Sophie Hart surprised with 5th year of eligibility on Gopher Coaches Show
Dawn Plitzuweit surprises Sophie Hart with 5th year of eligibility
This week on the FOX 9 Gopher Coaches Show with Ahmad Hicks and Justin Gaard, Minnesota women's basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit surprised senior center and Farmington native Sophie Hart with a fifth year of eligibility, granted by the NCAA, for the 2025-26 season.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - This week on the FOX 9 Gopher Coaches Show, Ahmad Hicks caught up with Dawn Plitzuweit and the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team.
The Gophers are hot, bouncing back from a tough loss to Michigan with a 71-50 win over rival Wisconsin on Sunday at Williams Arena. Plitzuweit on Tuesday broke some news live on the show, with senior center Sophie Hart sitting right next to her.
Plitzuweit told her they applied for a waiver to the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, which will be granted. Hart fought back tears after hearing the news.
"Obviously I’m excited to be a Gopher for another year. I just really have enjoyed my time here, being back in Minnesota, being close to my family. This team feels like a second family," Hart said. "If I can have the opportunity to spend more time here, I’ll obviously take it."
"I thought we’d break the news to all the fans today," Plitzuweit said.
Hart’s Minnesota career
Why it matters: The Farmington native went to N.C. State out of high school. She played in 20 games as freshman, then just five as a sophomore before transferring to the Gophers in the spring of 2023.
Hart started all 30 games for the Gophers last season and averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. She’s started all 21 games this year and is averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
What’s next
The schedule: The Gophers (18-3, 6-3) hit the West Coast for games at No. 4 USC on Thursday and at No. 1 UCLA on Sunday. Minnesota returns home to face Iowa Feb. 6.