The Gophers' Latest Portal Add Completely Changes Their 2026-27 Outlook

Minnesota made its most significant pickup of the offseason on Monday.

Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans center Rayah Marshall (13) and Penn State Nittany Lions center Gracie Merkle (44) jockey for rebounding position during the first quarter at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Gophers women's basketball landed a significant transfer portal commitment on Monday from Penn State center Gracie Merkle. She has the potential to completely change the team's outlook heading into 2026-27, and here's why.

BREAKING: Gophers WBB has landed a significant transfer portal commitment from Penn State C Gracie Merkle.

At 6-foot-6, she averaged 19.2 points (5th in B1G) and 8.2 rebounds per game last season. Began her career at Bellarmine. https://t.co/b5Vs72dj9g pic.twitter.com/hOMVlTflYX

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 20, 2026

Standing at 6-foot-6, Merkle had a tremendous season at Penn State in 2025-26. She averaged 19.2 points, which ranked fifth in the Big Ten, 8.2 rebounds per game, and she shot a nation-best 72.5% from the field. She has already proven herself as a dominant force in the Big Ten.

Hailing from Mount Washington, Kentucky, Merkle won the state's Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2022. She began her college career in her home state at Bellarmine. She averaged 15.1 points per game as a true freshman before sitting out the following season due to an injury. She averaged 15.5 points per game in her first season with Penn State before exploding last year.

With Sophie Hart and Finau Tonga out of eligibility, Minnesota desperately needed to improve its frontcourt this offseason. Northwestern forward Tayla Thomas was a solid replacement last week at 6-foot-3, but Merkle might be an upgrade.

The Gophers' returning core of Mara Braun, Grace Grocholski and Tori McKinney have proven they can be a Sweet 16 program. Once you get that late into the postseason, you're facing a different caliber of team. They looked overmatched and undersized against UCLA, who eventually won the national championship.

Despite losing Hart, Tonga and Amaya Battle to graduation, you could now make a serious argument that Minnesota has upgraded its roster. UCF transfer guard Leah Harmon gives them a veteran option to go along with Tori Oehrlein and Natalie Kussow as highly touted incoming freshman guards.

Braun, Grocholski and McKinney are among the best returning trios in the conference, and Thomas and Merkle now give them a legitimate veteran frontcourt that can match up with just about anyone in the country. This might've been a preseason top 20 team without Merkle, and with her, you can start having the conversation about preseason top 15 or even top 10.

The 2025-26 season was a breakthrough for Dawn Plitzuweit in her coaching staff, and they've carried that momentum into an A+ offseason. On paper, the 2026-27 roster could be one of the most talented rosters in program history.