There's reason for optimism with Gophers women's basketball, if players stick together

La Velle's 3-2 Pitch: Three observations and two predictions on Sundays.

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Although the Gophers lost to Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten women's basketball tournament and a day later announced the departure of coach Lindsay Whalen, the reasons for optimism are plentiful.

Their leading scorer was a freshman: Mara Braun.

Their leading rebounder was a sophomore: Rose Micheaux.

Another freshman, Amaya Battle, led them in assists.

This program is moving forward. It would have under Whalen, had she been given one more year, and now it will without her. Yes, the transfer portal and NIL (name, image, likeness) carrots can wreck a roster (see the men's program), but these women have said they want to return and have prided themselves on being close-knit.

A regime change could test that close-knittedness. But barring a breakup and provided the majority of this group returns, here's what to expect: the core of this team, mostly local products, putting the program back on track and making opponents pay for rolling them this season.

"Every workout now in the offseason, just remember this feeling," Braun said. "Remember the hurt and come back hungry next year."

Before the clunker against Penn State, the Gophers were playing better, beating Nebraska and Purdue down the stretch and being competitive in other games. With an offseason to develop and get stronger — and if athletic director Mark Coyle hires the right coach — things can turn around.

The Gophers signed five recruits for next season, including wing Dominika Paurova, who has international experience playing for the Czech Republic and currently plays for the DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Maple Grove's Kennedy Klick, who has already said she still intends to join the program this fall.

The women's program is in better shape than the men's program, which has two pretty good players in Dawson Garcia and Jamison Battle but needs more. Their buzzer-beating victory over Rutgers on Thursday gave them just two conference victories with one game left. They have won just two conference games twice before, in Clem Haskins' first season and Richard Pitino's third.

Ben Johnson's team needs more scoring options and frontcourt presence. Promising Pharrel Payne can't develop fast enough. And can Parker Fox get on the floor next season? Johnson has the bigger challenge.

Whalen's five-year run had more downs than ups. Having top players, including Destiny Pitts and Sara Scalia, transfer out was too much for the Gophers icon to overcome. And just when she has a group of players ready to elevate the program, Whalen is out. These signs of promise and reasons for optimism needed to be evident after Year 2, not Year 5.

Gophers women's basketball won't be rock bottom for long.

The March 15 deadline for NFL teams to be under the salary cap is approaching. And some details about how the Vikings, who are more than $24 million over the cap, are constructing a roster around that are becoming known.

The team is interested in bringing back Patrick Peterson, who is coming off a strong age-32 season and was ranked by Pro Football Focus as one of the best cornerbacks in the league.

The team also wants to restructure safety Harrison Smith's contract to give him a 12th season here. Smith's cap number is $19.1 million next season, with a cap hit of $7.4 million if he is let go.

The Vikings defense is expected to undergo some turnover — Za'Darius Smith sold his house last week — but they need veteran savvy in the secondary, and Peterson and Smith bring just that.

The Wild are selling low on Jordan Greenway, trading him when he's in the middle of a miserable season during which he had only seven points in 45 games. Moving him during the previous three seasons likely would have netted more than second-round and fifth-round picks.

Greenway never quite developed into the power forward the Wild hoped he would become, but it seemed like he was getting close after the 2021-22 season. This season got off to a poor start, as he had shoulder surgery, a procedure to remove a cyst from his ankle and wisdom teeth removed. He began the season late as he worked to get his conditioning up and get cleared for full contact. It didn't help that Greenway also showed up late for a game.

It all adds up to it being time for a fresh start somewhere else, and Greenway, only 26, will get to do just that in Buffalo.

... AND TWO PREDICTIONS ...

Filip Gustavsson will start in goal on Tuesday and lead the Wild to a victory over Calgary. But Marc-Andre Fleury will start the next night at Winnipeg in a game the Jets will win.

Sonny Gray will be named the Twins' Opening Day starter, the fourth such assignment of the righthander's career.