Michigan’s women’s basketball team painfully missed out on the Big Ten title last season. Voters in this year’s league pre-season polls expect the Wolverines to be in the running again.
The Big Ten announced the results of their polls on Wednesday, October 5, with Michigan finishing fifth in the coaches’ poll. The league only asked coaches and the media to rank their top five teams. The media ranking did not include Michigan.
Last season, Iowa and Ohio State shared the regular-season title with conference records of 14-4. Coaches and media picked the Hawkeyes to repeat, an easy choice considering they’re firing all five starters, including reigning Big Ten player of the year Caitlin Clark. Ohio State finished second in the coaches’ poll and third in the media, with Indiana the other second/third place team. Maryland was fourth in both polls and Nebraska was fifth in the media poll.
Michigan finished 13-4 in the Big Ten last season and had its game against last-place Illinois canceled due to bad weather. Maryland also went 13-4 and couldn’t play Illinois.
The Wolverines have lost Naz Hillmon and Danielle Rauch, but starters Leigha Brown, Laila Phelia, Maddie Nolan and Emily Kiser return.
Brown, a fifth-year senior, was among 10 selections for the All-Big Ten preseason. Coaches and the media agreed on the 10 players: Brown, Grace Berger and Mackenzie Holmes from Indiana, Clark and Monika Czinano from Iowa, Diamond Miller from Maryland, Alexis Markowski from Nebraska, Taylor Mikesell and Ohio State’s Jacy Sheldon and Penn State’s Makenna Marisa.
Clark was, predictably, the pre-season player of the year pick.
Michigan opens the 2022-23 regular season Nov. 9 against Delaware State. Kim Barnes Arico, the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year, is entering his 11th season as Michigan’s head coach.
In true roster form, here are the Big Ten women’s basketball preseason honors results:
2022-23 BIG TEN COACHES PRESEASON RANKINGS
1.Iowa
2. Ohio State
3.Indiana
4.Maryland
5.Michigan
2022-23 PRE-SEASON ALL-BIG TEN COACHES TEAM
GRACE BERGER, Grad., G, Indiana
Mackenzie Holmes, father, F, Indiana
CAITLIN CLARK, Jr., G, Iowa
MONIKA CZINANO, 5th year, F/C, Iowa
Diamond Miller, Sr., G, Maryland
Leigha Brown, 5th grade, G, Michigan
Alexis Markowski, So., C/F, Nebraska
TAYLOR MIKESELL, Sr., G, Ohio State
JACY SHELDON, Sr., G, Ohio State
Makenna Marisa, Sr., G, Penn State
2022-23 COACHES BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Caitlin Clark, Jr., G, Iowa
2022-23 MEDIA BIG TEN PRE-SEASON RANKINGS
1.Iowa
2.Indiana
3. Ohio State
4.Maryland
5. Nebraska
2022-23 MEDIA PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM
Grace Berger, Graduate, G, Indiana
Mackenzie Holmes, father, F, Indiana
CAITLIN CLARK, Jr., G, Iowa
Monika Czinano, 5th grade, F/C, Iowa
Diamond Miller, Sr., G, Maryland
Leigha Brown, 5th grade, G, Michigan
Alexis Markowski, So., C/F, Nebraska
Taylor Mikesell, Sr., G, Ohio State
JACY SHELDON, Sr., G, Ohio State
Makenna Marisa, Sr., G, Penn State
2022-23 MEDIA BIG TEN PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Caitlin Clark, Jr., G, Iowa