Minnesota’s women’s basketball team didn’t achieve its goal of an NCAA tournament berth last season, but the Gophers certainly got better.

After a 16-1 start got them a two-week stay in the AP Top 25, for the first time since 2019, they underachieved themselves out of the running for the Big Dance, but the Gophers were quickly scooped up by the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament and, when it was over, were last of the 32-team field standing.

Expectations for 2025-26 would be high even if the Gophers weren’t getting their best player back. But they are.

Mara Braun, who missed nearly all of last season after re-breaking her right foot before a game in November, just successfully completed the team’s postseason workouts and plans to be full go when the team convenes this summer for voluntary workouts and a period of official practices.

“I was able to do everything, but it was a lot of skill work, one-on-one, two-on-three,” Braun said Friday. “But it was a good and easy way to get back into practice, back to no restrictions, and I’m feeling really good. It was definitely a good start.”

Braun led the Gophers in scoring as a freshman with a 15.6-point average in 2022-23, as a sophomore in an injury-shortened season (17 ppg.) and through four games last year (18.6). She has two seasons of eligibility remaining and is eager to fulfill her goal of bringing Minnesota women’s basketball back to the prominence it held after Lindsay Whalen — her first coach — led the team to two Sweet 16s and a Final Four in 2003 and 2004.

Minnesota’s Mara Braun avoids a defender during a 74-52 victory over Vermont on Nov. 8, 2024, at Williams Arena. (Keya Shapiro / Gophers Athletics)

With Amaya Battle, Mallory Heyer and Sophie Hart returning for another year, and the development of sophomore Grace Grocholski and freshman Tori McKinney this season, the addition of Braun will give coach Dawn Plitzuweit a surfeit of scoring options when the season starts in November.

“The (NCAA tournament) is our aspiration and goal,” said Braun, part of a nationally ranked recruiting class with Battle, Heyer and Niamaya Holloway. “The first year was building; we were getting used to college basketball, learning. We’ve dealt with adversity the past few years. Eventually we knew it would come full circle, and this is a great year for us to do it. Wherever we go will be propelled by this season. It’s really important for the growth of this program.”

The Pioneer Press talked with Braun by phone on Friday. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mara Braun Q&A

Q: Was it difficult to fall into a non-playing role last season?
A: There was always a part of me that really wanted to be out there, to be a part of the postseason. The hardest part of was knowing how badly everyone wanted to win it. I wanted to do everything I can to get that done. We weren’t exactly happy about the tournament we were playing in, but we were there to win it.

It was nice to see how we were able to respond, especially after the first year I got hurt. We didn’t really have the depth, and mentally it was kind of a shock for everybody. This year we had more players step up, more people we could trust. We put a lot in Tori’s hands and, honestly, she was really good, only a freshman. The way she adapted, the sky’s the limit for her. Amaya really showed something, too, and Mal’s a double-double queen. It will be great to see everybody contribute when we get all the pieces back together.

Q: With so many potential weapons, where will you fit?
A: It’s going to be a different team. It’s going to look different. The rotation might even go 10 deep; any coach would love to have that option. I don’t have to play 40 minutes every night. I have trust in my teammates. It’s a good thing that we’ll have so many options coming back.

Q: Grocholski seemed to play your old role this season. Do you see yourselves on the floor together?
A: Yeah, that’s something we’ll definitely have to experiment with this summer, and in the fall we’ll have different lineups, too, and see what works. But with our offense, it’s really a lot of read-and-react, so it will be about finding different combinations. I’m sure we’ll all play together at some time or another. There will be different combinations. I’m sure we’ll find ways to make it work.

Q: You re-broke the same foot. Was the repair any different this time?
A: They did it a little differently, but I still have the same screw in there, but they went about it a little differently. The main difference is the recovery time. We’ve been extra patient to make sure I’m back to 100 percent. It hasn’t been easy.

Q: Was it easier to be patient this time?
A: I think it was the opposite, actually, because I knew everything I had ahead of me. So, especially when I was at home (with my leg) elevated for that long, away from the team, it was harder the second time — just knowing the road I had ahead of me. Once you get into it, and find the rhythm of it, you know you’re getting closer and closer but aren’t quite there. It’s a lot of ups and downs, but I was able to find my role better, to step into more of the coaching side of it, and also because of the extra year under my belt.

Q: Did you enjoy the coaching part?
A: I did. It was really different. I knew I always had to be locked in as a scout, to know exactly what each player does, their tendencies, reading the scout report back-to-front so if one of my teammates asked me a question, I could get them accurate information and be there for what they needed. It was good to have a voice.

Q: What was your initial reaction after injuring the same foot again?
A: It happened in a shootaround, so it was just a shock. Honestly, I thought I had tweaked it and it was not a big deal. But we went and got a scan right away and I learned quickly that I had broken it again. It was hard. I’d sit on the sideline and (fans) would be asking me questions about it. That was real tough. But I had to be positive and not let my teammates see me down. I had to swallow my emotions.

Q: Did you ever think you’d play last season?
A: I did at first. I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll be back for a (postseason) run.’ But as much as I wanted to play, I knew it was important to just put this behind us, and as the year went on, it made more sense to hold off.

Q: Do you feel like the profile of women’s basketball has changed since you last played a full season?
A: I do. I always say it’s a great time for women’s basketball, and some of that is because of NIL and that type of stuff, but we’ve also had generational talents in players Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, and that has helped skyrocket the (WNBA) right now. They’re tough competitors. They take a lot from the media but they handle it with so much grace. It’s kind of like they’re not really these elevated players. But I know they’ve done a lot for this country and for basketball in general. The spotlight is different from where it has been. There is so much talent across all levels.

Q: Did you ever think last season, ‘If I were playing, we would have made the NCAA tournament’?
A: A little bit, but I didn’t really want to get into any of that thinking. Things happen for a reason. It happened. But I’m excited that (the tournament) is something we can work for. We haven’t gotten that yet, but this is going to be a big season, especially for seniors like Amaya and Mal and Sophie. This is their last season for sure. These are the people I came in with, and knowing that it’s the last year for some of them. Everything that we do throughout the whole offseason, and when we all come back, is going to make an impact on our postseason. There’s a lot more to this season than maybe in past seasons. It feels different.

Q: Was it nice for you to see Whalen get back to coaching?
A: Oh, yeah. I was really excited for her. It was a great move for her, getting back to working closely with players. I’ve already seen photos of her participating in workouts. It’s where she belongs.

Q: What are your expectations for 2025-26?
A: First and foremost, I want to stay healthy for a season and see what I can do with that. It’s going to be a little bumpy; I haven’t fully played and competed for a while and I’m fully aware of that. But my foot is stronger than it was; I’m able to get to the basket better than I ever had. I’m really looking forward to playing, not just for team goals but for my aspirations to play after college. I’m going into it with high expectations. First and foremost, I want stay healthy, but I also really want to make some noise.

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More than 160 schools across the state have signed up to participate in the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Bike to School Day on Wednesday.

Sponsored by MnDOT and the Minnesota Safe Routes to School program each year, the event promotes safe biking and walking activities. Other events or activities sponsored by the Minnesota Safe Routes to School program include Winter Walk to School Day.

Students and families can participate by biking or walking to school from home, joining a “walking school bus” or “bike train” a few blocks from school, or by having parents drop students off a few blocks from school so that they can participate. Some schools offer bike safety education events during the day, like bike rodeos or taking field trips by bike.

Participating schools in St. Paul include Battle Creek Elementary School, Bruce Vento Elementary School and Crossroads Elementary, among others.

“Bike to School Day is a fun way for kids to learn about bicycle safety and explore their community on two wheels,” said Kelly Corbin, MnDOT Safe Routes to School coordinator. “The turnout at the events also reminds us how important it is to make it easier for kids to be able to bike everywhere they want or need to go.”

Schools can register events at walkbiketoschool.org/registration/. More information is available at dot.state.mn.us/saferoutes/.

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Even though he only touched the ice during warmups, Marc-Andre Fleury’s final NHL game ended like so many more of the 1,200-plus in a two-decade career, with the crowd chanting his name. Just hours after the final game of his final season, the beloved goalie nicknamed “Flower” was announced for one more NHL honor.

Fleury is among three finalists for the Bill Masterton Award, given annually to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.” The 40-year-old native of Quebec talked at length about his love of the game last month, when he was nominated for the award by the Minnesota chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan are the other two finalists.

The award winner will be announced on June 27 in Las Vegas. Fleury could be the third Wild player — all of them goalies — to win the award after Josh Harding (2013) and Devan Dubnyk (2015) won the award named for a Minnesota North Stars player who died as a result of injuries suffered in a game.

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The playoffs are known to create unlikely heroes and unexpected villains in the span of one good or bad shift. Looking back on the Minnesota Wild’s six-game playoff run, perhaps the unlikeliest of heroes to wear red and green in a valiant but losing effort was veteran forward Ryan Hartman.

His two goals on Thursday in the series finale combined with a quartet of assists for a point-per-game average from a player who started the series centering the Wild’s fourth line. The stellar postseason came after a generally forgettable run from October to mid April that included injuries, long scoring droughts and an eight-game suspension in February.

“I think Ryan grew a little bit,” Wild coach John Hynes said in the postgame press conference Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. “Coming after that suspension, I think (it was) just his mental focus from when he came back coming down the stretch to end the regular season and into the playoffs — more focused.”

Always known for his hard-nosed, edgy play, Hartman began the series by sending a message that he would not be goaded into retaliation, even after a nasty cross check to his face delivered by Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague. Past suspensions were no guarantee of future blow-ups, the Golden Knights learned. And Hartman’s coach noticed.

“Channel his energy the right way. Play the game the right way,” Hynes said. “He had a great playoffs for us. It was really good to see. The one thing I do know about him is he has that competitive gene. When it gets hard, and when the stakes get high, he has that mindset and ability to be able to produce and play his best — and he did that for us in this series.”

The resurgence came after many Wild fans were ready to be done with Hartman at the trade deadline, although a no-move clause in his contract made that talk mostly pointless. Hartman was initially suspended 10 games for driving Ottawa’s Tim Stutzle headfirst into the ice during an early February road game. On appeal, the suspension was reduced to eight games, and upon his return Wild general manager Bill Guerin made it clear that they expected “best behavior” from the oft-suspended Chicago native who has been in Minnesota since 2019.

Hartman spent the mandated time off — which included the league’s two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off — working on and off the ice and returned for an early March game in Seattle in great shape, mentally and physically. In his 21 regular-season games after the suspension, Hartman had four goals and five assists while serving just 15 minutes in the penalty box.

Promoted to center the Wild’s third line between Marcus Foligno and Gustav Nyquist after the Wild’s series-opening loss, Hartman proved to be an essential hard-hitting playoff center, winning faceoffs and very briefly looking like he had given the Wild a vital series lead in Game 5.

His apparent goal with 1:15 left in regulation at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was eventually taken off the board when replays showed Nyquist was maybe an inch offside. The Wild lost in overtime, eventually dropping the final three games of the series after taking a 2-1 series lead.

In the quiet Wild locker room after the season had ended, when asked about his breakout performance in the playoffs, Hartman was in no mood for self promotion, preferring more games to play over personal accolades.

“I’d rather have been out of the lineup and we move on,” he said. “It doesn’t really … matter.”

He didn’t want to look back at the latest playoff disappointment and instead focused on what he believes is ahead for this team.

“I love our group. Gain experience from things you go through, especially if you’re a young guy,” said Hartman, who will be 31 by the time next season begins. “We’ve got guys in this lineup that can play in the playoffs, and get us wins and. you know, we love everyone in our lineup. And we’re just going to keep getting better.”

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