The No. 5 Michigan women’s basketball team began its Sunday afternoon by hoisting its 2025 Elite Eight banner to the rafters. The Wolverines spent the rest of the afternoon previewing their case for another deep March Madness run.
No. 5 Michigan (2-0) outpaced Wright State (1-2) in practically every statistical category, its defense suffocating and its offense stampeding to the rim and shooting 50 percent from three-point range in an 109-52 dismantling. The offensive output tied for the fifth-most
points scored in program history.
“Our transition offense was fantastic,” senior forward Ashley Sofilkanich said. “I mean, we moved the ball so well. There were sometimes we would just get a steal quickly or turn them over, and we were able to push the ball so so fast and get an easy layup in transition. But it was also just those one more passes that we’ve been working on the past couple weeks, just trying to really move the defense and move on offense and hit our open players and not try to force any shots up.”
The Wolverines’ fast-paced identity was on display throughout the game. They jumped passing lanes, garnering deflections, and ran in transition. Michigan forced 28 turnovers, bolstered by 17 steals — including five from junior guard Olivia Olson — and nearly could have won solely counting points off turnovers (43).
The Wolverines entered a full-court press midway through the first quarter, and the Raiders could barely progress past half-court without turning the ball over for certain stretches. It didn’t matter which combination of long arms were involved in a trap, as Wright State’s passing lanes were so blanketed that every advancement was a struggle.
Collecting 15 offensive rebounds, Michigan ensured that no matter the Raiders’ shooting percentage, the difference in shot volume — 74 attempts to 36 — practically sealed the victory.
Early on, it was evident Michigan was in a different tier than Wright State. In the first quarter alone, the Wolverines forced 13 turnovers, scored 17 points off them, generated eight steals and collected five offensive rebounds, scoring seven second-chance points. The Raiders couldn’t stop Michigan’s drives, surrendering 20 paint points, and they couldn’t even get shots off most possessions. The Wolverines only allowed six in the entire first quarter, and their 30-9 lead only expanded as the game progressed.
Generating turnovers and translating those into fast-paced offense, Michigan was two steps ahead of the Raiders. Olson led the way for the Wolverines offensively, scoring 19 points on efficient 7-for-9 shooting, including three three-pointers in an 11-point second quarter. Sinking threes in transition, Olson highlighted a lesser-utilized aspect of her game in combination with her trademark midrange jumper and confident downhill drives.
Alongside Olson, five other players scored in double figures for Michigan, including junior guard Syla Swords (16 points), senior guard Dallas Loughridge (15), junior wing Kendall Dudley (11), junior wing Te’Yala Delfosse (11) and Sofilkanich (10). Loughridge connected for three triples, heating up and shooting 5-for-7, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line, after a tough shooting night in Thursday’s win against UConn. Her court vision and facilitation as point guard enabled effective utilization of the Wolverines’ assets, helping find open players with an extra pass or cross-court reversal.
Six players connected from range, as Michigan’s balanced offense worked the ball efficiently through the half-court. The 50 percent shooting clip from three — the best since Feb. 28 — was a product of a well-spaced offense and consistent cutting. The Wolverines play an unselfish brand of basketball, and the variety of three-point scorers further illustrated that.
“We were making the extra pass as a team,” Loughridge said. “We were creating for each other. So instead of forcing tough, contested shots or layups, we were finding the open player, and we were able to hit down our open shots.”
No matter the combination of players, the offense rarely stagnated. Michigan’s bench rotated in frequently and effectively, resulting in 38 points and a career-high nine from sophomore forward Jessica Fields.
Sometimes, going from facing top-five to unranked opponents, teams take the contest lightly. The Wolverines kept their foot on the gas from the opening tip, accelerating through the Raiders and securing a 57-point win.
