By: Emily Herard
On Friday November 10th the University of Michigan women’s basketball team kicks off the 2016-17 season at Crisler Center against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. The Wolverines are looking to improve following last season’s trip to the semifinals of the WNIT.
Returning Players
Michigan is returning two seniors: starting point guard Siera Thompson and guard Danielle Williams. Thompson has worked on becoming a more consistent scorer for the Wolverines during the offseason and will look to continue to lead the Wolverines with her passing ability after setting a school record for assists in a season with 178 last season. Michigan also has a strong junior class in Katelynn Flaherty, Jillian Dunston, and Maria Backman. Flaherty will be the focal point of the Michigan offense after her offensive dominance last season, scoring 22.1 points per game and ranking third in scoring in the Big Ten and tenth nationally. Dunston leads the Wolverines in rebounding with an average of 5.6 rebounds per game last season, and she will be in the running for a starting position at forward after starting nine games her sophomore season. Michigan’s sophomore class of Hallie Thome, Boogie Brozoski, Sam Trammel, and Nicole Munger is ready to contribute big minutes after working tirelessly during the offseason. The 6’5” center Thome remained in Ann Arbor during the summer, working on her post-game and putting on more muscle in order to improve on her solid freshman season (14.4 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds) and become a more physical presence down low for the Wolverines.
New Faces
Michigan features four freshmen this season; Kysre Gondrezick, Kayla Robbins, Akienreh Johnson, and KeAsja Peace. Gondrezick should become a key figure in the Wolverines’ offense as she becomes accustomed to the pace of the college game. She was named Michigan’s Miss Basketball, averaging 40.5 points per game as a senior for Benton Harbor and scoring 72 points in a high school playoff game. The team will also welcome 6’5” redshirt junior Abbey Cole after she completes her final season on the Michigan Volleyball team. Cole will bring strength on the boards and in the post for the Wolverines.
2016-17 Season
With the motto “By Any Means” the Wolverines are working towards a post-season berth in the NCAA tournament. In order to improve on last season’s 21-14 record, Michigan looks to toughen their presence both on the glass and on the defensive end by specifically improving on field goal percentage defense. A strong performance in Big Ten play will be key to the Wolverines’ success, as they look to finish at least fourth in the conference. The Wolverines travel to Ohio State on January 7th and will face the Michigan State Spartans at home on February 19th.
Source: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/mich-w-baskbl-body.html
Returning Players
Michigan is returning two seniors: starting point guard Siera Thompson and guard Danielle Williams. Thompson has worked on becoming a more consistent scorer for the Wolverines during the offseason and will look to continue to lead the Wolverines with her passing ability after setting a school record for assists in a season with 178 last season. Michigan also has a strong junior class in Katelynn Flaherty, Jillian Dunston, and Maria Backman. Flaherty will be the focal point of the Michigan offense after her offensive dominance last season, scoring 22.1 points per game and ranking third in scoring in the Big Ten and tenth nationally. Dunston leads the Wolverines in rebounding with an average of 5.6 rebounds per game last season, and she will be in the running for a starting position at forward after starting nine games her sophomore season. Michigan’s sophomore class of Hallie Thome, Boogie Brozoski, Sam Trammel, and Nicole Munger is ready to contribute big minutes after working tirelessly during the offseason. The 6’5” center Thome remained in Ann Arbor during the summer, working on her post-game and putting on more muscle in order to improve on her solid freshman season (14.4 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds) and become a more physical presence down low for the Wolverines.
New Faces
Michigan features four freshmen this season; Kysre Gondrezick, Kayla Robbins, Akienreh Johnson, and KeAsja Peace. Gondrezick should become a key figure in the Wolverines’ offense as she becomes accustomed to the pace of the college game. She was named Michigan’s Miss Basketball, averaging 40.5 points per game as a senior for Benton Harbor and scoring 72 points in a high school playoff game. The team will also welcome 6’5” redshirt junior Abbey Cole after she completes her final season on the Michigan Volleyball team. Cole will bring strength on the boards and in the post for the Wolverines.
2016-17 Season
With the motto “By Any Means” the Wolverines are working towards a post-season berth in the NCAA tournament. In order to improve on last season’s 21-14 record, Michigan looks to toughen their presence both on the glass and on the defensive end by specifically improving on field goal percentage defense. A strong performance in Big Ten play will be key to the Wolverines’ success, as they look to finish at least fourth in the conference. The Wolverines travel to Ohio State on January 7th and will face the Michigan State Spartans at home on February 19th.
Source: http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/w-baskbl/mich-w-baskbl-body.html