NCAAW: Freshman Syla Swords is taking Michigan to another level

Syla Swords isn’t some under-the-radar player or some well-kept secret that only the most hardcore basketball fanatics know about.

The freshman was a 2024 McDonald’s All-American and part of a Michigan class that, on paper, appeared to be a formidable one. It’s early, but 14 games into the season, the young Wolverines have lived up to the hype, claiming a 10-4 record and ranked at No. 24 in the nation.

Swords is a big part of that, but she has been making noise in the basketball world since before she played a minute as a Wolverine. This summer, she competed in the 2024 Paris Olympics, representing Team Canada and becoming the youngest player to play for the country in Olympic basketball. During her three games in Paris, she averaged 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. Those experiences were a precursor of what her first year at Ann Arbor would look like. She’s been a ferocious wing who plays beyond her 18 years.

An amazing debut

In her first official game, Swords helped Michigan push defending-champion South Carolina to the edge, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the 68-62 loss.

There are no moral victories, but watching a young Swords dominate versus the best collegiate program in the nation certainly took some of the sting out of the loss and had everyone, including her head coach Kim Barnes Arico, marveling at her play, saying:

Golly, I’m happy that she’s in our program. She’s just a competitor. I’ve never seen anything like it. She’s relentless, she has a motor, she just made things happen. She never stopped working. She has a nose for basketball. That’s a heck of a freshman debut, for sure. I think the greatest thing about her is she’s so humble; she’s a wonderful teammate. It wasn’t like every single thing was run for her she made a lot of those plays happen by her effort and her hustle and she’s just awesome.

Playing another No. 1 team

As 2025 begins, Swords has only gotten better. She returned from a lower leg injury in time for a New Year’s Day matchup against No. 1-ranked UCLA.

Swords played in 39 of a possible 40 minutes and kept the Wolverines in the game. With the Bruins having elite bigs like Lauren Betts, scoring inside is challenging, but Swords didn’t shy away from penetrating the paint.

She scored a whopping 30 points and did it from all three levels, hitting four 3-pointers, scoring from inside and a draining handful of mid-range shots for good measure. The loss reminds us that the Wolverines are still a step away from contention, but with Swords arriving, they are already a threat and a team to watch out for during tournament time.

Work to do

Swords is a tremendous freshman, but no player is perfect. Moving forward, she needs to continue to improve as a defender. As a wing, she’ll have to deal with a lot of size and speed on the perimeter as she continues getting acclimated to the ever-changing Big Ten. Once that improves a bit more, she’ll be even more of a headache for opposing teams.

Her 3-point shooting is currently at 34 percent, which is respectable, but if she can get that to the high 30s, or even above 40 percent, that will send Swords into another stratosphere. This recent UCLA matchup shows she can get up the shots and make enough to be taken seriously from deep, but if she can be a bit more efficient, it’ll make her high volume of attempts that much more problematic for her opponents.

Lastly, Swords becoming stronger and more physical is another part of her development that will undoubtedly come with time. Right now, she can use her speed and craftiness to finesse her way inside and attack. She may never be a big bruising player, but it’ll elevate her play if she can finish through contact more consistently.

Closing thoughts

Swords is already an electrifying player, causing trouble for even the best teams in the nation. She is so much more polished at her age than most players, and while it’s exciting to think about where she will be in a year or two, she’s already going to be a problem for anyone who has to defend her in 2025.

With Swords in the game, beating Michigan will not be easy, and when she gets hot, she is one of the rare players who is individually talented enough to beat a team that is clearly better than the one she plays for.

So, while USC and UCLA gain most of the attention in the Big Ten, Swords and Michigan will have something to say about who wins the conference, not only in 2025 but also in the years to come. Consider this a warning.