Big Ten Media Day: Gophers look to build off Sweet 16 run
Big Ten Media Day: Gophers looking to build off Sweet 16 run
Dawn Plitzuweit and the Gophers' women's basketball team were at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Wednesday. Minnesota is coming off a historic 24-9 season and run to the NCAA Sweet 16.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team was at Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday in Chicago.
The Gophers are hoping a historic run last year is just the start of things to come. Minnesota has eight players back from last year’s team that went to the NCAA Sweet 16, as Dawn Plitzuweit enters her fourth season as head coach.
The team
The backstory:
The Gophers are led by returners Mara Braun, Tori McKinney and Grace Grocholski, who were all starters and top scorers on last year’s squad. Minnesota hosted an NCAA regional last season for the first time in 20 years. It was also the first time in that span they made the second weekend of the tournament.
Plitzuweit brought in top freshman Tori Oehrlein from Crosby-Ironton, and transfers in Gracie Myrtle and Tayla Thomas to help fill the void left by Sophie Hart in the post. Taylor Woodson also returns from a knee injury.
The schedule
Timeline:
The Gophers open the 2026-27 regular season against Harvard on Nov. 2 at The Barn. They host Kansas in a Power 4 non-conference game, and head to Mexico in late November for the Cancun Challenge.
The Gophers also host St. Thomas on Dec. 2. They open Big Ten play at Purdue on Dec. 6. Minnesota will be featured 11 times this season on national television.
Dig deeper:
Minnesota went 24-9 last season, including 13-5 in Big Ten play. In three seasons with the Gophers, Plitzuweit is 69-36 overall as the program seeks its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.