MARA BRAUN
Wayzata, basketball
The 6-foot junior was at home Sunday afternoon, watching Paige Bueckers and the UConn women's basketball team. The game was of special interest to Braun, who competed head-to-head against Bueckers in high school.
Her father, Chris, asked her what it felt like to be watching a player on television she had played and done well against.
"It's pretty cool to say I had played against her and held my own," Braun said.
It won't be long before Braun is the one whom young players will be idolizing. The high-energy, always-attacking guard is one of three Minnesota juniors to commit to the Gophers, along with Nia Holloway of Eden Prairie and Mallory Heyer of Chaska.
"I said to my dad, even when I was young, that if Lindsay Whalen was going to be the coach there, you could expect me to want to go there," Braun said.
But first, she has high school and AAU priorities. Last week she scored her, 1,000th career point in the midst of a career-high 31 points in an 80-74 loss to Eden Prairie. She added 25 points in a 63-58 victory over Cooper and 23 in a 98-43 rout of Moorhead. She added 14 steals, 14 assists and 10 rebounds while shooting 63% from the field (31-of-49).
