A long offseason of ups and downs for the Michigan women’s basketball team brought another surprise Tuesday afternoon when it was announced that center Iullia Grabovskaia is joining the program. Grabovskaia is a 6-foot-5 center who spent last season at Middle Tennessee State and has two years of eligibility remaining.
In her only season with the Blue Raiders, Grabovskaia came off the bench in each of her 34 appearances, averaging 3.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.
This is one of the most significant moves of the offseason for the Wolverines, as nearly the entire frontcourt moved from Ann Arbor after the end of last season. The results of these transfers and graduates left Michigan with a huge hole at the center position — simply put, there hasn’t been anyone to fill that void until now.
Grabovskaia may not have jaw-dropping numbers in her only collegiate season, but she brings some intangibles that a young Wolverines team will need. In addition to the aforementioned size, which Michigan sorely lacked, Grabovskaia has more experience than her year at Middle Tennessee State would suggest.
A native of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Grabovskaia also has a taste of international play. According to Michigan’s announcement, she averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in five games at the 2021 FIBA U20 Women’s European Challengers. These stats not only prove that Grabovskaia can keep up with top international competition, but also that she can add more to the stat sheet with more playing time than she had with the Blue Raiders.
With this summer addition, the Wolverines have filled a much-needed position for next season. Grabovskaia will provide Michigan with much-needed size and provide guidance to the talented but young players entering the program.
