Tuesday, November 7, 2017 // TIP OFF 2017
6B 
Roster breakdown: Flaherty, Thome 
once again crucial to Michigan’s success

The 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball team is relying on 
its upperclassmen heading into 
the 2017-18 season.

Though they lost two senior 

guards, 
Siera 
Thompson 

and 
Danielle 
Williams, 
the 

Wolverines 
have 
a 
lot 
of 

returners that make up the core 
of the team. That being said, 
there is a lot of young talent 
eager to get started.

Michigan 
finished 
last 

year with a 21-14 record and a 
WNIT Championship, but have 
their sights set on the NCAA 
Tournament this season after 
the heartbreak of missing out 
in 2016-17.

Guards
After 
losing 
two 
of 
its 

three 
starting 
guards 
from 

last 
season, 
it 
appears 
as 

though Michigan will almost 
completely have to re-work 
its starting lineup. The only 
returning 
player 
from 
the 

backcourt is senior Katelynn 
Flaherty, who has twice been 
named to the All-Big Ten First 
Team.

Flaherty 
has 
led 
the 

Wolverines since her freshman 
year. She averaged a team best 
20.2 points per game. Flaherty 
was the 2017 WNIT MVP and 
holds the school record for 
points in a game with 38. All 
eyes will be on her as she starts 
the season in a new position as 
point guard.

Joining 
Flaherty 
in 
the 

starting 
lineup 
is 
Nicole 

Munger. As a junior, the team 
is hoping her experience at the 
collegiate level will serve her 
well. She appeared in 35 games 
last 
season, 
averaging 
15.4 

minutes per game. Munger’s 
highlight of the season was a 
12-point performance in the 
WNIT 
championship 
game, 

including seven in the third 
overtime period.

Akienreh 
Johnson 
is 
the 

only other returning guard 
for the Wolverines. She begins 
her sophomore season after 
appearing in just 10 games last 
season due to a knee injury 
sustained in early January.

Michigan boasts two new 

additions to the backcourt in 

freshmen Priscilla Smeenge and 
Deja Church. Smeenge recently 
moved with her entire family to 
Michigan from Florida, where 
she had a noteworthy high 
school career. As a senior, she 
averaged 21.6 points per game 
and was named School District 
of Osceola Female Athlete of 
the Year.

Church, 
a 
native 
of 

Southfield, Mich., is expected 
to lead the offense at point 
guard 
alongside 
Flaherty. 

Although she is just starting her 
freshman year, Church looks 
college-ready 
as 
a 
physical 

point guard. She helped her 
high school win three district 
championships and one regional 
championship. 
She 
averaged 

24 points per game and was a 

finalist for Michigan’s Miss 
Basketball award.

Forwards
Senior 
Jillian 
Dunston 

stepped into her role as a 
leader for the team last year. 
She played a crucial part for 
the Wolverines, averaging 7.7 
rebounds per game. She started 
all 37 games, a large increase 
from 
her 
nine 
starts 
her 

sophomore year. In addition to 
tallying double-digit rebounds 
in 12 games, Dunston had 286 
rebounds on the year, which 
placed 
her 
fourth 
on 
the 

program’s single-season list.

Other 
returning 
forwards 

include Kayla Robbins, Keasja 
Peace and Samantha Trammel. 
During 
her 
freshman 
year, 

Robbins appeared in 34 games 
and averaged 8.8 minutes per 
game.

Newcomer 
Hailey 
Brown 

hails from Ontario, Canada, 
and the Wolverines will be 
hoping to put her international 
experience to good use. The 
freshman has played for the 
Canadian national team since 
2013 and has earned a gold 
medal for U-17 and a silver 
medal for U-16. Despite her 
youth, Brown has plenty of 
experience at the international 
level, which Michigan hopes 
can translate to the collegiate 
level with a minimal learning 
curve.

Center
Junior 
Hallie 
Thome 
is 

the sole returning center for 
Michigan. The 6-foot-5 junior 
will be returning to start her 
third season after making All-
Big Ten as well as earning a spot 
on the WNIT All-Tournament 
team. 
She 
averaged 
16.2 

points per game, 7.1 rebounds 
and two blocks on the year. 
Additionally, Thome started in 
all 37 games and scored in the 
double figures 35 times. Last 
season she became the third 
sophomore in Michigan history 
to reach 1,000 points.

SARAH HURST
Daily Sports Writer

The duo were both preseason All-Big Ten selections, and Michigan will need that level of production

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Junior center Hallie Thome is Michigan’s only returning center, and she will be returning having averaged 16.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and two blocks during 2016.
See ROSTER, Page 7B

