Gophers guard Mara Braun out indefinitely after re-injuring right foot
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team will be without one of its best players indefinitely, and possibly the rest of the season.
Junior guard Mara Braun re-injured her right foot during shootaround before the Gophers faced Eastern Illinois last week. The Gophers are heading to New Orleans for the Big Easy Classic on Friday ant Saturday, and Braun will not be with the team. She’s reportedly having surgery.
Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit said Tuesday "it’s way too early to tell" how long Braun will be out, or if she’ll miss the rest of the season.
"We don’t at this point in time. But yeah in shootaround, just kind of stepped wrong and tweaked something in her right foot. We’ll wait and see how it shakes out," Plitzuweit said. "For that kid, it’s really, really tough because she just did everything right. We’re going to be smart about it."
Why it matters
Braun was Minnesota’s leading scorer at 13.6 points per game before the injury. It’s the same foot she hurt back in late January at Illinois, landing awkwardly on a defender after a 3-pointer. She missed about two months, but was able to return for the end of the season.
Minnesota went 6-10 without Braun on the floor last year. They were 5-0 with her this year before she went down. Without her, it’s more on the plate for Amaya Battle, Grace Grocholski and Tori McKinney, among other guards on the roster.
What’s next
Braun could seek a medical redshirt for another season of eligibility, as she’s currently a junior. The Gophers are 7-0 and face Houston in New Orleans on Friday. Big Ten play starts Dec. 8 at Nebraska.