ANN ARBOR, Mich. — J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kim Barnes Arico announced the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday (Nov. 8). The class is currently ranked No. 4 by ESPN, marking the highest-ranked class in program history.
Signing their letters today were Olivia Olson, Syla Swords, Mila Holloway, Aaiyanna Dunbar and Te’Yala Delfosse. Olson (No. 15) and Swords (No. 11) represent the two-highest-ranked recruits in Michigan women’s basketball history, marking the first time U-M has signed a pair of five-star recruits in the same class.
“A class like this does not happen without all of the players who have come before and laid this foundation,” Barnes Arico said. “They had an incredible belief to build something that wasn’t here, and they built it. They believed in what Michigan women’s basketball could be and where we could go as a program. It’s because of what they accomplished, what we have built and the banners we have hung that we could sign a class who believes they can win a national championship.”
Olivia Olson
6-1 Guard
New Hope, Minn./Benilde St. Margaret’s
Olson has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the 2024 class, with that marking the highest-ranked recruit to commit to Michigan basketball – man or woman – in nearly 30 years. Currently ranked No. 15 as a five-star recruit by ESPN, Olson helped Benilde-St. Margaret’s to the 2023 Class 3A basketball state championship after scoring 19 points in the final game. During her junior campaign, she averaged 25.6 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game en route to earning Class 3A Tournament MVP honors, along with All-Metro and All-State first-team honors. As a sophomore in 2021-22, she helped the Red Knights make the state tournament for the first time since 2011 as she averaged 22.8 points per game. Olson just won her second state championship, helping BSM to the 2023 Class 3A soccer championship as the starting goalie. She made a key save on a penalty kick in the championship game, helping the Red Knights to the 1-0 victory.
Olson has been named to the Star Tribune Dream team multiple times, has participated in back-to-back Curry Camps hosted by Stephen Curry, was at the 2022 and 2023 Under Armour Elite 24 Camp and was named to the 2023 UAA Finals 17U first team following her final AAU season with the Minnesota Fury. She committed to Michigan in September 2022 as the first commit of the five-person class.
Olson has USA Basketball experience, helping the 2021 U16 team to the FIBA Americas gold medal. During her time in the Red, White and Blue, she averaged 10.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game after starting all six games.
“Olivia was the first to commit in this class and I am so glad I can finally talk about her,” Barnes Arico said. “She was recruited by everyone, but she really connected to what our program values and is all about. Liv is a flat-out game-changer. She is so dynamic and can legitimately play all five positions, which is so valuable as our game continues to evolve. She can post you up, she can shoot the three, she can get to the basket and she just makes everyone around her better. Her feel for the game is on another level. I think what impresses me most about her is how selfless she is and how great of a teammate she is; everyone loves to play with her. She has believed in our vision for both her as a player and our program with her in it. We have all been on the same page for so long and I can’t wait to get her in a Michigan uniform.”
“Michigan has everything I was looking for in a school,” Olson said. “I love the team culture, intense practices, and I know I will be pushed on the court. I also have a good relationship with the coaches and knew that I wanted to be part of what they are building. Michigan is also one of the best academic institutions in the world and will offer rigorous courses to prepare me for life after basketball. I can’t wait to be a Wolverine! Go Blue!”
Syla Swords
6-0 guard
Sudbury, Ontario/Long Island Lutheran
Swords is the highest-ranked recruit in program history at the time of signing her National Letter of Intent, coming in at No. 11 in the latest ESPN rankings as a five-star recruit. She helped Long Island Lutheran to the Nike Tournament of Champions title in 2022, stuffing the stat sheet with eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals in the final game. In her first season at LuHi as a junior, she averaged 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game to guide the Crusaders to the 2023 Class AA New York State Federation Tournament of Champions crown. Swords scored 27 points in the championship game and led her team all season long from behind the three-point line, making 66 three-pointers at a 42.3 percent clip. She played AAU for Kia Nurse Elite, who she helped win the 2023 EYBL championship at Boo Williams. Swords did not play AAU this past summer due to her national team commitments.
On the international front, Swords has become a stalwart for Canadian national teams over the past several years. This past summer, she won a pair of bronze medals in a 14-day span, collecting third place at both the FIBA U19 World Cup and as part of the 2023 AmeriCup team. She was the youngest member of the Canadian AmeriCup team, appearing in all eight games. She had a breakout game against Colombia in the group phase, turning in 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting in just 14 minutes of action. At the World Cup, she was named to the All-Tournament second team after averaging 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 29.9 minutes per game. She saved her best performance for last, turning in 26 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals in 42 minutes as Canada beat France in overtime for the bronze medal. She is currently the only high schooler named to the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team roster for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, which begins tomorrow (Nov. 9). She joins her father, Shawn, as members of her family to represent Canada internationally.
“We always talk about finding different ways to impact the game and I think Syla embodies that,” Barnes Arico said. “It’s like she is always one step ahead in figuring out what her team needs – she can find a teammate when that’s the right play, she will go get a rebound when her team needs an extra possession, she will come up with the defensive stop when her team needs the ball back. She just impacts the game in so many different ways and it doesn’t always have to be with the ball in her hands. I got to watch her play with Canada twice this past summer and think she is one of the best guards in the world. Her experience with Canada Basketball this past summer and right now has also allowed her an early look at how the game changes as you continue to move up levels, which will help her transition to college basketball.”
“I chose Michigan because of the strong culture that the coaching staff and players have worked so hard to create,” Swords said. “I know I am stepping into a place where I will be challenged and supported, both on and off the court.”
Mila Holloway
5-10 guard
Charlotte, N.C./Legacy Early College
Holloway, an ESPN four-star recruit, averaged 11.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a junior at Legacy Early College, helping her team go 27-7. During her sophomore season for Chambers, she helped the Cougars to their third consecutive state title after going for 13.6 points, 3.4 steals, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. She is a four-star and Elite 150 rank recruit from Prospects Nation. She was named as a standout at the 2023 Wooten Camp and has been rising up the recruiting rankings all summer.
She joins her grandfather and mother as Michigan Wolverines, as both are alums of the University. She played AAU on the EYBL Circuit for the CP3 Flames. She will join her brother, Aden, as Division I basketball players (Auburn).
“It was definitely important with this class that we got another point guard because that’s a position that is really key for us,” Barnes Arico said. “Mila has such great court vision and a feel for the game. Whatever her team needs from her, she will figure it out and get it done. All summer, we watched her make play after play after play for her team. She doesn’t have to score to help her team be successful, which is a sign of a true point guard and leader. She does a great job of finding her teammates, finishing plays and is super disruptive on the defensive end. She has a great basketball IQ and shows a ton of poise when she is out on the court. I am so happy she can follow in her family’s footsteps here in Ann Arbor.”
“Michigan truly feels like the right fit for me,” Holloway said. “The love and support I get from the coaching staff really was the deciding factor in my recruiting process. I am also looking forward to the team and upcoming roster we have coming in. We all bring different things to the team, and I think we’ll have a great run together.”
Aaiyanna Dunbar
6-2 forward
Murfreesboro, Tenn./Blackman
Dunbar earned all-district tournament team honors as a junior at Blackman, playing in all but one game of the season as the Lady Blaze made their third consecutive state tournament. In the 2023 District 7-4A championship game, she scored 12 points – 10 in the second half – as Blackman got a 68-61 win to advance. Her high school team won the Class AAA state championship in 2021. Dunbar was named as one of 30 players to watch in the state of Tennessee by The Tennessean entering her senior season. She played AAU for Brandan Knight, earning a spot on the Elite 40 All-Tournament Team of the Class of 24 at the Run 4 the Roses Championships in July.
“It was important for us to add a true post player in this class, and I think AD is the perfect fit for our program,” Barnes Arico said. “We felt like she was a little under the radar, but she is someone who has such a passion and drive for the game. With her willingness to improve and our player development program, the sky is the limit for AD. She has the work ethic, the intangibles and is a great teammate. Her legendary high school coach speaks the world of her and how hard of a worker she is. We are excited that she trusts us to help take her game to the next level.”
“It has always been a dream of mine to play at a school of this magnitude like Michigan,” Dunbar said. “I have the opportunity to play with the best players in the nation and attend one of the best schools in the world.”
Te’Yala Delfosse
6-3 forward
Ewing, N.J./Ewing
Delfosse, a three-start recruit by ESPN, is the No. 4-ranked senior in the state of New Jersey by Prep Girls Hoop as she enters her final season at Ewing. As a junior last year, she scored 524 total points en route to averaging 16.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 steals, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per game as Ewing went 30-3 and won the Group III state title. She also helped Ewing to the 2023 Mercery County Tournament Championship, turning in a double-double with a game-high 27 points and 10 boards en route to earning tournament MVP honors. During her sophomore season, Delfosse turned in 15.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as the Blue Devils also won the county championship in 2022. For her high school career, she has topped the 1,000-point mark with 1,006 points, 75 three-pointers, 564 rebounds, 194 assists, 112 blocks and 251 steals. She played AAU for Team Sharp, where she was named the Elite 40 MVP of the Class of 24 at the Run 4 the Roses Championships in July.
“One of the biggest things that stuck out to me when I saw Te’yala play is that she is a winner,” Barnes Arico said. “She always figures out a way to will her team to a win and is vocal while doing it. She has a lot of the intangible things that we love in our program. She is long, she is athletic and kind of reminds me of a Kayla Robbins. She can impact the game on both sides of the ball; she can get you a bucket when you need it, she can get you a rebound when you need it, she can do a little bit of everything. She has an incredible work ethic and wants to be a pro, which makes her a great fit for our program.”
“I chose Michigan for quite a few reasons,” Delfosse said. “First and foremost, the staff showed me from the start that they have what it takes to make my dreams come true. They believe I am talented and can fill a major role for the program. I could tell that my future teammates really love each other on and off the court from just hanging out with them. Meeting the other 2024 commits and their families made me feel even more comfortable with choosing Michigan because we vibed. I believe that having the right people around you and playing at a high level of competition is a blessing. The support systems available to you at Michigan will prepare me for life after basketball, like the academic support and the Career Development Center. Knowing that I have another family outside of my immediate family makes me feel safe and secure with my decision to make Michigan my home for the next four years.”