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Gophers women's basketball headed to WNIT
University of Minnesota women's basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit spoke with reporters on Monday from Athletes Village after the Gophers were selected to the WNIT.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Despite a hot start to the season, the Gopher women's basketball team didn't earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, they will still be playing in the postseason.
Gophers women headed to WBIT
What we know:
The Gophers women were selected as a two-seed in the new Women's Basketball invitational Tournament (WBIT). The new tournament was launched last year, supplanting the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).
In the WBIT, higher-seeded teams host their opponents in the opening round. However, the Gophers won't have that luxury due to the Minnesota boys high school basketball tournament being hosted at Williams Arena. Instead, the team will face the Toledo Rockets in Toledo.
That game is scheduled for Thursday.
The backstory:
The Gophers women started the year insanely hot, winning 16 of their first 17 games. However, things turned cold down the home stretch as the team faced more conference opponents, with the Gophers finishing the year at 20-11. In the Big Ten, the Gophers finished with an 8-10 record and lost in the first round of the conference tournament.
This year marks the second-straight postseason appearance for the Gophers women under coach Dawn Plitzuweit. Last year, the Gophers earned a bid to the WNIT.