ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan women’s basketball does not get an easy start. The fifth-ranked Wolverines open their regular season Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at home against second-ranked UConn, one of the sport’s heavyweights.
Only one previous game has been played between the programs. Last season the two met in a Hall of Fame showcase game, and UConn escaped 72-69, its narrowest margin of the year. The Huskies went 38-1 overall and a perfect 12-0 away from home. Michigan is scheduled to make the return trip to Connecticut in the 2027-28 season.
Michigan went 28-7 a year ago and lost just once on its home floor, finishing 16-1. Juniors Olivia Olson and Syla Swords were both picked to the Preseason All-Big Ten team after Olson put up 18.9 points and 6.1 rebounds a game and Swords added 14.6 points and 4.2 rebounds. The Wolverines warmed up with a 115-24 exhibition win over Rochester Christian last week. Kim Barnes Arico is in her 15th season as head coach.
UConn is already 1-0 after a 100-35 rout of Cornell on Monday, when Sarah Strong, a junior forward, and Jovana Popovic, a freshman guard, each scored 19 points and the Huskies forced 25 steals. Strong set a personal best with eight of those steals.
There is a personal link in the matchup, too: Swords and UConn junior Kayleigh Heckel were high school teammates at Long Island Lutheran. The game in Ann Arbor starts a run of four straight ranked opponents for UConn, which also faces Iowa, Ohio State and Louisville.
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