The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ OCTOBER 2026 ❱ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Barnes Arico's energy was one of Og- den's main draws to Ann Arbor out of the portal, and she confirmed that she has taken well to that style of coaching. "She definitely understands the game – even when she's explaining X's and O's in practice, she's just so energetic," she said. "She can explain things super well to us, and I just love her energy. When we're playing defense, she's in a defensive stance with us. She's just very personable. I can connect with her super easily. I'm just excited to play for her." Ogden joined U-M after earning her Stanford undergraduate degree in three years, which she says took a lot of map- ping out to make happen. "That came with a lot of planning with my parents," Ogden said. "I didn't initially come in saying, 'I want to graduate in three years.' But after my freshman year, realizing it was possible, my parents and I made a spreadsheet to make sure I could take the classes I needed when I needed to, because bas- ketball can get difficult with that." Ogden's intelligence and scoring acu- men are a welcome addition to a U-M team coming off an Elite Eight appear- ance, the second in program history. Barnes Arico and the Wolverines are still seeking their first trip to the Fi- nal Four, and Ogden thinks she fits well with the program. "I definitely think last year I im- proved overall as a scorer, and in ef- ficiency as well," Ogden said. "I pride myself on being pretty efficient. I'm definitely a playmaker, but I am able to prove to people that I can put the ball in the basket when necessary." Defense and working hard have long b e e n te n t p o l e p h i l oso p h i e s u n d e r Barnes Arico at U-M. Ogden thinks she fits there, too. "Versatility is a big part of my game," she said. "I can play the one through four; I can guard the one through four. I've had a coach tell me that you are as good as who you can guard. I take that very seriously. I pride myself on guard- ing the best player on the court, and that's a big thing for me, a big thing for Coach Arico, and for our program as a whole. "I'm a playmaker, I can shoot, I pro- vide spacing. I'm just looking to pro- vide those pieces on the floor here. I know we have some amazing players I'm going to be playing alongside. Be- ing able to fit in where I am needed is what I'm looking for." Camaraderie is another important part of the program culture in Ann Ar- bor, and Ogden has developed a good relationship with juniors Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and her other teammates. "It's exactly what I want," Ogden said. "When we're in practice, you can- not take a play off because someone is right there. Being able to guard people like Olivia, Syla, Mila [Holloway], all of them, and then play with them, it's just been an amazing environment. "I'm learning from them; I hope they're learning some stuff from me. We've been playing three-on-three, five-on-five, and the vibes in the gym are great." Team chemistry is off to a great start, too, after a summer bonding trip to Muskegon Lake. "I think my teammates are great at making sure everybody feels comfort- able. During July 4th we had a little lake trip … and that was my first time being on a lake," Ogden said. "We got on the boat, and they taught me how to fish. Everyone has just been super welcoming. I'm not necessarily used to the Midwest, and it's something I need to get used to, but it's been a warm wel- come here." ❑ SWORDS EARNS MVP HONORS AT FIBA OLYMPIC PRE-QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT U-M junior guard Syla Swords was named the MVP of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament on Aug. 24 after helping Team Canada clinch the lone remaining spot in the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2028. Swords paced Canada in its five victories, averaging 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one steal per game, scoring in double figures in all 5 contests and shooting 45 percent from three-point range, making 3.6 triples per contest. She narrowly missed a double-double in the squad's group victory over Mexico, scoring 17 points and adding 9 rebounds in 36 minutes. "When we started training camp at the beginning of June, we wanted to go 5-0," Swords said via MGoBlue.com. "We didn't just want to win the tournament; we wanted to go un- defeated. We took it one game at a time, and I think we did it in great fashion." Canada's 83-53 win against Mexico in the championship game helped it clinch a spot in one of FIBA's Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in February 2028, the final qualifi- cation stage before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. — Anthony Broome Ogden was part of a Stanford team that won the Pac-12 championship in 2024. She came to Michigan in hope of reaching the Final Four in her last season of college basketball. PHOTO COURTESY STANFORD ATHLETICS