MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota guard Mara Braun will miss the remainder of the season, maintaining a year of eligibility following a second consecutive fracture of her right foot.
Coach Dawn Plitzuweit announced on Monday that Braun will not participate in the playoffs. The Gophers (20-10), currently contending for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament, hold the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and face Washington in the opening round in Indianapolis on Wednesday.
Braun, who averaged 17 points per game and ranked sixth in the Big Ten last season, initially sustained the injury on January 28, 2024, during a game against Illinois when her foot stepped on an opponent. She came back after surgery and a two-month recovery to participate in Minnesota’s first two WNIT games last year, but she re-injured herself and missed the last three games in that tournament, including the championship defeat to Saint Louis.
Following participation in the initial five games for the Gophers this season, Braun fractured the same bone during practice on Nov. 20 and required another surgery. Considering her personal career goals and the chance for Minnesota to have her on the team for an additional two years, opting for a careful strategy in her recovery was the obvious and anticipated choice.
“Was it believable?” “I believe it was optimistic, yet likely not something we were counting on, if that’s a diplomatic way to express it,” Plitzuweit stated. “You definitely can’t endure this once more, nor do you wish to.” You simply cannot jeopardize any of those kinds of situations.”
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