So far this season, the No. 7 Michigan women’s basketball team has lost just four games. Three of those losses were in top-five matchups — against then-No. 1 UConn, then-No. 5 Vanderbilt and then-No. 2 UCLA — where the Wolverines lost by just three points in every game.
Each of the three games followed the same trend, Michigan fell behind in the middle of the game and had to play catch up at the end. Against the Huskies, the Wolverines scored just five first-quarter points. Against the Commodores, they were down by 15 at the half. And against the Bruins, Michigan lost the second and third quarters by a combined 13 points.
Yet the Wolverines’ ability to claw their way back and still have each come down to the final possession proves two things true at once: They’re still growing because of their youth, but that’s not an excuse to lose because they’re ready to compete for banners now.
Michigan’s inexperience may have been the reason it struggled to compete for a full 40 minutes against its top-five opponents, but going 4-0 in all other ranked matchups proves the talent and potential are still there for both this year’s team and for seasons to come. With the Wolverines completing the season sweep over No. 13 Michigan State in a dominant win at home after pulling off an overtime win just two weeks prior in East Lansing, it’s proven yet again that Michigan can compete against top teams.
“If I was reflecting at the end of last year or in the preseason, and someone had said, ‘You’re a No. 7 team in the country and (you’ve lost to three top-five teams) by a combined nine points,’ I probably would have said, ‘Okay, we’re headed in a good direction, and we might be ahead of schedule a little bit,’ ” Wolverines coach Kim Barnes Arico said.
Despite being “ahead of schedule,” the fact is those games are a testament that Michigan is competing tightly with top teams in the country and taking down teams of its caliber. As it continues to grow, the mindset and emphasis shouldn’t be about its youth or how it will be ready in the future, because it’s ready now.
The consistent rotation for the Wolverines includes only one senior in guard Brooke Quarles Daniels while the rest is made up of five sophomores, two juniors and a freshman. Quarles Daniels is the only major contributor who is guaranteed to depart following this season. With a trio of starting sophomore guards — Mila Holloway, Syla Swords and Oliva Olson — who have all won various Big Ten accolades and received national nominations, the core of Michigan’s contributions is intact for years to come.
But why look past this season or dwell on their youth when the Wolverines are a top-10 team with tight losses to other teams at the top of the country and four ranked wins to boot?
“They don’t want to hear that they’re young,” Barnes Arico said. “They don’t want to hear that they’re sophomores. They want to win, and they want to win for Michigan, and they want to leave a legacy.”
The transfer portal is the only major factor that could dictate Michigan’s roster construction negatively for the future. Despite the evolving landscape with the portal and NIL, Barnes Arico has stayed committed to the development of players from high school recruitment to graduation. But nothing is ever guaranteed, so the Wolverines might as well take advantage of the opportunity to utilize the team they have now and commit to cementing their legacy this season.
The final stretch of games in February will be a true test before Michigan heads into the postseason. Each of the final three games is against a ranked conference opponent, two of which are on the road. With those games serving as final postseason preparations, the emphasis for the Wolverines can no longer be on their youth.
After securing the season sweep over the Spartans, playing down to the wire against three top-five opponents and having the entire postseason in sight before turning the page to the future, Michigan needs to focus on the now. Because it’s ready to compete for titles.
