The goal of making the NCAA tournament field turned out to be just out of reach for the Gophers women’s basketball team. But the program took another step by accepting a bid to play in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament on Sunday.
Gophers women’s basketball earns a No. 2 seed in WBIT but will open on road at Toledo
A scheduling conflict with the boys basketball state tournament means the Gophers will have to visit the Rockets on Thursday.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
March 17, 2025 at 4:21AM
The Gophers (20-11) received one of four No. 2 seeds in the tournament and will visit Toledo (24-8) in a first-round game Thursday. The Gophers would normally host the game, but a scheduling conflict with the boys basketball state tournament means the game will be played at Toledo.
If the Gophers win, they would play the winner of the No. 3 seed Missouri State and Oral Roberts on Sunday, a second-round game the Gophers could presumably host.
The Gophers, who have won 20 games in both of coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s two seasons, spent much of the season on or near the NCAA bubble. But losing their last three games, including a 79-65 loss to Washington at the Big Ten tournament, and eight of their last 10 pushed them into the WBIT, which is about to commence for the second time.
The Big Ten sent 12 teams to the NCAA tournament, including two No. 1 seeds (UCLA and USC) and two No. 4 seeds (Ohio State and Maryland).
The WBIT was created by the NCAA to offer the same postseason opportunities as the men; the NCAA runs both its tournament and the men’s 32-team NIT. The new WBIT was created last year.
As a sign of the Gophers’ progress, they were not invited to the WBIT tournament last season and ended up going to the Women’s NIT, advancing to the championship game.
The Gophers have played most of this season without top scorer Mara Braun and top reserve Taylor Woodson. Braun reinjured her foot prior to the Gophers' sixth game of the season. Woodson was lost to a knee injury Dec. 12.
The Rockets have won 12 of their past 15 games. Toledo finished tied for second in the Mid-American Conference during the regular season, then advanced to the MAC tournament final before losing 65-58 to No. 1 seed Ball State. The Rockets, 13-1 at home this year, share two opponents with the Gophers. Both Minnesota and Toledo lost to Maryland and Iowa.
Toledo is led by senior wing Sammi Mikonowicz (13.5 points per game) and guards Kendall Carruthers (11.4) and Khera Goss (10.9).
Niko Medved could be the next Gophers men’s basketball coach after making his third NCAA tournament in four seasons with Colorado State.
