Fort Worth, Texas — A big part of the Michigan women’s basketball DNA is perfecting the things that don’t really show up in a box score. That means, diving for loose balls, taking charges, and winning rebounding battles even if you’re outsized.
These are the intangibles head coach Kim Barnes Arico preaches, and the players have embraced. This has been a significant reason the ninth-ranked Wolverines (28-6) are a No. 2 seed about to face No. 1-seed Texas in a Regional final for a spot in the Final Four. This is the second time Michigan has reached the Elite 8.
On their lockers in Ann Arbor, the players have a Block M affixed to the wall and basketball stickers are added when players make those intangible plays in games.
“I come in, and I look at that before every game, and then I talk about it before every game,” Barnes Arico said Sunday. “Who is willing to do the little things that none of you guys see that make a difference inside our program and make a difference in our success? We’ve charted through the years, and any time we get 10 stickers in a game, we’re going to be successful in that game. So that’s always our No. 1 goal. Can we get 10 stickers? Can we do things that other teams aren’t necessarily willing to do? I just think it’s a point of emphasis of ours. Then when your players see that it really does result in success, they buy into it even more.”
In many ways, Michigan and Texas are mirror images in terms of their emphasis on defense and making those selfless plays that ultimately enhance an offense.
Texas is third nationally in turnover margin, while Michigan is 11th. Michigan is 40th in rebounding (40.5), while Texas is 86th (38.86). Michigan is 12th in rebounding margin and Texas is 13th. Offensively, Texas is seventh in scoring, averaging 85.2 points and Michigan is ninth averaging 83.5.
“The scoring is something that comes with the intangibles,” Michigan guard Mila Holloway said Sunday. “It is something we pride ourselves in practice, diving for loose balls, charges, little things that end up being big things that win games. We talked about coming into this tournament and not having any regrets, not having anything to look back on where you think you wish you could have done more.”
Michigan is young with a core group of three starting sophomores, but it is known for its versatility, press and depth. Senior Alyssa Crockett said the first thing an opponent should scout is obvious.
“First and foremost, you’d focus on the press,” Crockett said. “We rattle a lot of teams. That’s how we’re able to make our runs. That’s what they have to start with is handling the ball and handling the pressure. When teams show a weakness, we’re able to go quick at it. And with our offense, how do you stop five people who can score, and there’s no let up in our bench. That’s what makes our team so special.”
Perhaps no one embodies mastering the intangibles for Michigan more than Brooke Quarles Daniels. She is 5 foot 7 and almost always going against bigger opponents, and yet as she did in the Sweet 16 win over Louisville, Daniels was the game’s leading rebounder.
“We’ve all really challenged ourselves as players to get ourselves extra possessions, when our shots aren’t falling or we can’t create those turnovers that we need,” Daniels said.
Not surprisingly, she has more basketball stickers than anyone on the team.
“You see her locker, it’s full of stickers,” Syla Swords, Michigan’s second-leading scorer, said Sunday. “While not every game she’s the top scorer, she’s assisting or creating opportunities for everybody to be able to score. I like to think that we’re one of the best offenses in the country, but a lot of that starts with her, and a lot of that is what she does.”
Texas certainly is no slouch on defense, and the outcome of this game likely will hinge on who has the defensive advantage.
“Obviously, defense plays a big part this time of year,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “We treat this as a road game, so there are certain things that we have to do on the road, we feel like, in order to win. Defense is certainly a part of what we do at Texas, and watching film on (Michigan), boy, they can play a lot of different ways defensively. I got one day in a shoot-around to try to get my team ready for that.”
Barnes Arico and the Wolverines know that playing their best defense is key to trying to beat the Longhorns.
“The way that they pressure, the way that they get up, the way that they defend, their toughness, how relentless they are, those are things that our program definitely prides itself on,” Barnes Arico said. “Our rebounding, another thing we really pride ourselves on.
“We’ve been tested. We’re not always the tallest team on the floor. Texas has a little bit more size than us, but we’ve been tested in every single game. Even yesterday in the Louisville game, everyone talked about their rebounding, and we outrebounded them by nine at the end of the day. The rebounding is something that we pride ourselves on as well. I would say we have similar styles, for sure. They have a little bit more experience and depth I would say, but the way we want to play the game is definitely similar.”
Texas is ranked No. 3 nationally and is 34-3. The Longhorns boast a top point guard in Rori Harmon and All-American Madison Booker.
“Obviously, they’re more experienced than we are,” Swords said. “They have Rori Harmon, Madison Booker who have played five years in college. Madison Booker has played for Team USA, and that’s just an advantage in itself just seeing that they’ve been in positions like this, played in Elite Eight games, having the game being played in Texas.
“But it’s nothing that we’re afraid of, and we’re excited to match up against the best of the best. Excited to test ourselves and, ultimately, we have each other’s back through any team that we’re going to play against.”
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