I recently wrote a couple of women’s basketball stories for MLive. One is about the team at Hope College. Hope is a Division III school here in Michigan (Holland to be exact). The Flying Dutch have won 61 straight games. Their last loss was to end the 2018-19 season. Unfortunately, because of COVID, they didn’t get a chance to play for a national championship either of the past two seasons.

I attended a recent Hope game, talked at length with the program’s long-time coach and a few of the players, all with the goal of learning how this team keeps winning (often by 40 or 50 or 60 points).

Here’s the story:

College basketball’s longest win streak lives in Michigan, at Hope College

My other story is about University of Michigan senior Emily Kiser. Her college arc is one that’s becoming less common in the transfer portal era: She didn’t play much her first three years. Now she’s a starter for one of the best teams in the country.

On patience, preparation, and seizing an opportunity:

Emily Kiser waited four years for this opportunity with Michigan basketball