The Next Step
When I started getting into sports, Tennessee was women's basketball. The legend Pat Summitt coached all-time greats like Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Kara Lawson, and Candace Parker to three straight national championships from 1996-98, back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008, and near-annual Final Four appearances in between.
I grew up vaguely aware Michigan had a women's basketball program. The only way to see them was to go to a game in person. Finding someone else interested in watching one of the athletic department's least successful programs was difficult even if one scraped up the motivation to try. They were ignored in favor of football, hockey, men's basketball, softball, baseball, swimming, wrestling—most everything, really.
The three-seed Tennessee team that took the court yesterday wasn't a peak Summitt squad. The uniforms still read "Tennessee"; Kellie Harper, their second-year head coach, was the starting point guard for those back-to-back-to-back champions; they boasted a national player of the year candidate in Rennia Davis, another all-SEC wing in Rae Burrell, and a 6'5 board-crasher and shot-eraser in Tamari Key.
Six-seed Michigan had never made a Sweet Sixteen in program history; they'd reached the second round only five times. Even in the best of years, this is when the Wolverines can't overcome the talent gap.
Good morning! #goblue #ncaaw pic.twitter.com/WEarX80717
— Michigan Women’s Basketball (@umichwbball) March 24, 2021
Good morning.
[Hit THE JUMP.]
--------------------
Maddie Nolan's only three was a dagger [Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos]
Erase the history and Michigan looked like the perennial power. The Vols led for five minutes early on as Michigan adjusted to their size, then trailed for the game's last 33.
The Wolverines played four quarters of lockdown defense. Akienreh Johnson spearheaded an effort that limited Davis (4/17 FG) and Burrell (4/12) into a couple of their worst performances of the season. Tennessee looked like the Michigan team that had faded over the latter half of the season, throwing bodies into the paint and hoping second-chance points could keep them afloat while the defense backed off shooters and formed a bleeping wall.
Newly minted All-American Naz Hillmon posted a typical Naz Hillmon stat line: 19 points on 18 shooting possessions, six offensive rebounds among her 15 total, two assists, and only one turnover while going the full 40 minutes. The team's shortcomings have never been on their star, though, but the supporting cast coming up short; they lost when Hillmon scored 50 against Ohio State, after all.
But in this game, Hillmon arguably wasn't the best Michigan player on the court. After a solid seven-point first half, Leigha Brown went off for 16 after the break, picking up points every which way inside the arc, whether on transition drives to the hoop or late-clock pull-up jumpers. Brown dished out a team-high five assists, showing enough feel to make her an able lead ballhandler in the stead of injured starting point guard Amy Dilk.
All seven players to see the floor made significant contributions. Johnson struggled with her jumper but had eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals while sacrificing her body to ensure Davis couldn't get easy looks. Hailey Brown drained 4/6 three-pointers, including two in the first quarter when the offense was otherwise scuffling. Danielle Rauch, starting in place of Dilk, played the role of effective pest with five steals, six rebounds, three assists, and a dagger fourth-quarter three-pointer when UT threatened to cut the margin to single-digits.
My general nature and years of press box training have led me to watch most sporting events, even ones I care about deeply, while projecting a certain level of external calm and stony silence. When Rauch's three went down, I slammed my fist on my desk and yelped "RAUCH!"
--------------------
Leigha Brown took her game to another level [Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos]
Yesterday was the biggest win in program history. There isn't a close second. If I'm being honest, I didn't expect Michigan to advance—not just because the opponent was Tennessee, but because of the Wolverines themselves. In the program's five prior second-round games, the closest they'd come to their foe was an 81-74 loss to two-seed NC State in 1990, and the four since then all had final margins over 20 points. When all else is equal in women's basketball, pick the powerhouse.
No matter what happens this weekend, Michigan now has a firm toehold on their climb to the top. Watching Hillmon get emotional about her team earning validation when she's already the most decorated player in program history is more than enough to make me emotional, too:
"... to be finally recognized as a team is the best accolade that I could ever get." - @nazhillmon ?#ncaaW x ? @BradGallipic.twitter.com/qiYg3AzUKA
— NCAA Women’s Basketball (@ncaawbb) March 24, 2021
Two-seed Baylor, a bona fide national championship contender this season, is up next. They're the reigning NCAA champions (2019, since there was no 2020 tourney) and have two other national titles under coach Kim Mulkey (2005, 2012). The Bears have gone at least as far as the Elite Eight in seven of the last nine tourneys. They're 20-2 and loaded with WNBA talent.
In all likelihood, this is where we see the gap to the next level Michigan wants to reach under Kim Barnes Arico, and it's the toughest one to traverse: from regular tournament team to real national contender. Then again, Baylor has lost those two games, and they weren't to blue bloods, but to four-seed Arkansas (which was upset in the first round) and seven-seed Iowa State. It's not unreasonable to believe in this team can pull off a momentous upset and extend the best season in program history.
Enjoy it. It may not be the best season in program history for too long.
Three points. First, congratulations to Michigan on making history. Second, this is a tremendous piece of writing by Ace. Third, the first sentence of the antepenultimate paragraph should read "Two-seed Baylor, a bona fide national championship...". (Yes, Michigan fans need to be smug and punctilious, even in victory.)
Dear Fellow Three-pointer (see below),
Maybe Ace didn't have a typo but was sliding in a little editorial comment about how "fine" Baylor's team is.
Somebody got a word of the day calendar and thesaurus recently ;)
I will admit to looking up "antepenultimate". I knew that adding another prefix to penultimate transformed the meaning to third from last, but could not remember the prefix for the life of me. But punctilious? That's an every day word for this three pointer.
Actually, "ultimate" is "last." "Penultimate" is "second-to-last" and "antepenultimate," as you noted, is "third-to-last" (all assumed to be in a series).
3 thoughts / feelz:
• Great coverage, Ace. Thanks.
• I know about the formerly low stature of WBB. When I lived in Ann Arbor in the '90s, I liked taking my sons to the women's games because seats were available close to the court. Front row if you wanted the ends.
• The moving emotions from the team in their celebration, and in the interview of Naz, moved me.
thanks ace.
it's a good day for those of us who've been following the ladies for a while to look back on the journey; this felt like the first bonafide step up the ladder since the days of kevin borseth.
i watched the baylor - virginia tech game with no little amount of fear. baylor is really, really talented, and we've seen them lately. they dominated us in the second round back in 2018. a tthe time, there were long stretches where they just seemed to be playing a different game than we were.
then i was reminded - yes, that 2018 baylor team was rolling. they'd looked invincible...but their 30 game win streak ended in the next round, to a very not-dominant 6-seed, oregon state (!). oregon state then got absolutely killed by louisville in the regional final.
the point being - yes, baylor is better. probably a lot better. but they can be had. maybe.
cool
both programs in the sweet 16
happy for the WBB team
Even three years ago I wouldn’t have been caught dead looking at Baylor and saying the Wolverines have a puncher’s chance. Women’s basketball is that stratified.
They’re still massive underdogs for sure, but the progress they’ve made is undeniable.
I love Naz's press conference reaction. She exudes exactly why many of us love playing and following team sports.
Go Blue!!
Go Blue! SHOCK THE WORLD!!!
I gave a whole hearted yell at the computer monitor when that 3 went down too. Just as loud as any cheering I did when the men played against LSU.
I'm glad you clarified that.
Do we know why Amy Dilk didn't play?
Per the Daily:
Dilk did not make the trip out to San Antonio for the tournament due to "medical issues"...
Incredible ride for this team. I too thought we were cooked based on how we finished the season. There was a time when the women’s program barely belonged on the same floor as a D2 team, let alone Baylor. Team is and should be insanely proud
https://www.secsports.com/boxscore/womens-basketball/401311260
Michigan out-rebounded Tennessee by 2, which is amazing considering the height advantage the Lady Vols had. I noticed Michigan boxing out on every shot while Tennessee just kind of stood there waiting for the ball to bounce their way. It was also bizarre how Tennessee wouldn't use their size advantage on offense. It would be like us not bothering to give Hunter Dickinson touches.
March 25th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
They ran their O through their guards all year though, and were pretty good. Even against smaller teams it'd be Burrell-Davis-Horston leading the way.
I got misty-eyed watching that celebration and then the interview with Naz. It's easy to be cynical about sports but seeing that...well, that makes you believe again.
March 25th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
it's great
to be
a Michigan Wolverine
This is the best report on the game I have seen thus far! Nice job, Ace!
My reactions to the game:
1. Don't give up on these ladies before they hit the floor against Baylor! Baylor has definitely done a number on this team in the past. But this is now! Certainly, M has the finest group of lady basketballers ever found on this campus.
2. Where would they have finished in the B1G if Leigha Brown had been healthy/available for the entire season? If she isn't a certified (I'll use that instead of bona fide) All-American of some sort, no one is. 19 points in one quarter against FGCU!! Many teams don't score 19 points in a single quarter.
3. Even if Naz Hillmon doesn't have the greatest stats in any single game, her presence on the court makes a huge difference and creates opportunity for everyone else.
Looking forward to Baylor! Go Blue! Hopefully, we'll see both men's and women's teams in their Elite 8s come Monday.
Great game to watch...what a week of basketball for Michigan...keep it going
Girls just want to have fun! I think KBA was just as happy and as excited as the players.
It is great to be a Michigan Wolverine.
I covered the women's team for the Daily in 1990, and the biggest win prior to this one was at Oklahoma State, the previous highest seeded team beaten (and first NCAA tournament win) in school history. That team was coached by Bud VanDeWege, whose family owned the old Moe's Sports Shop. No budget from the Daily to go to Stillwater (not surprising, since (a) they had never gone to the tournament before and (b) it was 1990), but Ted Cox was smart enough (read: smarter than me) to call the Freep and sell them the story to pay for his trip. Shout out to Ted if he's reading this! Congrats to the team on making the Sweet 16!
The Naz clip is fantastic! Passion! The men's HC is crying at pressers, the women's superstar is crying at pressers, this is Michigan fergodsakes!
Go get it ladies! Shock the world!
One of the best things about the rise in women's sports is to see the sheer joy - of competing, of winning, of finally being able to experience all the positive qualities that sports provide.
Well done, ladies - keep it up! And keep smiling, and crying too.
I live in Knoxville. With the exception of UT Football Lady Vols Basketball is next. The floor is named after Pat Summit and they have a statute of her outside of the arena. There has been lots of bitching since the lose. Really makes it sweeter that UM put them out. Go Blue!
March 25th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
"The floor is named after Pat Summit and they have a statute of her outside of the arena."
No complaints about that - she earned those honors and is very deserving of them. Her program was leagues better than UTenn's mens bball program has ever been!
March 25th, 2021 at 12:24 AM ^
This team is really something special and awesome to watch. Downright historic, a great team, made up of some stellar individual players.
So proud they rep the M with such class.
In contrast to the men's side, all the #1 and #2 seeds reached the women's Sweet 16. This means if we make it past Baylor, we'll face the winner of the Spectacular Freshman matchup (UConn's Paige Bueckers v. Iowa's Caitlin Clarke), so the road to the Final Four is just a bit obstructed.
Still, making it to the Sweet 16 by demolishing a traditional powerhouse is always worth celebrating. Go Blue!
Nothing going easy this morning. Then I watched the first video clip of the locker room celebration.....put a smile on my face. Today will work out. Bc it’s great to be a Michigan wolverine....
March 25th, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
Great job ladies.... onward!
next stop, elite eight!
GO BLUE
March 25th, 2021 at 11:44 AM ^
Great write-up, thank you.
Baylor is a tall order, those guards are lethal both ways and Smith and Egbo are formidable when they're on.
But hey, I wouldn't have bet on UM making it past Tenn.
If they can get one of the bigs in foul trouble (Egbo seems to be more foul-prone), and play perimeter D like they have been, they could maybe might just...
Go Blue!
Comments