Gophers guard Mara Braun speaks for first time since season-ending foot injury
Gophers guard Mara Braun had 18 points before leaving the fourth quarter at Illinois with a foot injury in Sunday's 73-68 loss. (University of Minnesota Athletics)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - It’s been tough sledding for the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team since losing their leading scorer to a season-ending foot injury.
Gophers’ guard Mara Braun went down Jan. 28 at Illinois after landing on a defender’s foot while making a 3-pointer. She tried to shake it off, but couldn’t put any weight on her foot and had to come out of the game. Minnesota lost to Illinois 73-68, and was 14-6 with Braun on the court.
Braun spoke publicly for the first time since her injury on the FOX 9 Gopher Coaches Show with Ahmad Hicks and Justin Gaard. The Gophers have lost eight of their last nine since Braun went down.
"It’s definitely tough. Obviously you don’t really know until you’re put into it. I always say Nia (Holloway) doing her rehab every day, Kennedy (Klick). Once you’re in it, you kind of understand that love and passion for the game has just grown so much for me and wanting to be out there," Braun said.
The Gophers enter the Big Ten Tournament 15-14 on the season, 5-13 in Big Ten play and will face Rutgers in the opening round of the tournament Wednesday night.
Braun led Minnesota in scoring at 17.8 points per game when she went down injured. In the era of the NCAA transfer portal and NIL, she spoke about her excitement to be back with the Gophers next season.
"I think it’s all going to work out for the better, it’s just part of the process right now. I’m just excited to continue to grow this. Get new pieces in here, we showed what we’re capable of earlier this season," Braun said. "Adversity hit, but it happens and we’ll grow from it."