Minnesota guard Mara Braun will not return to play this season, preserving a year of eligibility after breaking her right foot for the second straight season.
Coach Dawn Plitzuweit confirmed Monday that Braun won’t play in the postseason. The Gophers (20-10), who are on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, are the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and play Washington in the first round in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Braun, who was sixth in the Big Ten last season with an average of 17 points per game, first suffered the injury on Jan. 28, 2024, against Illinois when her foot landed on an opponent. She returned after surgery and a two-month recovery to play in Minnesota’s first two WNIT games last year, but she aggravated the injury and was sidelined for the remaining three games in that tournament including the championship game loss to Saint Louis.
After playing in the first five games for the Gophers this season, Braun broke the same bone in practice on Nov. 20 and needed another procedure. With her own professional aspirations and the opportunity for Minnesota to have her in the lineup for two more years, taking the cautious approach to her recovery was the easy and expected decision.
“Was it realistic? I think it was hopeful, but probably not something that we were banking on if that’s a safe way to say it,” Plitzuweit said. “You certainly can’t go through this again, or you never want to. You just can’t risk any of those type of situations.”
Without Braun the Gophers had some ups and downs, but went 2-9 to end the regular season heading into the Big Ten tournament. Now, the Gophers are firmly on the NCAA bubble. ESPN is listing them as one of the last four teams in t he tournament right now which gives them very little room for error now. The Gopher women haven't made the tourney since 2018.
They'll open the Big Ten Tournament Wednesday afternoon as a 13-seed, playing 12-seed Washington in what will be a key game for their tourney hopes. A loss carries the risk that they lose their spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers dropped their last game against the Huskies at Williams Arena last Wednesday. The Gophers enter the Big Ten tournament 20-10 overall and 8-10 in Big Ten play.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.