Gophers Women's Basketball Faces UCLA in Sweet 16

The Gophers, in their third season under coach Dawn Plitzuweit, needed two fourth-quarter comebacks to reach the second week of the NCAA tournament.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 11:03am

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The University of Minnesota women's basketball team will face off against the UCLA Bruins in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament on Friday evening in Sacramento, California. The Gophers advanced to this stage after overcoming double-digit deficits in their first two tournament games.

Why it matters

The Gophers' tournament run marks a significant achievement for the program, which is in its third season under head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. A win over UCLA would put Minnesota one step closer to the Final Four, a milestone the team has not reached since 2004.

The details

In the first round, the Gophers trailed No. 13 seed Green Bay by 9 points entering the fourth quarter but rallied to outscore their opponent 30-9 in the final frame and win 75-58. In the second round, Minnesota again found itself down late, this time to No. 5 seed Mississippi, before a 19-9 run in the fourth quarter gave them a 65-63 victory.

  • The Gophers will face UCLA on Friday, March 27, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in Sacramento, California.
  • Minnesota advanced to the Sweet 16 after winning their first two NCAA tournament games.

The players

Dawn Plitzuweit

The head coach of the University of Minnesota women's basketball team, now in her third season leading the program.

UCLA Bruins

The women's basketball team from the University of California, Los Angeles, who will face the Gophers in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament.

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What’s next

The winner of the Minnesota-UCLA matchup will advance to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tournament.

The takeaway

The Gophers' resilient tournament run so far demonstrates the team's ability to overcome deficits and the progress the program has made under Coach Plitzuweit's leadership in a relatively short time.