New to the AP Top 25: The Minnesota Women’s Basketball Team’s Standout 25-26 Season
The Women’s Minnesota Golden Gophers have been a steady force in the Big Ten for years. However, it’s been a long time since they’ve had a season this productive. This team has faced adversity through countless injuries, coaching changes, and heartbreaking losses that cost them their season year after year. In the 25-26 season, the Gophers have been different. They have proved that they can work as a unit and put up big wins. Will we see the Minnesota Gophers in the NCAA Tournament this year?
The Coach That’s Making a Difference
On March 18th, 2023, Dawn Plitzuweit was named head coach of the Minnesota women’s basketball team. She came into Minnesota from West Virginia, where she was the head coach of the Mountaineers and led them to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Before that, Plitzuweit coached the South Dakota Coyotes, where she posted a 158-36 record. Now at Minnesota, she has coached her team to the WNIT and WBIT Tournaments, where they finished as runner-up and champions, respectively. Plitzuweit has a calming presence on the court but holds very high expectations for her players. Every year that Minnesota has played under Plitzuweit, they’ve gotten better. Look for that trend to continue upwards in the coming seasons.
The Resilience of Mara Braun and Her Return to Basketball
Mara Braun is a redshirt junior guard for the Minnesota Gophers. This year, she is back to playing basketball with the people she loves. However, it hasn’t even been remotely easy. During her sophomore season, Braun broke her right foot during a game and was heartbreakingly declared out for the season. Before her injury, Braun was the leading scorer for the Gophers, averaging 17.8 points per game. Then, in what would be her junior season, she broke the same foot, in the same spot, during shootaround. What a devastating case of deja vu for Braun. Fast forward to 2025, and the return of Mara Braun was heavily anticipated for Minnesota fans. The Gophers needed someone who would mesh well with the players already making an impact, like Amaya Battle and Tori McKinney. When the season started, Braun did just that. The need to make up for missed time has been fueling her game. She is averaging 12 points per game, displays great ball control, and has a quick-release three-point shot that is hard to guard. Braun has already proved herself to be an impact player for the Gophers. Now, she can play her heart out to make up for all the time she missed.
A Historic Season for the Gophers
Minnesota has been on a roll this year, with a 21-6 record and the 23rd spot in this week’s AP rankings. The Gophers have truly come alive, especially in the second half of the season. Not only have they been dominating the Big Ten, but they’ve also come away with some ranked wins. In January, the Gophers managed to squeeze past 21st-ranked USC, 63-62. This win was made possible by Grace Grocholski’s 25 points. Grocholski has been such a consistent three-point shooter this season, really making an impact in tough moments. Another big win for Minnesota came against 13th-ranked Iowa, where they won 91-85. This came as a surprise for many, since Iowa has been such a force to be reckoned with. But with another big game from Grocholski, the Gophers were able to muscle past the Hawkeyes. Recently, Minnesota came up with a huge upset against 10th-ranked Ohio State at home. Two out of three of their recent ranked wins have been at home, showing the energetic atmosphere of Minnesota’s basketball arena. The Gophers played their hearts out against Ohio and beat them 74-61, a huge margin that was not expected. The next two games will be vital as Minnesota looks to end conference play ranked fourth in the Big Ten. They are definitely a team to look out for when March rolls around.
