Dawn Plituzweit has Gopher women on 4-game win streak

Dawn Plitzuweit has Gopher women on 4-game win streak

This week on the FOX 9 Gopher Coaches Show, we catch up with Dawn Plitzuweit from the University of Minnesota women's basketball team. The Gophers are 16-6 on the season, 7-4 in Big Ten play and are on a four-game win streak. They're in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. FOX 9's Ahmad Hicks and KFAN's Justin Gaard catch up with Plitzuweit, and star guard Mara Braun joins the show to talk about the season so far.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This week on the Gopher Coaches Show, we’re catching up with Dawn Plitzuweit of the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team.

Gophers on 4-game win streak

What we know:

The Gophers are 16-6 on the season, 7-4 in Big Ten play and have won four straight games over Oregon, Wisconsin, Penn State and most recently Purdue. Minnesota is putting itself in a position for its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Plitzuweit, though seven regular season games remain before the Big Ten Tournament.

"The biggest thing is that this is a team that wants to continue to learn and continue to grow," Plizuweit said.

Mara Braun is healthy

Why you should care:

Mara Braun is back healthy with the Gophers after foot injuries the past two seasons, but she’s taken on a bit of a different role this season. Braun is averaging 11 points and 2.4 assists per game, being more a facilitator than primary scorer.

"I’m just happy to be back on the floor, I’m so thankful to be back and healthy and we’re having a lot of fun. I think we have a lot of momentum right now, and the team is just having a really good time playing together," Braun said. "My mindset is just to make winning plays in whatever capacity that is."

Coach Plitzuweit was asked what’s changed in Braun’s adjusted role, and what has stood out in the team’s four-game win streak.

Mara’s voice all summer was different than it’s been. In the middle of January, you could hear the players during the timeouts coaching each other to a level that was different than we had done before," Plitzuweit said.