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Minnesota’s women’s basketball team fulfilled a lofty goal of playing in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 on Friday, and Taylor Woodson was happy to be a part of the Gophers season.
But the power forward from Minnetonka, who won a state championship with Gophers teammate Amaya Battle at Hopkins, would rather be playing. Instead, she continues to rehab a second knee injury in a as many seasons.
“I would love to be out there. I would give anything to be out there right now,” Woodson said before the Gophers’ first- and second-round wins last week at Williams Arena. “But unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
Woodson played her freshman season at Michigan, appearing in all 32 games, before transferring back to Minnesota to play for Dawn Plitzuweit and the Gophers. She played in only 12 games — averaging 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and shooting 45 percent from the floor — before blowing out her left knee and having season-ending surgery.
This season, she hasn’t been able to play in any games because she blew out the right knee during preseason practice. She had surgery on Nov. 7.
It’s been hard, and certainly bittersweet as Minnesota advanced to their first Sweet 16 since 2005. The fourth-seeded Gophers (24-8) were set to play top seed UCLA (31-1) on Friday evening at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
“I am still in rehab, and I’ll be in rehab for a little while now,” Woodson said. “It’s going on two years (of rehab), unfortunately, but God doesn’t dish out anything that I can’t handle.
“I’ve just been doing what I need to do each day, get one percent better each day, just with my knee. Every day helps.”
It also helps for her to see Mara Braun back on the floor after two hard years of rehab and back to her old self. Braun and Woodson were rehab partners last season, Braun working on the right foot she had broken for a second time.
Braun, redshirt junior from Wayzata, has started all 32 games this year and is averaging 12 points and 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
“Going through (an injury) back-to-back seasons is terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Woodson said. “So, I’m just super proud of her and how far she’s come. … You have your rehab, and then you have getting back on the court, and that’s a challenge. I’m just proud of how far she’s come.”
Woodson is eager to follow the same path. In the meantime, she continues to rehab and share with teammates what she sees from the bench.
“All I can do right now is be supportive of my teammates and how far they’ve gotten this season,” she said, “and continue to just cheer them on with every practice, every game, and be there for them for support.”
Plitzuweit was planning to spend Thursday night in Sacramento alone in her hotel room, and that was OK. She was eager to watch on television as her daughter Lexi played in the Division II Final Four.
The Gophers’ coach coached at Grand Valley in Allendale, Mich., from 2002-07. It was her first head coaching job. Lexi was born in her mother’s first season there.
“I packed my Grand Valley clothes to sit in my room by myself and not be around anyone else and be a mom and watch the game,” Plitzuweit told reporters in Sacramento on Thursday. “So, I’m really excited about it.”
Mom was not disappointed. The Lakers (35-1) beat Alabama Huntsville 61-39 in Pittsburgh to advance to Saturday afternoon’s championship game against Indiana University Pennsylvania (31-3).
Lexi, a senior averaging 5.8 points, 3.3 assists and four rebounds, played 30 minutes and finished with two points, five rebounds and four assists.
Plitzuweit was able to watch the Lakers’ 96-48 regional final victory over Carson-Newman last Tuesday — Lexi had five points, six assists, four rebounds and zero turnovers — then play back to Minneapolis for practice on Wednesday.
“So, for all the recruits and people who are watching,” she said Thursday, “we have the No. 1 airport in North America. So, it was really helpful for me.”
With Sunday’s 65-63 victory over No. 5 seed Ole Miss at the Barn, the Gophers improved to 12-2 in their past 14 games heading into the Sweet 16. They also improved to 12-1 in postseason tournament games under Plitzuweit. The Gophers advanced to the WNIT final in 2024 before losing to St. Louis, then last season with the WBIT, felling Belmont in the championship. … The Gophers were one of three Big Ten teams to advance to the Sweet 16. The others were top seed UCLA and No. 3 seed Michigan. … Plitzuweit is only the second coach in program history with 20 wins in three consecutive seasons. The other was Pam Borton, 25-6 in 2002-03, 25-9 in 2003-04 and 26-8 in 2004-05.
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But the power forward from Minnetonka, who won a state championship with Gophers teammate Amaya Battle at Hopkins, would rather be playing. Instead, she continues to rehab a second knee injury in a as many seasons.
“I would love to be out there. I would give anything to be out there right now,” Woodson said before the Gophers’ first- and second-round wins last week at Williams Arena. “But unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
Woodson played her freshman season at Michigan, appearing in all 32 games, before transferring back to Minnesota to play for Dawn Plitzuweit and the Gophers. She played in only 12 games — averaging 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and shooting 45 percent from the floor — before blowing out her left knee and having season-ending surgery.
This season, she hasn’t been able to play in any games because she blew out the right knee during preseason practice. She had surgery on Nov. 7.
It’s been hard, and certainly bittersweet as Minnesota advanced to their first Sweet 16 since 2005. The fourth-seeded Gophers (24-8) were set to play top seed UCLA (31-1) on Friday evening at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
“I am still in rehab, and I’ll be in rehab for a little while now,” Woodson said. “It’s going on two years (of rehab), unfortunately, but God doesn’t dish out anything that I can’t handle.
“I’ve just been doing what I need to do each day, get one percent better each day, just with my knee. Every day helps.”
It also helps for her to see Mara Braun back on the floor after two hard years of rehab and back to her old self. Braun and Woodson were rehab partners last season, Braun working on the right foot she had broken for a second time.
Braun, redshirt junior from Wayzata, has started all 32 games this year and is averaging 12 points and 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
“Going through (an injury) back-to-back seasons is terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” Woodson said. “So, I’m just super proud of her and how far she’s come. … You have your rehab, and then you have getting back on the court, and that’s a challenge. I’m just proud of how far she’s come.”
Woodson is eager to follow the same path. In the meantime, she continues to rehab and share with teammates what she sees from the bench.
“All I can do right now is be supportive of my teammates and how far they’ve gotten this season,” she said, “and continue to just cheer them on with every practice, every game, and be there for them for support.”
A Grand time
Plitzuweit was planning to spend Thursday night in Sacramento alone in her hotel room, and that was OK. She was eager to watch on television as her daughter Lexi played in the Division II Final Four.
The Gophers’ coach coached at Grand Valley in Allendale, Mich., from 2002-07. It was her first head coaching job. Lexi was born in her mother’s first season there.
“I packed my Grand Valley clothes to sit in my room by myself and not be around anyone else and be a mom and watch the game,” Plitzuweit told reporters in Sacramento on Thursday. “So, I’m really excited about it.”
Mom was not disappointed. The Lakers (35-1) beat Alabama Huntsville 61-39 in Pittsburgh to advance to Saturday afternoon’s championship game against Indiana University Pennsylvania (31-3).
Lexi, a senior averaging 5.8 points, 3.3 assists and four rebounds, played 30 minutes and finished with two points, five rebounds and four assists.
Plitzuweit was able to watch the Lakers’ 96-48 regional final victory over Carson-Newman last Tuesday — Lexi had five points, six assists, four rebounds and zero turnovers — then play back to Minneapolis for practice on Wednesday.
“So, for all the recruits and people who are watching,” she said Thursday, “we have the No. 1 airport in North America. So, it was really helpful for me.”
Briefly
With Sunday’s 65-63 victory over No. 5 seed Ole Miss at the Barn, the Gophers improved to 12-2 in their past 14 games heading into the Sweet 16. They also improved to 12-1 in postseason tournament games under Plitzuweit. The Gophers advanced to the WNIT final in 2024 before losing to St. Louis, then last season with the WBIT, felling Belmont in the championship. … The Gophers were one of three Big Ten teams to advance to the Sweet 16. The others were top seed UCLA and No. 3 seed Michigan. … Plitzuweit is only the second coach in program history with 20 wins in three consecutive seasons. The other was Pam Borton, 25-6 in 2002-03, 25-9 in 2003-04 and 26-8 in 2004-05.
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