2024-25 Team Preview: Michigan
How much can one of the nation's top recruiting classes lead the Wolverines in year one?
With this being Michigan week and with all my WNBA attention focused on the Atlanta Dream sneaking into the playoffs this year, let’s quickly talk Naz Hillmon.
One of my all-time favorite Big Ten women’s basketball players is now in Year 3 with the Dream, something that should already be celebrated considering the usual success rate of second-round picks. But Hillman is not only rostered, she’s also making a impact on a Dream team that really needs it.
The Dream went on a massive skid in the middle of the season, but have battled back post-Olympic break and are now tied for 8th with the Chicago Sky. Hillmon has started Atlanta’s last 11 games, and while her numbers aren’t substantial, she’s consistently chipping in the points and rebounds needed from her, especially with Cheyenne Parker-Tyus’ recent injury spell.
It gives me a lot of faith in Hillmon maintaining a WNBA roster spot down the line, and learning from an all-time great like Tina Charles is likely to help as well.
Last Week’s Preview:
Overview
This spot in Michigan previews has been previously held for the unbelievable turnaround Kim Barnes Arico has led at this program, and understandably so. The Wolverines went from a conference afterthought to true contender under her run, and has continually been, at least, a NCAA Tournament team in recent memory.
The latter bit is what Michigan was last season. It was an up-and-down year with less rooted leadership than recent years, and that led Barnes Arico to bring in some experienced guards to fill the gaps. It may have not been Michigan’s most successful run, but it still got the team back in the Big Dance as a No. 9 seed.
The Wolverines were the Big Ten’s slowest team with under 70 possessions per 40 minutes, something that was a staple for the team when Hillmon was on the roster. That led to a solid scoring defense for Michigan, but I would argue the Wolverines were a better offensive team on the whole last season thanks to efficient shooting and a great effort on the glass.
Last year’s Michigan team is a hard one to pin down. The Wolverines never quite felt like they were rolling, but they had a solid enough season to make some waves, stay at .500 in a difficult Big Ten and earn a respectable 20 wins. Considering this felt like, from the outside, a gap season in between eras, that’s not a bad result.
Here's last year’s Michigan roster, sorted by Her Hoop Stats win shares:
Departures
I thought 2024-25 would be the start of a new era. I didn't think it would be this significantly new.
Only four players from last year’s 13-member roster are back. Six of those nine exits are through the transfer portal, including Laila Phelia.
Phelia possesses true star capabilities, and those came out more last season after an injury-filled sophomore campaign. Her shotmaking in critical moments will be hugely missed, and she may hit the national spotlight at Texas because of it. The one-year runs of Lauren Hansen and Elissa Brett in Ann Arbor were valuable to getting Michigan back into the tourney, and they helped the Wolverines have some of their best perimeter shooting yet under Barnes Arico.
Past Phelia, Michigan’s big losses through the portal are on the interior. Either of Cameron Williams or Chyra Evans would have likely been in a great position to not only start once again, but be a primary scoring option at forward. Instead, both exit to other programs in Power Six conferences.
On the whole, 5,254 of Michigan’s 6,850 minutes from last season are gone, 76.7% of them. These are massive losses, and likely not all losses the Wolverines were expecting.
Returnees
All those exits makes having a returnee like Jordan Hobbs that much more significant.
Hobbs followed in the footsteps of Danielle Rauch and Emily Kiser as long-term Wolverines that waited for their moment and reaped the benefits. Hobbs had her role significantly upgraded last season and her stats skyrocketed from there.
Jordan Hobbs, 22-23 to 23-24:
MPG: 15.1 → 29.0
PPG: 4.9 → 9.8
RPG: 1.9 → 4.2
APG: 0.8 → 3.0
FG%: 36.8 → 42.0
3PT%: 34.7 → 38.7
She was just better everywhere. Even with about double the minutes, Hobbs improved her efficiency from all parts of the floor and was an essential piece in Michigan’s success last season.
Hobbs brings back over half of all the returning minutes, followed by Greta Kampschroeder, who could be the next in line to follow Hobbs’ footsteps. Initially from Oregon State, Kampschroeder was a highly regarded prospect who has spent the last two seasons slowly getting better on Michigan’s bench. Her minutes went down last year, but the efficiency was improved, and it could be her moment to get a real opportunity in this lineup.
Macy Brown had a quiet freshman campaign, but was a top 100 prospect and will, like Kampschroeder, have a leg up in getting a real minutes boost in year two. Alyssa Crockett is the only listed forward who comes back from last year’s roster. Her game is more as a stretch forward, but that may be of use with this roster and she’s proven capable of knocking down threes if called upon.
Incoming Players
These eight players — and more specifically, these five incoming freshmen — will decide just how high the highs will be over the next four years of Michigan women’s basketball, and maybe well beyond that.
This is not just a good recruiting class: It is one of the very best classes in the nation, and it has the potential to skyrocket this team, and program, to insane heights if all goes well.
Top-five prospects don’t come around very often for most programs. In fact, I’d argue they show up about five times per year. For Michigan to have signed one in Syla Swords is a *huge* deal, but it’s about more than simply signing this exceptional talent.
Swords plays the game like anything but an 18-year-old. She looks so in control, finds the right shots and has the talent to hit them. She also has great length for a guard and will be an immediate matchup terror for most teams. To even make the Canadian Olympic team before playing a collegiate game should say enough to the level of skill Swords has as a prospect.
So, that’s one five-star prospect, and one can change a program overnight if they are as good as promised.
How about two?
Olson is a truly dominant scoring guard who does not appear scared to fire away in any given situation. Her pairing with Swords could, and should, make for immediate fireworks. It could also make for a truly unbelievable backcourt pairing if it stays together multiple seasons.
Those are the headliners, but the Wolverines have brought in much more than this duo to make for an extremely intriguing unit in 2024-25. The 2024 class also includes guard Mila Holloway and wing Te’Yala Delfosse, a pair of All-America nominees who have put up strong numbers and have shown defensive prowess as prospects. There’s also Aaiyanna Dunbar, who adds depth at forward, a place Michigan really appears to need it, and that may get her on the floor early.
This class is supplemented by a trio of transfers, of which I am most excited by Iuliia Grabovskaia from Middle Tennessee. She played very restricted minutes for the 30-win Blue Raiders, but was also the only non-starter on that team to see any sort of consistent action. Her efficiency numbers and defensive ratings were strong, and it feels like she could blossom in a larger role, especially for a team needing an interior presence.
With a lack of experience at guard once again, getting Brooke Q. Daniels from Oakland could be extremely valuable. I expect Olson and Swords to get a whole lot of minutes, but Daniels was a tremendous scorer, rebounder and defender for the Golden Grizzlies and will be a great asset off the bench to utilize at minimum.
Ally VanTimmeren missed all of last season with injury, but has experience at an ACC school and fills a need at forward. She fits the mold for Michigan and should see action in the rotation.
Outlook
Projected Starters
Olivia Olson - G
Greta Kampschroeder - G
Syla Swords - G
Jordan Hobbs - G
Iuliia Grabovskaia - C
Projected Big Ten Finish: 11th
I truly hate picking against a Michigan team finishing in the Top 10 of the Big Ten. It feels like the Wolverines always find a way to battle into the top half somehow, but the conference is especially deep this year and Michigan is especially inexperienced this year. That being said, this is the most excited I’ve been to watch this program since the Hillmon era.
There is so much reason to watch this team for the obvious: It is a large volume of young talent that is going to blossom into something special almost definitely. How long that takes will decide what the expectations are for this unit in March, and in 25-26.
Hobbs is the only true lock to start on Day 1, but it would really surprise me if Swords and Olson weren’t out there. Intentional or not, the roster cleared out a very nice path for the two five-stars to get ample minutes immediately, and their talent would have made a case for it on its own anyway.
As I alluded to earlier, it feels like Kampschroeder could make a case for a starting spot here. She did not get big minutes last year but looked more like the player I was hoping to see, and Michigan rotational pieces have a knack for improving as starters. It would be a four-guard lineup, but with plenty of size with all four listed as 6-0 or taller. I also think, then, that Grabovskaia would be the perfect add in the middle at 6-5.
Oregon’s roster is a wild card, but Michigan’s leaves me even more uncertain for what to anticipate this season. If Olson and Swords are immediately excellent, Michigan is probably in the NCAA Tournament again. If there’s some freshman growing pains that take a bit for this women’s Fab Five — something to be anticipated with such little returning production — the record could be way down to what we’ve been used to under Barnes Arico.
Regardless of if either extreme occurs, this is such an exciting year for Michigan women’s basketball because of what it holds for the future. The last No. 4 overall prospect to play in the Big Ten was a little-known guard from Downing Catholic by the name of Caitlin Clark. Syla Swords is an Olympian before she plays once at the Crisler Center. She is entering with a fellow five-star and three other exciting prospects.
Yes, Michigan fans can and should want the team this year to make some noise. But this year feels special before a ball has been tipped for this program, and I hope it continues to feel that way as we get to watch this exciting unproven unit figure it all out.
Photo Credit: Michigan Athletics
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