Key takeaways from Kim Barnes Arico’s press conference at Big Ten Media Day

As part of 2022 Basketball Media Days for the Big Ten, Kim Barnes Arico spoke to the media for roughly 10 minutes on Wednesday morning.

With a program-leading 218 wins, Kim Barnes Arico is the most successful basketball coach in Michigan women’s basketball history. The team is coming off their most successful season in program history, securing their first Elite Eight appearance thanks to the elite play of Naz Hilmon and a deep group of seniors that helped contribute.

While Hilmon is now in the WNBA and working for the Big Ten Network, there’s still a lot of talent on the team from last season, as they bring back key contributors in point guard Laila Phelia, forward Emily Kiser and preseason All-Big Ten guard Leigha Brown.

It may be tough for the Wolverines to continue their dominance considering how good the Big Ten has been as a league when it comes to women’s basketball, as KBA acknowledged.

“Our league is absolutely incredible, and if you are a women’s basketball fan, you get to follow the the best league in the country,” Barnes Arico said. “Our team will be different this year, but we’re excited for the challenges that lay ahead. I think we led the country last year in points scored through the post. This year that won’t be the case, but I think that makes it exciting to coach and for the players in our program to play differently than we have in the past. I think our league is going to be more challenging than ever — I think from top to bottom, there are tremendous players in our league. I would not be surprised if we have a national championship ahead of us, representing the Big Ten Conference.”

One player to watch out is Greta Kampschroeder from Oregon State. She’s the first All-American transfer in program history, and she should be a key piece on this squad.

“Greta has been phenomenal,” Barnes Arico said. “She just fits the culture of our program, she’s an incredibly hard worker.”

For her last question at the podium, Barnes Arico was asked about how cool it is to be a part of a dominant program, with Michigan having success in women’s basketball, men’s basketball and so many other sports.

“Fortunately, we have been one of those universities that has had tremendous success with (all three) the last few years,” Barnes Arico said. “I think it’s definitely something in the water in Ann Arbor. Something that drew me to Ann Arbor is the opportunity to be surrounded by excellence. You can go across the board from softball to gymnastics to football to men’s and women’s basketball. Every program has rich tradition and success.”