Ariel Atkins, a guard for the Washington Mystics, is now participating in two friendly against collegiate teams for the USA Basketball women’s national team. The first matchup is today against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers. Speaking of education, Atkins was been appointed to the position of assistant coach for player development on the staff of Kim Barnes Arico, the women’s basketball coach at the University of Michigan.
Barnes Arico stated in the release: “I think Ariel is the perfect fit for Michigan women’s basketball. We were part of USA Basketball together in 2014 with the FIBA Americas U18 team.” I have known Ariel for a long time. That someone like Ariel wanting to be a part of our program says a lot about our players and coaches. She can assist our players in understanding what it takes to advance, both on and off the court. She is a talented player who aspires to advance basketball, and I am thrilled that she decided to attend the University of Michigan.
Atkins will have a great chance to work with players at a program that is rapidly ascending in the Big Ten. The Wolverines have participated in five straight NCAA tournaments under Barnes Arico, with the exception of 2020 because of the coronavirus epidemic. In 2022, they advanced to the Elite Eight.
