Gopher Women's Basketball Team Has Bright Future-Still a Work in Progress

 The mid 1980s rock group Timbuk 3 couldn't have put it better about the Minnesota Golden Gopher Women's Basketball Team.  "The future's so bright. " And it looked bright in the Gophers lone exhibition game as they trounced the UW-River Falls Falcons 104-64 Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.  

It was the first opportunity for fans to see the new freshman class in action that included Mallory Heyer of Chaska, Amaya Battle of Hopkins and Mara Braun of Wayzata.  The other member of head coach Lindsey Whalen's recruiting class, Nia Holloway of Eden Prairie is out for the season due to an injury.  

Heyer and Braun were two of the starters against the Falcons and Braun really stood out in the first half as she hit five three pointers and scored 21 points in the first half.  She finished the game with a team high 23 points.  Heyer looked like the complete player not just on offense but also on defense.  Though she scored only six points, she also had six rebounds  and blocked a couple of shots.  She boxed out really well and her defense is going to be an important asset when they enter Big Ten play.  

What about Battle?  She was a battler when she was the first player to come off the Gopher bench.  She would make her presence known, scoring 16 points, seven rebounds and also had four assists and steals.  Could she be a starter this seasdon if she continues to play like that?  

Another post player that will be a key reserve is Arkansas transfer Destinee Oberg.  It's a name that will be familiar to Minnesota girls basketball fans since she first played at Holy Angels and later at B;loomington Kennedy.  She's the first Kennedy Eagle to wear maroon and gold since Tanisha Bell and she did not disappoint, contributing six points and six rebounds.  Also in the mix was former Watertown-Mayer Royal Maggie Czinano.  Czinano went four of six from the field and scored 13 points.  

Other in-state players who saw brief action were Angelina Hammond of Hopkins, Maria Counts of Providence Academy and Alexa Ratzlaff of Rosemount.  They will get their minutes but hopefully not just in mop up situations.  

So there you have it.  The future of a program that's a work in progress. The regular season starts Monday, November 7 at The Barn against the Western Illinois Leathernecks at 5:30 PM.  Get to a game this season.  They could be a surprise in the Big Ten.