Michigan ready to take the next step after Elite 8 run: The toughness equation and the return of the Olson - Swords duo

Michigan is sending a clear message at Big Ten basketball media days: the Wolverines no longer want to be remembered as a nice surprise. After reaching the Elite Eight for the second time in program history and tying the team record with 28 wins, Michigan is aiming higher. Olivia Olson says the goal is “hopefully a Final Four.” But before that can happen, the team must solve the problem that defined the end of last season: a 77-41 loss to Texas in which Michigan scored only 21 first-half points. That loss was not a matter of luck. It exposed a recurring pattern of slow starts against elite competition. Olson, who averaged 18.9 points and 6.1 rebounds and earned third-team AP All-America honors, said she rewatched the game at least ten times. Syla Swords, a first-team All-Big Ten guard averaging 14.6 points, put it directly: “The best teams in the country don't have those lapses.” The two stars agree that the fix is physical toughness and sustained basketball IQ. Michigan returns its core, and in the modern NIL and transfer-portal era, continuity is a real edge. Yet the roster remains heavily dependent on its two perimeter stars. The analysis suggests the team needs better interior balance and a more structured early offense, because 21 points in a half against Texas shows a structural gap, not bad variance. The biggest risk is the same failure mode repeating in March, along with the possibility that Olson or Swords could eventually leave for the WNBA draft or the transfer portal. Michigan's window is open, but the proof must come on the court.