Michigan women’s basketball ranked at bottom of preseason AP Poll

After coming off the best season in program history, the Michigan Wolverines women’s basketball team earned the last spot in the preseason AP Poll, as they are No. 25 by basketball writers across the country.

After winning the National Championship last season, the South Carolina Gamecocks nabbed the top spot in the poll, with Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee rounding out the rest of the top-five.

At No. 4, star point guard Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes are the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the poll, ahead of No. 11 Indiana, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 17 Maryland and No. 22 Nebraska.

The Wolverines finished near the top of the Big Ten last season with a 13-4 record in conference and a 25-7 record overall. Climbing as high as No. 4 in last year’s poll and led by All-American Naz Hillmon, Michigan appeared in its first Elite Eight in program history before losing to Louisville, 62-50.

While Hillmon is now in the WNBA and working for Big Ten Network, there’s still plenty of talent on this Michigan team. Leigha Brown and Emily Kiser, both using their fifth-year of eligibility from COVID, will be big-time contributors. Players like Maddie Nolan and Laila Phelia are expected to make a big impact in the backcourt, and Greta Kampschroeder, the first All-American transfer in program history, is also expected to play a large role.

The Michigan Wolverines begin the 2022-23 regular season with a home game against Delaware State on Wednesday, Nov. 9. That game is set to tip-off at 6 p.m.