The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1526802
58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2024 BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan had a bit of a turbulent offseason in terms of contributors it lost to the transfer portal, like leading scorer Laila Phelia (Texas), Chyra Evans (Utah), Taylor Woodson (Minnesota) and Elise Stuck (Ball State). But a revamped roster and a posi- tive summer of workouts has 13th-year head coach Kim Barnes Arico feeling good about how things went with se- niors Greta Kampschroeder and Jordan Hobbs stepping into leadership roles. "The summer workouts were tremen- dous," Barnes Arico told Brian Boesch on the "Defend The Block" podcast. "Our energy was so great. Super posi- tive, a lot of new pieces, a lot of inex- perience, but high energy, high passion, incredible work ethic and just really good vibes all around." The Wolverines are young and new to each other, headlined by the best recruiting class in program history, including two five-star signees and Gatorade Players of the Year in their respective states: Olivia Olson of Min- nesota, the No. 20 player in the ESPN HoopGurlz rankings, and Syla Swords from New York, the No. 4-ranked pros- pect and a member of the Canadian Olympic team. In addition, the Wolver- ines have welcomed transfers Ally Van- Timmeren (Boston College), Brooke Q. Daniels (Oakland) and Iuliia Grabovs- kaia (Middle Tennessee). Building chemistry this offseason was a major priority. "We did a lot of things as a team," Barnes Arico said. "Greta and Jordan are two experienced seniors who really took a leadership role in that. We as- signed each player an upperclassman [as] a wingman, and then we assigned little groups of 'wolf packs' and they really checked in with each other. "They did things with each other. There were a lot of different things go- ing on all summer. We had pool parties. We all went bowling. We did a lot of different things throughout the summer to really get to know each other, to really connect at a high level." Michigan continues to adjust to the changes in the NIL landscape across college sports, and it was something that Barnes Arico had to deal with this summer. "The transfer portal is real, and it's even real at a place like Michigan where we didn't think that would ever hap- pen," Barnes Arico said. "We thought everybody would just choose Michigan because of the excellent academics and excellent basketball. "But now there are other opportuni- ties. We faced that for the first time at the end of last year, and it was a tough transition. It was something in my ca- reer that I never had to handle before. We have to evolve and buy into the changing landscape. This offseason was really important to make sure that we really connected with the players that came on campus." NATALIE ACHONWA JOINS U-M STAFF AS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT COACH On Sept. 10, Barnes Arico announced the addition of former WNBA standout Natalie Achonwa to her staff as U-M's assistant coach for player development. Achonwa most recently competed at the Paris Olympics, serving as captain of the Canadian National Team, where she was joined by U-M freshman Syla Swords. It marked the fourth Olympic appearance for Achonwa, the most ever by a Canadian basketball player. "… It's so beneficial for our student- athletes to be around and learn from women who have achieved what they want to achieve, like playing in the WNBA and at the international level," Barnes Arico said. "Natalie is an un- believable leader who has such a high basketball IQ." Achonwa, a third-team All-Ameri- can as a senior at Notre Dame, was se- lected ninth overall in the 2014 draft. She played nine years in the WNBA and six seasons overseas. She also served on the WNBA Players Association Execu- tive Committee for two terms, totaling four years. ❏ ❱ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Barnes Arico Recaps Summer Workouts, Team Chemistry Four-time Canadian Olympian and former WNBA standout Natalie Achonwa (right) recently joined the Michigan staff as assistant coach for player development. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS U-M'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time Oct. 27 Northwood (Exhib.) TBA Nov. 4 vs. South Carolina* TBA Nov. 8 Lehigh TBA Nov. 14 Central Michigan TBA Nov. 17 Oakland TBA Nov. 20 LIU TBA Nov. 24 Long Beach State TBA Nov. 29 vs. Belmont^ 2 p.m. Nov. 30 vs. Virginia Tech/Davidson^ TBA Dec. 14 Detroit Mercy TBA Dec. 17 Oklahoma# 9:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Akron TBA Big Ten Home Opponents: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Washington, Oregon Big Ten Away Opponents: Michigan State, Il - linois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Wisconsin, UCLA, USC * Hall of Fame Series, Las Vegas ^ Fort Myers Tip-Off, Fort Myers, Fla. # Jumpman Invitational, Charlotte, N.C.