University of Minnesota Athletics
Women's Basketball
Dawn Plitzuweit
- Title:
- Head Coach
The 2026-27 season will mark the fourth year for Dawn Plitzuweit at the helm of the Golden Gophers women’s basketball program. Plitzuweit was named the 13th head coach in Minnesota women’s basketball history on March 18, 2023.
Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white) holds a career coaching record of 434-177 (.710) across 19 seasons as a head coach, including a 317-139 (.695) mark at the Division I level. She has recorded 18 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns and 12 20-win seasons.
Plitzuweit continued to elevate the University of Minnesota women’s basketball program during the 2025-26 season, guiding the Golden Gophers to their best season in over 20 years with a run to the Sweet Sixteen, where they fell to eventual national champion, UCLA.
Minnesota reached the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season, making Plitzuweit just the second coach in program history to achieve three straight 20-win seasons, joining Pam Borton (2002-05).
The Gophers were especially impressive in Big Ten play, finishing the 2025-26 conference season with a 13-5 record. The 13 league victories matched a program high, previously accomplished during the 1982-83 and 1984-85 seasons. Minnesota’s strong conference performance earned the team the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, marking its highest finish since the 2017-18 season. Notably, Plitzuweit’s 26 Big Ten wins through her first three seasons rank third in program history.
Throughout the year, Minnesota proved it could compete with the nation’s best. The Gophers secured three wins over AP Top 25 opponents, including two victories over top-10 teams, marking the program’s first season with multiple top-10 wins since 2003-04. Highlights included a win over No. 21 USC and victories over No. 10 Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and No. 10 Ohio State at The Barn. The win over Iowa marked the program’s first top-10 road victory since 2003. The team’s three ranked wins were its most since the 2017-18 season.
Plitzuweit and her staff saw four Minnesota standouts earn 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 marked the most individual honors Minnesota has received since 2020, when four Gophers were selected (Taiye Bello, Jasmine Powell, Gadiva Hubbard, Sara Scalia).
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.
The regular-season success paid off, as Minnesota finished with a No. 18 ranking in the AP Poll, a No. 19 ranking in the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll, and a No. 9 NET ranking, the third highest in the Big Ten. Minnesota earned the opportunity to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, its highest seed since 2005 when Minnesota was a No. 3 seed. It marked the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2018, its first time hosting since 2005 and just the fourth time doing so in program history.
Minnesota defeated Green Bay in the first round, outscoring the Phoenix 30-9 in the fourth quarter to secure a 75-58 win. In the second round against Ole Miss, Amaya Battle’s baseline jumper with 0.8 seconds remaining sealed a 65-63 come-from-behind victory to send the Gophers to the Sweet Sixteen. Minnesota had trailed 54-46 entering the fourth quarter.
Minnesota ranked fifth in attendance among the 16 host sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers’ average of 10,559 ranked ahead of 11 sites, including UConn, Texas, UCLA and Oklahoma.
Minnesota went 25-11 in Plitzuweit’s second year, highlighted by winning the 2025 WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament) Championship, marking the 17th time in 18 seasons Plitzuweit has reached a postseason tournament. The Golden Gophers recorded their first 25 win season since 2004-05 (26-8, 12-4 B1G) and back-to-back 20 win seasons since 2017-18 and 2018-19. Plitzuweit also coached two Gophers to All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades in Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski.
In Plitzuweit's first season, the Gophers won 20 games, finishing with an overall record of 20-16. The squad reached the WNIT Championship game and finished as the runner-up. In 2023-24, Plitzuweit coached a pair of All-Big Ten Honorable Mention guards in Mara Braun and Amaya Battle while also helping Grace Grocholski to a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Plitzuweit joined the Maroon and Gold after serving as the head coach at West Virginia University for the 2022-23 season where she led the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Before her season in Morgantown Plitzuweit also served as the head coach at South Dakota from 2016-22. During her six seasons in Vermillion, South Dakota, she amassed a 158-36 record, including an 83-10 mark in the Summit League. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 during her tenure at USD.
Prior to South Dakota and West Virginia Plitzuweit also was the head coach at Northern Kentucky (2012-16) and Grand Valley State (2002-07). She also was an associate head coach at Michigan (2007-12), Green Bay (1998-02), Wisconsin (1997-98) and her alma mater Michigan Tech (1995-97). She holds the Summit League record for overall winning percentage (.814) and conference winning percentage (.892).
Plitzuweit's honors over her coaching career include the 2021-22 Kay Yow Award, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court. She was the Summit League Coach of the Year three straight years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20). She also was the 2005-06 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year at Grand Valley State University.
Statistically, Plitzuweit’s teams in six of the past seven seasons have ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin, including this 2024-25 season at a margin of 4.5, which was the No. 1 mark in the Big Ten and ninth-best margin in the country.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit earned back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, four all-conference honors and three all-defensive team nods. She led the Huskies to a 99-22 record and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. She was a Division II Bulletin All-America Second Team selection and a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention pick (1994, 1995). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1994 and 1995 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
Plitzuweit (PLITTS-zoo-white) holds a career coaching record of 434-177 (.710) across 19 seasons as a head coach, including a 317-139 (.695) mark at the Division I level. She has recorded 18 winning seasons, two 30-win campaigns and 12 20-win seasons.
Plitzuweit continued to elevate the University of Minnesota women’s basketball program during the 2025-26 season, guiding the Golden Gophers to their best season in over 20 years with a run to the Sweet Sixteen, where they fell to eventual national champion, UCLA.
Minnesota reached the 20-win mark for the third consecutive season, making Plitzuweit just the second coach in program history to achieve three straight 20-win seasons, joining Pam Borton (2002-05).
The Gophers were especially impressive in Big Ten play, finishing the 2025-26 conference season with a 13-5 record. The 13 league victories matched a program high, previously accomplished during the 1982-83 and 1984-85 seasons. Minnesota’s strong conference performance earned the team the No. 4 seed and a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, marking its highest finish since the 2017-18 season. Notably, Plitzuweit’s 26 Big Ten wins through her first three seasons rank third in program history.
Throughout the year, Minnesota proved it could compete with the nation’s best. The Gophers secured three wins over AP Top 25 opponents, including two victories over top-10 teams, marking the program’s first season with multiple top-10 wins since 2003-04. Highlights included a win over No. 21 USC and victories over No. 10 Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and No. 10 Ohio State at The Barn. The win over Iowa marked the program’s first top-10 road victory since 2003. The team’s three ranked wins were its most since the 2017-18 season.
Plitzuweit and her staff saw four Minnesota standouts earn 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 marked the most individual honors Minnesota has received since 2020, when four Gophers were selected (Taiye Bello, Jasmine Powell, Gadiva Hubbard, Sara Scalia).
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.
The regular-season success paid off, as Minnesota finished with a No. 18 ranking in the AP Poll, a No. 19 ranking in the USA TODAY/WBCA Coaches Poll, and a No. 9 NET ranking, the third highest in the Big Ten. Minnesota earned the opportunity to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, its highest seed since 2005 when Minnesota was a No. 3 seed. It marked the program’s 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2018, its first time hosting since 2005 and just the fourth time doing so in program history.
Minnesota defeated Green Bay in the first round, outscoring the Phoenix 30-9 in the fourth quarter to secure a 75-58 win. In the second round against Ole Miss, Amaya Battle’s baseline jumper with 0.8 seconds remaining sealed a 65-63 come-from-behind victory to send the Gophers to the Sweet Sixteen. Minnesota had trailed 54-46 entering the fourth quarter.
Minnesota ranked fifth in attendance among the 16 host sites for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Gophers’ average of 10,559 ranked ahead of 11 sites, including UConn, Texas, UCLA and Oklahoma.
Minnesota went 25-11 in Plitzuweit’s second year, highlighted by winning the 2025 WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament) Championship, marking the 17th time in 18 seasons Plitzuweit has reached a postseason tournament. The Golden Gophers recorded their first 25 win season since 2004-05 (26-8, 12-4 B1G) and back-to-back 20 win seasons since 2017-18 and 2018-19. Plitzuweit also coached two Gophers to All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades in Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski.
In Plitzuweit's first season, the Gophers won 20 games, finishing with an overall record of 20-16. The squad reached the WNIT Championship game and finished as the runner-up. In 2023-24, Plitzuweit coached a pair of All-Big Ten Honorable Mention guards in Mara Braun and Amaya Battle while also helping Grace Grocholski to a unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection.
Plitzuweit joined the Maroon and Gold after serving as the head coach at West Virginia University for the 2022-23 season where she led the Mountaineers to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Before her season in Morgantown Plitzuweit also served as the head coach at South Dakota from 2016-22. During her six seasons in Vermillion, South Dakota, she amassed a 158-36 record, including an 83-10 mark in the Summit League. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year, Plitzuweit led the Coyotes to three regular-season championships, three conference tournament championships, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16 during her tenure at USD.
Prior to South Dakota and West Virginia Plitzuweit also was the head coach at Northern Kentucky (2012-16) and Grand Valley State (2002-07). She also was an associate head coach at Michigan (2007-12), Green Bay (1998-02), Wisconsin (1997-98) and her alma mater Michigan Tech (1995-97). She holds the Summit League record for overall winning percentage (.814) and conference winning percentage (.892).
Plitzuweit's honors over her coaching career include the 2021-22 Kay Yow Award, presented annually to the Division I women’s head college basketball coach who embodies a winning spirit while displaying great character, on and off the court. She was the Summit League Coach of the Year three straight years (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20). She also was the 2005-06 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year at Grand Valley State University.
Statistically, Plitzuweit’s teams in six of the past seven seasons have ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnover margin, including this 2024-25 season at a margin of 4.5, which was the No. 1 mark in the Big Ten and ninth-best margin in the country.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan Tech, Plitzuweit earned back-to-back GLIAC Player of the Year awards, four all-conference honors and three all-defensive team nods. She led the Huskies to a 99-22 record and four trips to the NCAA Division II Tournament. She was a Division II Bulletin All-America Second Team selection and a two-time Kodak All-America honorable mention pick (1994, 1995). She earned WBCA All-Academic accolades in 1994 and 1995 and was named Michigan’s NCAA Woman of the Year in 1995.
| Plitzuweit's Career Record | |||||||
| Year | School | Record | Conference Record | Conference Finish | Postseason | ||
| 2002-03 | Grand Valley State | 24-7 | 13-5 | 2nd | NCAA Div. II First Round | ||
| 2003-04 | Grand Valley State | 11-15 | 8-10 | T5th | |||
| 2004-05 | Grand Valley State | 28-6 | 16-2 | T1st | NCAA Div. II Quarterfinals | ||
| 2005-06 | Grand Valley State | 33-3 | 15-1 | 1st | NCAA Div. II Champions | ||
| 2006-07 | Grand Valley State | 21-8 | 14-4 | 1st | NCAA Div. II First Round | ||
| Grand Valley State Totals | 117-39 (.750) | 66-22 (.750) | |||||
| 2012-13 | Northern Kentucky | 15-13 | 12-6 | 4th | WBI First Round | ||
| 2013-14 | Northern Kentucky | 18-13 | 13-5 | 3rd | WBI Second Round | ||
| 2014-15 | Northern Kentucky | 19-14 | 8-6 | 3rd | WBI First Round | ||
| 2015-16 | Northern Kentucky | 19-14 | 9-9 | T5th | WBI First Round | ||
| Northern Kentucky Totals | 71-54 (.568) | 42-26 (.618) | |||||
| 2016-17 | South Dakota | 23-9 | 11-5 | 4th | WNIT Second Round | ||
| 2017-18 |
|
29-7 | 14-0 | 1st | WNIT Quarterfinals | ||
| 2018-19 |
|
28-6 | 14-2 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||
| 2019-20 |
|
30-2 | 15-0 | 1st | Cancelled | ||
| 2020-21 |
|
19-6 | 12-2 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||
| 2021-22 |
|
29-6 | 17-1 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||
| South Dakota Totals | 158-36 (.814) | 83-10 (.892) | |||||
| 2022-23 | West Virginia | 19-12 | 10-8 | T4th | NCAA First Round | ||
| West Virginia Totals | 19-12 (.613) | 10-8 (.556) | |||||
| 2023-24 | Minnesota | 20-16 | 5-13 | 11th | WNIT Runner-Up | ||
| 2024-25 | Minnesota | 25-11 | 8-10 | 13th | WBIT Champion | ||
| 2025-26 | Minnesota | 24-9 | 13-5 | 4th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||
| Minnesota Totals | 69-36 (.657) | 26-28 (.481) | |||||
| Career Totals | 434-177 (.710) | 227-94 (.707) | |||||
Play in Focus: Amaya Battle
Thursday, April 02
Postgame Reaction: Sweet Sixteen
Saturday, March 28
Press Conference: Sweet Sixteen Preview
Thursday, March 26
Thank You Gopher Fans
Wednesday, March 25
