Kim Barnes Arico is a mother of three, but sometimes it feels like the Michigan women’s basketball coach is also a mother of 15.

Coaches often serve as parental figures in the lives of their young athletes. From teaching lessons on and off the court, to motivating players to become their best selves, to fostering family-like team culture, the two roles — coach and parent — often intertwine.

For Barnes Arico, her experience as a mother has certainly impacted her mindset as a coach.

“I would say there’s no greater gift than being a mother,” Barnes Arico told The Michigan Daily. “And I think that that has really helped me become a better coach through the years as well, because it gives me an opportunity to see how I would like for people to mentor and role model my children, how I would like for them to speak to them and treat them and coach them and be demanding but also be loving at the same time.”

Of course, having a coach who might serve as a parental figure in no way replaces the importance of an athlete’s actual parents or family — rather, it often adds another meaningful role model and mentor.

And in Barnes Arico’s case, she doesn’t take that role lightly.

“As a mom and a coach, I think it’s so important for me to say man, I get to be a role model,” Barnes Arico said. “I get to be a mentor and how would I like if this was my child? How would I like them to be coached? And how would I like them to be talked to and how would I like them to be pushed and challenged to be the best that they can be?”

Using what she’s learned as a mother, Barnes Arico understands and implements the balance between challenging her players while continuing to offer thoughtful guidance and encouragement when needed.

“To be that demanding coach, but at the same time, understand that at the end of the day, they might need someone to put their arm around them and tell them it’s going to be okay,” Barnes Arico said. “… It’s about basketball, but really it’s about so much more than basketball. You need to have people around you that care about you as a person, first and foremost.”

Barnes Arico has three children — a son, Trevor, and two daughters, Emma and Cece. Trevor, her oldest, plays basketball at Emerson College and loves to write. Emma, a junior in high school, is committed to play lacrosse at Michigan. And Cece, the youngest of the bunch, also shares the family-wide passion for basketball.

This past season, Cece went to nearly every Michigan women’s basketball game — at home or on the road. With flexibility in her schedule as an eighth grader, she even traveled with the Wolverines down to Baton Rouge for the NCAA Tournament.

Although Trevor and Emma didn’t have the same flexibility in their schedules this past year, all three children grew up around their mom’s teams. And as such, Barnes Arico’s entwining roles of mother and coach have not only impacted her — but also Trevor, Emma and Cece.

“It has a tremendous impact (on) my children,” Barnes Arico said. “For them to see these young, strong women, college athletes, and the sacrifices and the dedication and the discipline that it takes for them to play at this level, to be a student at the University of Michigan as well as to be an athlete at the highest level.”

Reflecting on what Mother’s Day means to her, Barnes Arico became emotional. Talking about celebrating with her children while also thinking about her mom, along with the moms — and parents in general — of her players, she reminisced on the challenges and rewards of being an athlete’s mother.

“I just know the sacrifices that they all have made to give their children the opportunity to be at the University of Michigan and to compete at the highest level,” Barnes Arico said. “… I think about my mom and the things that she did for me to help me get to the University of Michigan and (I’m) just thankful.”

For Barnes Arico, her journey through motherhood has opened her eyes to new perspectives as a coach.

And in addition to impacting Trevor, Emma and Cece through exposing them to strong women, it also impacts the Michigan women’s basketball team as a whole — the 15 young athletes that have another guiding hand, within the game of basketball and beyond.

The post ‘It’s about so much more than basketball’: How motherhood impacts Kim Barnes Arico as a coach appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Just one day after securing its second offseason graduate transfer, the Michigan women’s basketball team received yet another commitment. 

Elissa Brett, a guard who played her first four seasons at Bowling Green State University, announced her commitment to the Wolverines via Instagram on Wednesday. 

In her senior season with the Falcons, Brett started all 38 games and averaged 14.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She shot 37.3% from the field and 33.2% from deep over her senior campaign and was the team leader in both points and 3-point makes. Brett was also the team leader in rebounds, despite standing at just 5-foot-10. 

She was named to the 2022-23 all-MAC first team and all-defensive team, as well as the all-MAC tournament team.

In the 2023 NIT, Brett was on the receiving end of an altercation when she got punched in the postgame handshake line. Brett’s injuries appeared relatively minor and she went on to score 24 total points over Bowling Green’s final two games of the tournament. 

A native of Australia, Brett will be the second Australian on Michigan’s roster next season, joining rising sophomore forward Chyra Evans. 

With Brett’s commitment, the Wolverines have one roster spot left for the upcoming season. Brett’s two-way capabilities provide Michigan with versatility at the guard position, as well as experienced leadership.

The post Elissa Brett transfers to Michigan appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

The Michigan women’s basketball team picked up its second transfer addition of the offseason Tuesday.

Lauren Hansen, a 5-foot-8 guard out of Missouri, announced her transfer to the Wolverines for her fifth year of eligibility via Twitter.

The New York native started her career at Auburn before transferring to Missouri, where she spent three seasons. Hansen averaged 10.6 points per game over her career with Missouri, seeing most of her averages improve each season. In her senior campaign, Hansen started every game, shot 90.6% from the free throw line and was Missouri’s second-leading scorer with 12.9 points per game. A career 36.7% 3-point shooter, Hansen’s percentage from deep dropped a bit each season she spent at Missouri, although she also attempted more shots from beyond the arc each successive season. 

What Hansen is most known for, though, is a game-winning shot as a junior to lift unranked Missouri to an overtime upset over South Carolina in 2021. Hansen’s layup with 0.1 seconds remaining handed the top-ranked Gamecocks their first of only two losses in a season that saw them win the national championship. 

Known as a volume shooter, Hansen’s senior year saw some inconsistency, when she was scoring anywhere from four to 26 points in a single game, but she still averaged double-digit scoring. With senior guard Maddie Nolan in the transfer portal, Hansen might be expected to fill part of Nolan’s role as a 3-point shooter.

With Michigan seeing more movement on both sides of the transfer portal this year than in previous seasons, Hansen brings veteran experience to a young backcourt that will likely have only one returning season-long starter. With Nolan in the portal, the oldest guards on the Wolverines’ roster were rising juniors until Hansen’s commitment. 

The Michigan roster for the upcoming season still has two openings, but with the addition of Hansen, the Wolverines bring in a new skill set and experience that they hope will guide them.

The post Former Missouri guard Lauren Hansen grad transfers to Michigan appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

After three members of its staff departed, the Michigan women’s basketball team needed to fill two assistant coach positions.

To do so, Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico enlisted two familiar faces to the program, former assistant coach Melanie Moore and former player Jillian Dunston.

Moore is back after departing Michigan following seven seasons as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2012 to 2019 to take a head coach position at Xavier.

“(Moore) was so instrumental in helping elevate this program to the level it is at today,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said in a statement. “She helped recruit and develop one of the most successful classes in Michigan women’s basketball history. Mel is one of the best in the business at coaching the post position, recruiting and working with Michigan greats like Naz Hillmon and Hallie Thome.”

This year, Michigan had to adapt and focus on play away from the paint following the departure of Hillmon. But Moore’s return could reintegrate its roots of post play that laid the foundation for past success, including the 2017 NIT championship during Moore’s first stint with the Wolverines. In a conference where great post players are often crucial to success, Moore’s return could prove instrumental in the Wolverines’ pursuit of an ever-elusive Big Ten Championship.

“My family and I are ecstatic to be heading back to Michigan, a place we called home for seven amazing years,” Moore said in a statement. “… Michigan women’s basketball is an elite program, and I am excited to build on their past success and win championships with these amazing student-athletes.”

Dunston, meanwhile, returns to the Wolverines following a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Drexel, where she gained valuable experience and was named one of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Thirty Under 30 honorees. 

“She is one of the best to ever wear the Block ‘M’ and embodies everything our program stands for,” Barnes Arico said in a statement. “She is a rising star in this business and her work ethic as a coach matches what she brought to the court every single day. I am so happy to have her energy and personality back with us in Ann Arbor.”

A forward for Michigan from 2014 to 2018, Dunston graduated with 862 rebounds, good for second all-time in the program. She excelled on the boards and defensively, and her hiring signifies a renewed focus on defense and rebounding, two areas this season the Wolverines showed they have room for growth.

In the post-Hillmon era, Michigan said repeatedly that it needed to be an elite defensive team and be elite rebounders. When they lost the rebounding battle or got locked in a shootout, the Wolverines rarely found success. Dunston’s hiring demonstrates Michigan’s commitment to improving in those areas, especially following the departure of graduate forward Emily Kiser.

“I have so much gratitude for this opportunity to return to my alma mater,” Dunston said in a statement. “… Now that I am on the coaching side of things, I am excited to join Coach Arico on staff and overjoyed to be able to learn from her.”

With the return of two people familiar with Michigan’s culture and roots — two coaches who have worked together before, back when Moore was Dunston’s coach in the paint — Michigan looks to continue building a consistent contender.

The post Melanie Moore, Jillian Dunston hired as assistant coaches appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

After a standout final season at Michigan, Leigha Brown was selected No. 15 overall by the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA draft Monday night. The No. 15 selection is the highest pick in program history, tied with Naz Hillmon — who Brown joins in Atlanta.

The fifth-year wing led the Wolverines in points and assists this season with 17.5 and 5.8 per game, respectively. A three-time All-Big Ten selection in her three years at Michigan, Brown earned first-team honors this year while leading the Wolverines in her final season of eligibility.

She was also thrust into a new role during her final season, as her primary position shifted from the wing to the point. In the absence of a primary ball-handler, Brown assumed the role of point guard for the majority of her time on the court. She demonstrated her playmaking potential as a passer in addition to her aptitude as a scorer — a combination of traits that will make her especially dangerous at the next level.

“This has been a dream of mine ever since I can remember, growing up, even,” Brown told wane.com on Sunday. “So the fact that it’s becoming a reality is pretty cool.”

With the Dream, Brown will bring potent passing and scoring abilities — particularly with the trademark midrange jumper that she all but mastered throughout her college career. She will also bring the vocal and emotional leadership that she displayed at Michigan, allowing her teammates to feed off her energy and confidence.

On the other end of the court, though, Brown’s defense looks to be a concern at the WNBA level. She rarely ever matched up against opposing teams’ most dangerous players, falling behind the Wolverines’ fellow starting guards in terms of strength on defense. In order to succeed at the professional level, she will likely need to work on improvements and adjustments to her defensive game.

Following three strong seasons at Michigan and a memorable college career, Brown will look to carry that success to the next level with the Dream.

The post Leigha Brown selected No. 15 overall in WNBA draft appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

After a few departures via the transfer portal, the Michigan women’s basketball team secured its first addition Saturday.

Taylor Williams, a redshirt junior forward who played three seasons at Western Michigan, announced her commitment to the Wolverines via Instagram Saturday.

In the 2022-23 season, Williams was named to the MAC All-Defensive team and received an All-MAC honorable mention, the latter of which was the second such nod of her career.

Williams transfers to the Wolverines with two years of eligibility left due to a redshirt in the 2019-2020 season and the COVID-19 year. She led the Broncos in rebounds and blocks per game last season and was second in points per game. Williams has the potential to make an immediate impact on a Michigan frontcourt that’s graduating its leader in graduate forward Emily Kiser, especially if she can help fill the defensive void Kiser’s graduation creates.

Williams averaged 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds this past season and posted similar numbers over her three years at Western Michigan, with career averages of 13 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. She started nearly every game she played over her career, including starts in 26 out of 28 appearances last season.

While the Broncos finished in the bottom third of the MAC standings last season, Williams was one of their bright spots. Bringing her talents to the Big Ten, Williams will certainly be facing tougher competition.

But for a Michigan team that’s shaping up to look different than the previous season once again, Williams has the potential to be a key figure.

The post Michigan lands Taylor Williams through the transfer portal appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

According to a list announced by the WNBA, graduate forward Emily Kiser declared her entry into the 2023 WNBA draft, joining her teammate on the Michigan women’s basketball team, fifth-year wing Leigha Brown. Kiser had no remaining NCAA eligibility, but filed for consideration in the draft as encouraged by the WNBA.

After coming off the bench her first three seasons, Kiser earned a starting role in her senior year, serving as a key piece on the Wolverines’ program-first Elite Eight team and was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2021. This season, Kiser emerged as a leading scorer and rebounder for the Wolverines, starting every game and averaging 15.9 points, a team-high 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

Kiser was named first team All-Big Ten (coaches) and finished her career ninth all-time in games played and 17th in rebounds at Michigan.

Her effort was unmatched by her teammates throughout the season, as she led the program in “hustle plays” that do not show up on the stat sheet. Kiser’s impact as a scorer, passer and rebounder was essential to the Wolverines’ success this season, especially following the departure of former forward Naz Hillmon to the WNBA.

After shining throughout the season, Kiser will look to take her talents to the professional ranks.

The post Emily Kiser declares for WNBA draft appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

According to a list compiled by the WNBA reported by ESPN, fifth-year wing Leigha Brown declared her entry into the 2023 WNBA draft. She had no remaining NCAA eligibility, but filed for consideration in the draft as encouraged by the WNBA.

After joining Michigan as a transfer from Nebraska in 2020, Brown served as a key piece on three successful teams. She earned second team All-Big Ten honors in her first two years with the program and first team this past year, after averaging a team-high 17.5 points and 5.8 assists per game. 

This season, Brown was named to the WBCA All-Region 4 team and ended the season on the watchlist for the Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award Watch list. In the preseason, she was a Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 player. 

Brown’s effort as a scorer and passer was essential to the Wolverines’ success this season. With no true point guard on the team, she moved into the role to start the year and excelled moving the basketball as a facilitator. 

Now, she’ll look to take those facilitation and scoring abilities to the next level.

This story was updated March 28, 2023, at 5:26 p.m. to include additional information about Leigha Brown’s remaining NCAA eligibility.

The post Leigha Brown declares for WNBA draft appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Adding onto a string of recent departures from the Michigan women’s basketball team, MLive and The Next report that Maddie Nolan is in the transfer portal.

Though the senior guard hasn’t personally announced her entry to the portal, she is the third Wolverine — all guards — to enter the transfer portal since the end of the season. Sophomore guard Ari Wiggins announced her entry Monday and senior guard Michelle Sidor announced her transfer to DePaul via social media on March 21.

Nolan enters the portal after four years at Michigan, with one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Without a personal announcement, it is unknown if Nolan is still considering a return to the Wolverines and testing the waters to see what other options might be, as others have done in the transfer portal era. 

Michigan’s upcoming recruiting class includes two guards, who may be called upon to step up faster than they would have been expected to otherwise with the recent departures at the guard position.

Nolan ended her four years as a Wolverine at seventh on the all-time 3-pointers list and ninth in terms of 3-point percentage among eligible players. In addition to her abilities beyond the arc, Nolan displayed more three-level scoring in her senior season and was often hailed as one of Michigan’s best defenders.

One of three players to start every game during the 2022-23 season, Nolan’s entry to the portal signals a departure of consistency and leadership, along with both offense and defense. 

In her senior campaign, Nolan averaged 9.1 points, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game — all career highs — as well as 3.6 rebounds per game, most of which came on the defensive end. She turned the ball over just 33 times, far fewer than every other starter despite playing the second-most minutes on the team.

With Nolan’s entry to the portal, only one of Michigan’s top-four scorers from last season — current-sophomore guard Laila Phelia — remains. Fifth-year wing Leigha Brown and graduate forward Emily Kiser are both graduating after using their final year of eligibility this season. 

Nolan’s decision brings the Wolverines’ total open roster spots up to three, already accounting for the incoming recruiting class. 

In order for Michigan to continue to build upon its recent success, it will have its work cut out on the recruiting trail to fill those vacancies with talented players. 

The post Maddie Nolan in the transfer portal appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Monday afternoon, Providence College Athletics announced that Michigan women’s basketball assistant coach Valerie Nainima and graduate manager Reyna Frost were both hired by the Friars, following assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Erin Batth’s appointment as head coach of the program March 20.

“Thrilled for Erin to have the opportunity to lead her own program,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico wrote in a statement to The Michigan Daily. “She had aspirations to be a head coach and spending a year at Michigan afforded her that. It’s a great opportunity for Val to be a recruiting coordinator and gain another experience of building a program. Reyna brought so much during her time at Michigan and it’s amazing that she has gotten her first coaching job. We wish them the best as they continue their careers with Erin.”

Batth had 17 years of Division-I coaching experience, the last of which she served with the Wolverines. Batth worked primarily with the forwards, including first-time first team All-Big Ten graduate forward Emily Kiser. She spent four years at NC State as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, the same position she held at Michigan.

“I am humbled and excited to lead Providence College women’s basketball,” Batth said in a Providence statement. “I want to thank Steve Napolillo, Jill LaPoint and the rest of the Providence Friar family for this opportunity. I’m thrilled to be a Friar and confident that we will build a program that the community is proud of and excited to support. The sky is the limit on what can be accomplished at Providence.”

Joining Batth with the Friars, Nainima was an assistant for Michigan the past two seasons, in charge of coaching the point guards. This season, when the Wolverines entered the season without a true point guard, she helped direct fifth-year wing Leigha Brown in the role, where Brown earned first team All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American citations and finished the season just four assists shy of the program’s single-season assists record.

“… Val is a proven coach who has the drive and desire to win in everything she does,” Batth said in a statement released by Providence. “She has over a decade of coaching experience and has helped lead her teams to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances. Not only will Val bring a wealth of coaching knowledge, she also will draw from her playing experiences at the NCAA Division I and professional level.”

Nainima takes that experience and knowledge and will continue to apply it in her first position as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Friars, the position that Batth occupied at Michigan this season.

Rounding out the trio of exits, Frost was a graduate assistant for the Wolverines the past two seasons, and earned her first official coaching position with the Friars.

“… (Frost’s) role as a graduate manager at the University of Michigan exposed her to all aspects of college coaching,” Batth said in a statement released by Providence. “She gained valuable experience in individual workouts and skill development, scouting and on- and off-campus recruiting, playing a significant role in Michigan’s success. We both value the importance of relationships and the overall well-being of student athletes. Reyna is a rising star and is an amazing role model.”

While the three new assistant coaches for the Friars undoubtedly speak to Barnes Arico’s ability to develop coaches and grow her already-large coaching tree, their departures prompt questioning how the Wolverines will stack up next season on the court and this summer off-court with recruiting. With only one coach — assistant coach Harry Rafferty — officially on staff, it is a waiting game to see who replaces Batth, Nainima and Frost.

The post Michigan assistant coaches Batth, Nainima and graduate manager Frost leave for Providence appeared first on The Michigan Daily.