The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544920
40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2026 2026 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY ANTHONY BROOME T he youth movement that has de- fined the last few seasons of Michi- gan women's basketball will not be as prevalent next season. Much of this past year's roster will be back in 2026-27, leaving less room than previous years to add new faces to the program. But the incoming three- woman class — two prep stars and a transfer — will bring plenty of excite- ment and competition to the roster. Head coach Kim Barnes Arico, whose program is fresh off an NCAA Elite Eight appearance, signed a pair of top-60 high schoolers in guard Devin Cosgriff (Liver- more, Calif.) and center Fope Ayo (Read- ing, Mass.). ESPN ranks the two-woman class 23rd nationally and eighth in the Big Ten behind USC (No. 1 in the coun- try), Maryland (7), Indiana (8), Oregon (14), Nebraska (15), Iowa (16) and Min- nesota (18). Barnes Arico and the Wolverines also brought in Courtney Ogden from Stan- ford as a grad transfer to add some vet- eran depth in the backcourt. "I genuinely feel very fortunate and blessed in this changing landscape of college athletics to have two of the greatest young women join our program in Fope and Devin," Barnes Arico said about her 2026 class in November. "Fope is someone who is going to excel in every facet of what this university has to of- fer, whether that's academics, whether that's on the basketball court, or whether that's in our community. She has shown her ability to do that at Austin Prep, and I think she is going to make the same type of impact at the University of Michigan." The incoming players will join a core group that includes the standout junior trio of Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway, looking to build on the program's recent success and establish itself as a national title contender. INCOMING FRESHMEN DEVIN COSGRIFF 5-10, GUARD The Livermore, Calif., native, ranked No. 60 by ESPN, committed to Michi- gan in July 2025 and arrives with an ac- complished prep résumé. She helped lead Archbishop Mitty High School to NorCal, CCS and WCAL championships in 2025 and with back-to-back runner- up finishes in the CIF state title game in 2025 and '26. A three-time all-league and CIF All-State selection, Cosgriff was also named California's top freshman by Prep Girls Hoops in 2023. She entered her senior year as On3's No. 2 prospect in Northern California for the 2026 class. She scored 13 points this year's state fi- nals appearance, a 56-49 loss to Ontario Christian. Cosgriff also brings USA Basketball experience, participating in multiple ju- nior national team minicamps and the 2023 U16 national team trials. She played AAU basketball for Jason Kidd Select. "I chose the University of Michigan because of its amazing coaching staff, the family atmosphere and, of course, because it's Michigan," Cosgriff said when she signed. "They have believed in me for years, and that loyalty has meant everything. From the very beginning, I felt like part of something bigger. The combination of elite academics, a cham- pionship culture and people who truly care made Michigan feel like home." Kim Barnes Arico said: "We are so excited to add a player and a person like Devin to our program. She is one of the toughest kids I have watched play for the last few years. She is willing to de- fend, she's willing to rebound, she has a great mid-range game and she's just a winner. She plays in programs that win; she plays for a tremendous high school coach and a tremendous AAU program. I think adding her to our program here is just going to help us be a better team. Anytime we add someone with her grit, tenacity and winning attitude, we add something special." FOPE AYO 6-5, CENTER Ranked No. 50 nationally by ESPN, Ayo is a consensus four-star prospect and earned Massachusetts Class AA Defensive Player of the Year honors last season at Austin Preparatory School and was recognized by The Boston Globe as a Player of the Week after scoring 40 points in a win over MacDuffie in Febru- ary 2025. This past season, Ayo averaged 22.3 points, 17.3 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game, earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Massachusetts. She also U-M Women Add Three To 2026-27 Roster Kim Barnes Arico's Wolverines Sign Two Top-Tier High Schoolers And One Transfer Devin Cosgriff, ranked as the No. 60 recruit by ESPN, led her Archbishop Mitty team to a California (CIF) State Open Division girls' basketball finals appearance in 2025-26, scoring 13 points in a loss to Ontario Christian, 56-49. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY