Gophers women’s basketball continues to climb in the latest bracket

The Gophers women’s basketball is off to a 15-1 start to the 2024-25 season, but only one of their wins has come against a team projected to reach the NCAA Tournament. However, Minnesota is currently projected to make the field of 68, although there is still a long way to go before March.

ESPN’s Charlie Creme released its updated women’s bracket on Tuesday, and after Sunday’s win over Illinois, the Gophers have jumped from the “last four in” category to the “last four byes.”

Minnesota’s women’s basketball program hasn’t been invited to the NCAA Tournament since 2017-18, and they haven’t been higher than the eight seed since 2004-05. Creme projects them as a 10 seed in this year’s field in an intriguing pod with UConn.

The first few weeks of January still seem a little early to talk about tournament resumes, and the Gophers have a long way to go when it comes to guaranteeing a spot in the field. Their best win is currently a 68-61 win over Illinois at home – the Illini are currently in the “last four” in Creme’s projection.

Minnesota will have plenty of opportunities in conference play this winter, and their next chance for a marquee win will come on Jan. 14 on the road against No. 8. Maryland, currently projected to be no. 2 seeds. Currently, at No. 28, the Gophers have a respectable NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking, but they need to rack up more quality wins.

The Gophers’ next chance to win is Wednesday night at Barnet against Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are currently 129th in the NET rankings, so a loss would be a major blemish on Minnesota’s tournament resume.

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