Minnesota Gophers' Mara Braun ready for return to basketball after two seasons derailed by injuries
Call it fluky or coincidental, or just unlucky, Minnesota Gophers' top weapon Mara Braun is coming off consecutive breaks in the same bone in the same foot in back-to-back seasons.
"Kind of confused why it had happened again," said Braun. "We did a lot of testing, looked back at testing, strength testing and jumping, everything that I had been doing, and everything looked normal. So, it just was frustrating."
Braun only played five games last season before suffering the same injury in practice. They took every precaution this time around.
"The second time was harder for sure because you're doing the same thing over and over again," she said. "But I think it's really paid off and I've felt like I said better than ever."
The Gophers open this season on Tuesday against North Dakota at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Braun has that date circled.
"Excited, ready to go," she said. "Ready to compete against another team. And just give my best, see what I can do for the first game. But probably a little anxious. But yeah, I'll be ready to go. It'll be fun."
Without Braun, Minnesota found some mojo late last season, winning the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. With her and those who have developed around her, big things could be in store if everyone stays healthy.
"Any given night, anyone can step up," said Braun. "That's gonna be huge for our team this year. Just knowing that we've had players in those situations that can produce, and we've seen it first-hand. So just having that confidence in them, and them in themselves."
So, how far can this team go in the 2025-2026 season?
"From day one, our goal's been the tournament, and we still have our eyes on that," said Braun. "We just want to be playing our best basketball towards the end of March and just see where that can take us."