The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 49 ❱ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL and the jumps that we made. I know our team is disappointed tonight, but I also want us to be able at some point to celebrate the best season in program history. Last year, we were extremely disappointed when we lost in the sec- ond round at Notre Dame, and this year we came back, and we made it to the Elite Eight. "These guys aren't feeling really great right now, and they probably can't see what they accomplished in this mo- ment. But what they've been able to do this season and their development and their commitment and their chemistry, all of it, is really, really special." Texas' experience was a key factor in overwhelming the Wolverines, and they believe this is another potential building block moment with their sophomore core transitioning into up- perclassman status next year. "They've been to a Final Four," Olson said of Texas. "They're an older team. They have a veteran point guard. … We're going to use this as fuel to keep going. We're not there yet, but we're going to keep working to get there." At the end of the game, Barnes Arico had five of her sophomores on the floor together — something that could serve as motivation for next season. "Those five are a core group to the future of this program, and they all are really special in their own way," Barnes Arico said. "They all bring something incredible to our team and to our pro- gram. They know that it's their turn now. "Olivia Olson is already saying, 'When can I get back in the gym? I was terrible.' I'm like, 'My gosh, can you take a deep breath? You are one of the best players in the country, and you have proven that all year long.' "She's so down about this. They are the hardest workers, the most driven people. They will use this for motiva- tion, certainly going into next season." Michigan doesn't want to hear about its youth anymore. Swords and com- pany are ready for more. "We can't just fall back on saying that we're young and they're experienced and just take that loss before the game starts," Swords said. "I'm just really optimistic coming into next year, be- cause everybody, 1 through 14, seniors included, are people that are going to get in the gym as soon as Coach allows us when we get back and get working again. "We're going to be watching film from this game, and we're just going to be taking it as fuel for next year and seeing how far we can go on that next run." ❑ POSTSEASON RESULTS AND FINAL RECORD (28-7 overall; 15-3 B1G) Date Opponent Result Mar. 6 vs. Oregon* W, 80-58 Mar. 7 vs. Iowa** L, 59-42 Mar. 20 HOLY CROSS^ W, 83-48 Mar. 22 NC STATE^^ W, 92-63 Mar. 28 vs. Louisville# W, 71-52 Mar. 30 vs. Texas% L, 77-41 * Big Ten quarterfinal, Indianapolis ** Big Ten semifinal, Indianapolis ^ NCAA first round, Ann Arbor ^^ NCAA second round, Ann Arbor # NCAA Sweet 16, Fort Worth, Texas % NCAA Elite Eight, Fort Worth, Texas U-M LANDS GRAD TRANSFER, LOSES FRESHMAN TO PORTAL U-M added a veteran piece to next season's roster on April 15 with former Stanford guard/forward Courtney Ogden joining as a graduate transfer. She will have one season of eligibility remaining. Ogden, who has played in 97 career games with 734 points, spent her first three years with the Cardinal and averaged 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 30.8 minutes per game this season, shooting 51.3 percent from the floor. She reached double figures 23 times this year, including a 26-point performance in the season finale against BYU on March 26. "Courtney is a player that I recruited from her days in high school and with FBC, her AAU program," Barnes Arico said. "She's a phenomenal basketball player, a phenomenal student and a phenomenal person from an unbelievable family. I have watched her continue to develop, get better and improve. She has a chance to make an immediate impact on our program. She's got a chance to be a pro and a draft pick next year. We are excited about her versatility and all the different things she can do on the basketball court. I think she adds to our team that already has a ton of versatility, gives us another piece and some more depth that we certainly will need." Ogden, who stands 6-foot-1, appeared in 31 games with one start as a sopho- more in 2024-25, averaging 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes per contest. During her freshman campaign, she helped Stanford to the 2024 Pac-12 championship and was named an All-Freshman honorable mention from the league coaches. The former McDonald's All-American from Atlanta was the No. 10 overall re- cruit in the 2023 class, also adding Jordan Brand Classic All-America and WBCA High School All-America marks to her prep résumé. Ogden was the MaxPreps and Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year in Georgia in 2023. She also won a gold medal with USA Basketball at the FIBA U18 Women's Americas champi- onship in 2022. Ogden's pledge makes her the fifth McDonald's All-American ever to sign with Michigan. However, as much as the portal gives this time of year, it can also mean others are on their way out the door. Freshman McKenzie Mathurin entered the transfer portal on April 6 and com- mitted to Missouri on April 11 with three seasons of eligibility remaining. Mathurin averaged 3.5 points per game in 8.9 minutes per contest this year, shooting 46 percent from the floor and 38.9 percent from three-point range. Mathurin made 25 game appearances off the bench, headlined by a career-high 15 points in a win over Penn State on Jan. 8. The former four-star recruit and McDonald's All-American was the No. 39-ranked prospect in her recruiting class, coming out of Broken Arrow (Okla.) High. — Anthony Broome