Gophers’ Braun named to Cheryl Miller Award Watch List
File: Gophers wing Mara Braun plays at Williams Arena against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 22, 2022. (FILE/KSTP-TV)
A University of Minnesota women’s basketball star has been named to a national award watch list.
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced the 20 players on the 2024 Cheryl Miller Award Watch List on Wednesday and included Gophers sophomore Mara Braun. The award, now in its seventh year, recognizes the top small forward in Division I college basketball.
“This is an incredible honor for Mara and for our entire Minnesota women’s basketball program,” head coach Dawn Plitzuweit said in a prepared statement. “We are excited for the upcoming season, and we are getting close to tipping things off at the Barn!”
Braun, who led the Gophers in scoring last year and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, was named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team earlier this month.
The Wayzata native also was part of Team USA’s 3×3 circuit over the summer and won a gold medal at the FIBA U23 Nations League Final in Mongolia last month.
The Cheryl Miller Award Watch List is scheduled to be cut to 10 in January, then to five in late February before the winner is announced in March.
Minnesota opens the season at Williams Arena on Nov. 8 against LIU.