersized, and bringing in Grabovskaia was their intended solution. Grabovskaia’s offensive touch and decision-making was raw initially, but both steadily improved as the season progressed. Ultimately, Grabovskaia was not the dominant big that Michigan may have expected, and only logged 18 combined minutes over the Wolverines’ two games in the NCAA Tournament.
Now, Michigan will likely be forced to revisit its preseason need at the ‘five,’ as Grabovskaia entering the transfer portal potentially leaves the Wolverines without a reliable option at center.
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