Minnesota to Face Green Bay in First Round of NCAA Tournament

MINNEAPOLIS - The No. 4 seeded University of Minnesota women's basketball team (22-8, 13-5 Big Ten) are getting set to host the NCAA Tournament as they take on the Green Bay Phoenix (25-8, 17-3 Horizon League) on Friday night at Williams Arena. Tip off is set for 5 p.m. CT live on ESPNU with Krista Blunk on play-by-play and Andrea Lloyd as the analyst. Fans can also tune in with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on KFAN+.

The first game of the day between No. 5 Ole Miss (23-11, 8-8 SEC) and No. 12 Gonzaga (24-9, 14-4 WCC) will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The winners of each Friday's games will compete on Sunday with a time yet to be determined.

Fans can purchase tickets for this weekend's games here.

GAME ONE INFORMATION
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga
TV: ESPN2
Tip Time: 2:30pm CT
Location: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minn.)

GAME TWO INFORMATION
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay
TV: ESPNU (Krista Blunk - PxP, Andrea Lloyd - Analyst)
Time Time: 5pm CT
Radio: KFAN+
Location: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minn.)

STARTING FIVE

The Golden Gophers picked up their 13th win in Big Ten play on March 1st, defeating Illinois 78-73 on the road. It marked the third time in program history Minnesota reached 13 wins in conference play, also doing so in 1984-85 (18-10, 13-5 Big Ten) and 1982-83 (20-7, 13-5 Big Ten). In its last 12 games, Minnesota has won 10.
The 13 Big Ten wins this season match the combined total for head coach Dawn Plitzuweit in her first two seasons at Minnesota. Plitzuweit's 26 league wins in her first three seasons rank as the third most in program history behind only Pam Borton (33) and Marlene Stollings (27).
Head Coach Dawn Plitzuweit is only the second coach in program history to achieve 20 wins in three consecutive seasons. The other to do so was Pam Borton in 2002-03 (25-6), 2003-04 (25-9) and 2004-05 (26-8). In Plitzuweit's career, she totaled 17 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns, and now 12 20-win seasons.
All five of Minnesota's starters are averaging double-figures heading into Friday's game. Tori McKinney leads the way with 13.1, followed by Grace Grocholski with 12.7 and Mara Braun with 11.5. Sophie Hart and Amaya Battle are both averaging 10.9 points.
The Gophers won nine consecutive games from Jan. 18, 2026-Feb. 18, 2026. It was the team's eight-longest win streak in program history and the longest since opening the 2024-25 season with 10 consecutive victories. In addition, it was the Gophers' second longest win streak within the Big Ten ever. The only longer streak was a program-record 11 straight wins from February of 2003 to January of 2004.

MINNESOTA IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

Minnesota is 12-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, which includes a run to the Final Four in 2004. The Maroon and Gold have advanced to the Sweet 16 three times (2003, 2004, 2005), while also competing in one Elite Eight (2004).
The Golden Gophers are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and 11th in school history. Minnesota made its first NCAA appearance in 1994.
In addition, it marks the first time Minnesota will host an NCAA Tournament game since 2005 when the Gophers were a No. 3 seed, its highest in program history.
Minnesota has only hosted the NCAA Tournament two times, in back-to-back seasons in 2004 and 2005.

SCOUTING GREEN BAY

The Gophers lead the all-time series against Green Bay, 9-6. Seven of those contests have taken place at Williams Arena, where Minnesota holds a 5-2 advantage.
The series is tied in Green Bay (3-3) and at neutral sites (1-1).
Minnesota has won three straight games against Green Bay. Two of those wins include an 89-77 victory in 2018 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Eugene, Ore., and a 62-20 win in the first round of the WNIT at Williams Arena on March 19, 2014.
Green Bay is playing in its third consecutive NCAA Tournament and is seeking its first tournament win since 2012. It marks the Phoenix's 21st NCAA Tournament appearance.
Head coach Kayla Karius is in her second season leading the Green Bay program. She has compiled a 54-14 record over two seasons, including back-to-back 25-win campaigns and 29 wins last season.
Karius was an assistant coach under Dawn Plitzuweit at South Dakota from 2016 to 2018.
Plitzuweit had an assistant coaching stint at Green Bay from 1998-2002.

WHERE THEY RANK

The Gophers came in at No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and No. 19 USA Today Coaches Poll, released on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Minnesota is ranked No. 9 in the NET and is one of nine Big Ten teams in the top 25. The only two Big Ten teams ahead are No. 2 UCLA and No. 6 Michigan.
Minnesota's 1.51 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks fourth nationally and second in the Big Ten, only behind AP No. 1 UConn (1.86), No. 2 UCLA (1.76), and Iowa State (1.58).
The Maroon and Gold's defense allows only 57.9 points per game, ranking them second in the Big Ten and 30th in the nation.

ALL-BIG TEN GOPHERS

Mara Braun, Amaya Battle, Tori McKinney and Grace Grocholski all earned All-Big Ten recognition.
Grocholski was a consensus All-Big Ten Second Team honoree, while Battle was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by both the league's coaches and media. McKinney was placed on the Second Team by the coaches, while the media put her on the Third Team. Braun was tabbed as an Honorable Mention honoree by both the coaches and media.
It marks the most individual honors Minnesota has received since 2020, when four Gophers were selected (Taiye Bello (Coaches & Media 2), Jasmine Powell (Coaches & Media HM), Gadiva Hubbard (Coaches HM), Sara Scalia (Coaches HM)).
Additionally, Battle and McKinney were named to the league's All-Defensive Team, marking the first time Minnesota has had two on the team in program history.
Sophie Hart was selected as Minnesota's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

TOP TEN WINS

On Feb. 18, Minnesota defeated the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 74-61, with a seven-player rotation. Along with the Gophers' starters, only Finau Tonga and Brylee Glenn came off the bench. It was the first time since at least 2002-03 that the Gophers beat a top-10 team using seven or fewer players.
The ranked win over No. 10 Ohio State marked the first top-25 matchup victory for Minnesota at home since 2018 when No. 20 Minnesota took down No. 12 Syracuse 72-68 at Williams Arena. In addition, it was the first time the Gophers beat a top 10 opponent while ranked since 2006 when No. 12 Minnesota beat No. 3 Ohio State 66-63 in overtime at the Big Ten Tournament.
Only two other teams in the country have beaten a top-10 opponent with seven players this season. Duke defeated No. 6 Louisville, 59-58, on Feb. 5 and UCLA defeated No. 8 Michigan, 69-66, on Feb. 8.
With three top-25 wins and two top-10 victories, It's the first time since 2017-18 that Minnesota has defeated three ranked opponents in the same season and first time since 2003-04 it has defeated two top-10 opponents.
The 91-85 win over No. 10 Iowa on Feb. 5 marked Minnesota's second victory over an AP Top 25 opponent this season, its first outright win over a top-10 team since a 93-74 victory over No. 10 Maryland at Williams Arena in 2018 and its first top-10 road win since 2003, when the Gophers defeated No. 9 Stanford 68-56 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was also Minnesota's first regular-season top-10 road win since beating No. 5 Wisconsin 92-85 in 2002.
Minnesota snapped an 11-game losing streak against Iowa, earning its first win over the Hawkeyes since a 90-89 victory in the 2018 Big Ten Tournament.

BATTLE TIME

Against Ohio State on Feb. 18, Amaya Battle officially surpassed Lindsay Whalen to be Minnesota's No. 2 all-time assists leader. She sits behind Debbie Hunter (1979-83) who ended her career with 633.
Battle's career total stands at 1,492 points, 749 rebounds, and 575 assists. She stands 11th all-time in Gophers' scoring, ninth in career rebounds, second in assists, and third overall in career starts.
Battle is one of two active NCAA players with more than 1,400 career points, 740 career rebounds and 580 career assists along with TCU's Olivia Miles. Battle is the only one to do it at one school.
In addition, she is one of 18 players since at least 1981-82 with her career numbers. Other players on the list include Catilin Clark, Dawn Staley, and Sabrina Ionescu.
Along with Battle, Rachel Banham is the only other Golden Gopher to record at least 1,000 points, 600 career rebounds and 500 assists in a career.
This season, the Hopkins, Minn., native has increased her rebounding from averaging 5.1 rebounds per game last season to 7.4 this season. Notably, she's recorded 221 rebounds this season, an improvement from 182 last season.
In addition, Battle co-leads the Gophers, alongside Sophie Hart, with four double-doubles on the year: (13 points, 12 rebounds vs. Maryland on Dec. 7, 2025), (12 points, 10 rebounds at Penn State on Jan. 28, 2026), (12 points, 14 rebounds at Iowa on Feb. 5, 2026), (13 points, 12 rebounds against Ohio State on Feb. 18, 2026).

McKINNEY MAGIC

In the Maroon and Gold's last 12 games, Tori McKinney has averaged 13.8 points per game, has tallied 37 assists and has a team-leading 26 steals along with seven blocks during that stretch. She's hit double figures in nine of the last 11 games.
This season, the Minnetonka, Minn., native leads Minnesota's offense averaging 13.1 points per game.
Against the Spartans, McKinney had a career-high 29 points, 10 field goals made, and 19 field goal attempts.
McKinney recorded back-to-back 20-point games, scoring 23 points against Penn State on Jan. 28 after posting 20 against Wisconsin on Jan. 25.
It marked the first time a Gopher scored 20 or more points in consecutive games since Mara Braun did so in 2023 against Purdue (21 on Dec. 10, 2023) and Grambling (26 on Dec. 13, 2023).
This season, McKinney has improved her scoring average to 13.1 from 10.6 last season, and has scored 341 points in a span of 26 games compared to 372 in 35 last year. She's surpassed her 47 steals last season as she currently sits at a team-leading 52 this year.
McKinney ranks sixth in the Big Ten, averaging 2.0 steals per game.

THE ORIGINAL G-MONEY

This season, Grace Grocholski leads Minnesota with 380 points and is second at 12.7 points per game.
The guard-forward is shooting 47.8% from the field, 42.3% from 3-point range and 71.8% from the free throw line. The only other players in the country to post those percentages with as many attempts from each spot as Grocholski are UConn's Azzi Fudd, Indiana's Shay Ciezki, and UCLA's Gianna Kneepkens.
A North Prairie, Wis., native, Grocholski has 217 career made 3-pointers, ranking No.5 all time in Minnesota program history.
Grocholski is ranked No. 18 in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage.
Grocholski also ranks second on the Gophers' roster with 86 assists.
Against No. 7 Maryland on Dec. 7, Grocholski knocked down a career-high nine 3-pointers on her way to a career-best 31 points, tying for the second-most 3-pointers made in a single game in program history.
In Minnesota's win over Ohio State on Feb 18, Grocholski went 4-8 from the arc. She hit two 3-pointers in 28 seconds in the third quarter to extend Minnesota's lead to eight.

SOPH THE GOPH

Graduate center Sophie Hart recorded her fourth double-double of the season against the Buckeyes in the Big Ten Tournament, recording 12 points and a team high 19 rebounds.
Hart became the first Gopher this season to hit double-double numbers in the first half of a game. By the end of the first half, the center had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
In addition, Hart became the third Gopher this season to reach 1,000 career points.
The game marked her seventh this season grabbing 10 or more boards and third recording 11 or more.
Her 19 rebounds are a career record for Hart, they also tied the program record for rebounds in a Big Ten Tournament game. The last player to grab 19 rebounds was Amanda Zahui B. against Wisconsin on March 6, 2014.
Hart also had double-doubles against Rutgers on Feb. 8 (17 points, 10 rebounds), Samford on Dec. 1, 2025 (17 points, 10 rebounds), and Ohio State on Feb. 18, 2026 (18 points, 10 rebounds). She co-leads Minnesota alongside Amaya Battle with four this season.
The Farmington, Minn., native has increased her scoring average to 10.9 points per game compared to last season's 8.9.
Hart has matched her season high in steals this season with 18, she previously set it during the 2023-24 season.

MINNESOTA MARA

In Minnesota's last 10 regular season games, Mara Braun was a spark on offense, averaging 13.2 points per game.
Braun matched her season high in 3-pointers made against Ohio State on Feb. 18, going 4-9 from beyond the arc. The two she made in the third quarter contributed to Minnesota's 27 points in the frame.
Against Nebraska, Braun had a 9-0 run on her own putting away three 3-pointers.
Braun had a team-high 20 points in Minnesota's win over Wisconsin on Feb. 15.
She led the Gophers and scored a season-high 22 points at Penn State on Jan. 28.
At Iowa, she had 16 points and went 4-of-4 from the 3-point line

IN THE ROTATION

Transfers Finau Tonga and Brylee Glenn have made an impact off the bench during the 2025-26 season for Minnesota.
Tonga is averaging 4.8 points and 12.5 minutes per game this year.
Tonga, a native of Taylorsville, Utah, came out big against Wisconsin on defense with two blocks.
Glenn is averaging 6.4 points and 22.5 minutes per contest. She's totaled 192 points as a Gopher and is 31 points away from hitting 1,000 career points.

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

Amaya Battle

Mara Braun

Brylee Glenn

Grace Grocholski

Sophie Hart

Tori McKinney

Finau Tonga