This story was updated April 9 at 2:16 p.m. to reflect that Laila Phelia’s “do not contact” tag was removed.
Just two days after the NCAA Tournament concluded with the national championship game, junior guard Laila Phelia of the Michigan women’s basketball team entered the transfer portal, as reported by The Next and confirmed by a Michigan spokesperson. Phelia also retains the option to return to the Wolverines to utilize her final year of college availability.
Phelia was Michigan’s go-to player all season, and her talents were recognized with a first-team All-Big Ten selection and as a member of the WBCA All-Region 4 Team. She started every game for the Wolverines this season, except against Rutgers Feb. 10, and averaged 16.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 35 minutes per game. Phelia led Michigan in points, field goals and free throws — shooting 80.1% from the stripe — and ranked second in steals. She was in the top five for every major statistical category.
Phelia set and reset her career-high mark in points this season, with a standout 30-point performance in Michigan’s win against then-No. 12 Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Averaging 24.6 points in the tournament, she was the only player not on either of the two teams in the championship game named to the All-Tournament Team.
Phelia developed a consistent and threatening 3-point shot to begin her sophomore season, which elevated her game from a dribble-penetrate and pull-up jumper-focused offense to well-rounded scoring from all three levels. Phelia notched her first career double-double against Northwestern back in Feb. and consistently put up meaningful assist and rebounding numbers throughout the course of the season, even at times when Michigan’s offense struggled.
Phelia was the only returning player from Michigan’s Elite Eight run in 2022 who got meaningful minutes that season, and has been a three-year starter for the Wolverines beginning midway through her freshman season. She became the 31st Wolverine to score 1,000 points in her collegiate career back in Jan. Her experience was vital as a leader on a team with many new pieces assembled through the transfer portal.
Phelia’s ascension has come as the program’s success has declined, starting with the program-best 2022 Elite Eight run and hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament her freshman year. As Phelia grew, Michigan only reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023 where the team was ranked for a majority of the season, before exiting in the first round in 2024 after Wolverines never broke the AP top 25.
Phelia’s experience and leadership were two areas that were impactful to Michigan, beyond just the statistical numbers, and her departure marks a huge loss for the program should she not return. With four Wolverines already in the transfer portal, Phelia marks the fifth — and most shocking — player in the portal for Michigan. As Michigan looked to fill gaps left by her teammates, it will have to fill the biggest hole yet if Phelia leaves.