Gophers Women's Basketball Enters Offseason With Top 25 Expectations

Minnesota has established its place in women's college basketball after the 2025-26 season.

Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Dawn Plitzuweit argues a call against the UCLA Bruins during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 women's college basketball season officially ended on Sunday afternoon with UCLA cutting down the nets as national champions, which was the team that ended Minnesota's season in the NCAA Tournament. The offseason is officially underway for every team in the country, and the Gophers have established themselves as a top 25 team.

ESPN's Charlie Creme released a way-too-early top 25 rankings on Sunday, immediately after the title game. Minnesota landed at No. 19, ahead of what could be a chaotic transfer portal cycle.

"If Dawn Plutzuweit can find size in the portal to replace the departing Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga, the Gophers could replicate their fourth-place finish in the Big Ten and Sweet 16 appearance. Top three scorers Tori McKinney, Grace Grocholski and Mara Braun are set to return," he wrote.

UCLA wasn't even listed in the top 25, as its roster was made up almost entirely of seniors. The Gophers were the ninth Big Ten team listed after Michigan at No. 5, USC at No. 6, Iowa at No. 9, Ohio State at No. 12, Maryland at No. 13, Oregon at No. 15, Illinois at No. 16 and Washington at No. 17.

It's pretty silly to make any top 25 rankings before the transfer portal chaos unfolds, but as of Sunday afternoon, Minnesota's No. 19 ranking is more than fair. The only players on their roster who are 6-foot-2 or taller are incoming freshman Adit Kuol and returning freshman Zoey Bershers, who appeared in just 12 games last season.

As Creme points out, the Gophers have a glaring need for frontcourt help this offseason. Minnesota will need to replace 15.6 points and 9.5 rebounds left behind from Hart and Tonga combined. Kuol and Bershers both have intriguing long-term potential, but the Gophers need to add an experienced veteran.

With the transfer portal officially open, there are already plenty of options for Dawn Plitzuweit and her staff to look at. Iowa State superstar Audi Crooks is likely out of their price range. Minneapolis native, Stanford transfer Nunu Agara would likely garner a significant financial package, but she might be a more realistic target for the Gophers.

The Gophers have a golden opportunity to build on momentum from their Sweet 16 run. The school had a tremendous start to the offseason by retaining every core player with eligibility remaining, which should establish a pretty high floor next season. The transfer portal cycle will determine what their ceiling is for 2026-27.