The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2025 BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan women's basket- ball added UCLA transfer Kendall Dudley to the roster this offseason, giving them another young player with a winning ped- igree. D u d l ey, a 6 - fo o t -2 g u a rd , played her freshman season in the Big Ten in the Bruins' first season in the conference. During her first collegiate campaign, she averaged 12.4 minutes per game with 1.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists and started one game for the Big Ten Tournament champions. The Virginia native and Sidwell Friends alum was the first-ever female high school player to commit live on ESPNU in April 2023. "It was a very quick process for me," Dudley told Brian Boesch on U-M's "Defend The Block" podcast. "When I was younger, I was actually recruited by Michigan. They were one of my top schools. In the transfer portal, I didn't really look at a bunch of schools because I knew it would be a longer process. I talked with the coaches, and I just knew this was the place for me." The Bruins went to the Final Four last season, which was a tremendous learn- ing experience for the young player, who was a five-star prospect, a McDonald's All-American and the No. 18 recruit in the prep ranks. "My experience helped me under- stand what I need," Dudley said. "Com- ing out of high school, you're new to the system and don't really know what you want. Having my first year at UCLA and learning and figuring out what I want helped me make the right decision to come to Michigan." Dudley says that the fit at U-M has been nearly seamless, led by head coach Kim Barnes Arico, thanks to an ap- proach that she is very familiar with. "I love her personality," Dudley said. "I think she reminds me of my mom. Her daughter is also a coach's kid and I'm a coach's kid, so she can relate to understanding me as a player and as a child through her parent perspective. I love her personality and how she can get on us on the court and then be laughing right after practice. Dudley's mother encouraged her to try a ton of different sports as a younger person before settling on the game of basketball. "My mom had me do a bunch of sports just to allow me to choose, although she didn't let me do cheerleading or danc- ing," Dudley said. "She's been a great guide for me. She hasn't been super pressuring, but she has taught me work ethic. For me, a bad game is if I don't work hard, not if I don't score points. That's what she instilled in me." Dudley joins the Michigan pro- gram at a time when excitement is near an all-time high, thanks to a sophomore class that has a handful of stars and fixtures like Syla Swords and Olivia Olson. The summer work that was put in was strong and has set a foun- dation for the upcoming season. "We've definitely been get- ting better," Dudley said. "Every day we attack every drill and ev- ery rep. I don't think any other program is working as hard and intensely as we are. Everyone's ready to work every day. There's no one not talking in the gym. I've loved being here so far." Dudley is not ready to make any sweeping claims about what the Wol- verines might accomplish this season but sees a near-unlimited potential for the program. "The ceiling is really high," Dudley said. "This summer and preseason, we just work on chemistry, trying to mature more, and making the right decisions." ❑ ❱ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Kendall Dudley Discusses Decision To Transfer To Michigan Dudley, who played at UCLA as a freshman, was a five-star pros- pect, a McDonald's All-American and the No. 18 recruit in the country as a high school senior. PHOTO COURTESY UCLA ATHLETICS Date Opponent (TV) Location Oct. 30 FERRIS STATE (exhib.) Crisler Center Nov. 4 CANISIUS Crisler Center Nov. 9 HARVARD Crisler Center Nov. 15 vs. Notre Dame^ (NBC) Detroit Nov. 18 BINGHAMTON Crisler Center Nov. 21 vs. UConn* (FOX) Uncasville, Conn. Nov. 23 vs. Syracuse* (FS1) Uncasville, Conn. Nov. 26 at Detroit Mercy Detroit Dec. 3 CENTRAL MICHIGAN Crisler Center Dec. 7 PURDUE Crisler Center Dec. 13 AKRON Crisler Center Dec. 21 OAKLAND Crisler Center Dec. 29 at Oregon Eugene, Ore. Jan. 1 at Washington Seattle, Wash. Jan. 5 MINNESOTA Crisler Center Jan. 8 at Penn State State College, Pa. Jan. 11 WISCONSIN Crisler Center Date Opponent (TV) Location Jan. 15 ILLINOIS Crisler Center Jan. 19 vs. Vanderbilt% (FOX) Newark, N.J. Jan. 22 at Rutgers Piscataway, N.J. Jan. 25 USC Crisler Center Jan. 29 at Indiana Bloomington, Ind. Feb. 1 at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. Feb. 4 NEBRASKA Crisler Center Feb. 8 UCLA Crisler Center Feb. 12 at Northwestern Evanston, Ill. Feb. 15 MICHIGAN STATE Crisler Center Feb. 22 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Feb. 25 at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio Feb. 28 MARYLAND Crisler Center Mar. 4-8 Big Ten Tournament Indianapolis ^ Shamrock Classic * Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Showcase % Coretta Scott King Classic ❱ 2025-26 Michigan Women's Basketball Schedule