Michigan Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Draw Revealed

In this story:
Michigan women's basketball was one of the best teams, not only in the conference, but in the nation this season. Led by sophomores Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, the Wolverines went 25-6, with a loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament.
But despite a loss in the Semifinals, the Wolverines still drew a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Michigan will play on Friday against Holy Cross, hosting the first two rounds. The Maize and Blue would then play the winner of NC State vs. Tennessee in the Round of 32.
Fort Worth Region 3 Bracket
- No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State/SF Austin
- No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech
- No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison
- No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (OH)
- No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island
- No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont
- No. 7 NC State vs. No.10 Tennessee
- No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross
En route to All-Big Ten honors, Olson led the Wolverines with 19.2 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. Swords was right behind her with 14.5 points. And guard Mila Holloway put up 12.4 points, while dishing out 4.7 assists per game, to lead the team. She also shot over 34% from three, also as one of the top shooters on the Wolverines.
Michigan had some impressive wins this season. Wins over Notre Dame, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan State, among others, is a reason why the Maize and Blue landed the No. 2 seed. Michigan had a few close losses, in which if a possession or two flipped, could have given Michigan a No. 1 seed.
The Wolverines lost by three to No. 1 UConn, three to top-five Vanderbilt, and three to No. 2 UCLA. If any of those games go in another direction, Michigan could have a good argument to have a No. 1 seed.
But, instead, the Wolverines will be favored to meet Texas in the Elite 8 this season.

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.
Follow @trentknoop