Healthy Mara Braun, veteran core fuel high expectations for Gophers

Bigger. Stronger. Faster. It's cliche, but they're all true for the 2025-26 Minnesota Gophers women's basketball team. Not only do they bring back most of last year's roster, but they get a healthy Mara Braun as a redshirt junior following a second consecutive season that was ended by a foot injury.

"I think she looks better because I think she looks stronger than she did. I think her physical strength, but her awareness of different things in the game and how to make plays. Getting to the rim, she's doing that at a higher level," Minnesota coach Dawn Plitzuweit said Tuesday. "Our strength in the offseason overall as a team has really increased, and that helps us because now you can hold your ground a little better."

The strength and experience will help Minnesota as they face a difficult nonconference schedule before entering the Big Ten gauntlet. Plitzuweit, saying the Gophers have "high expectations," said she purposefully scheduled tough nonconference opponents to help build an NCAA Tournament resume and grow the program.

"Very concerted effort to do that this year. Playing some premiere opponents, some premiere events and premiere places," Plitzuweit said. "Something that's really important for us to continue moving our program forward. And to get ready for Big Ten play. It's a gauntlet."

Among the toughest nonconference opponents are Marquette, Kansas and Alabama. Kansas may be the most difficult as it'll be on the road at iconic Rupp Arena. Kansas went 16-14 in a down year last season, but they made the NCAA tourney in 2023-24 and won the women's NIT in 2023. Marquette finished fourth in the Big East last season, while Alabama went to the NCAA Tournament and was a double-overtime loss to Maryland shy of reaching the Sweet 16.

With Braun back, the Gophers will go to battle with a veteran-laden roster featuring the likes of 2024-25 stars, with Amaya Battle, Grace Grocholski, Mallory Heyer and Sophie Hart joining Braun in the likely starting lineup. They're also getting Taylor Woodson back from injury and expecting big things from sophomore Tori McKinney.

"We've got a very veteran group and a group that understands at a much different level than we have in the past," Plitzuweit said. "Our intensity has been really positive. We start with our fillers of toughness, togetherness, and find a way — and this team understands that at a much different level than we have in the past."

Plitzuweit believes Battle, who averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game last season, is ready to make a jump.

"I think Amaya Battle is absolutely ready for the next step," Plitzuweit said. "She's someone who can apply things a lot more quickly right now. She understands it at a different level. She's physically stronger and able to do more things. The game has slowed down for her."

Minnesota returns seven of its top eight scorers from last season: Braun (13.6 ppg), Grocholski (13.1 ppg), Battle (12.8 ppg), McKinney (10.6 ppg), Hart (8.9 ppg), Heyer (8.6 ppg), and Woodson (8.1 ppg).

The Gophers open the season Nov. 4 at Williams Arena against North Dakota.

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