ATSWINS

Could women's basketball superstar JuJu Watkins play at the Barn next season?

Updated April 30, 2025, 5:31 p.m. 1 min read
NCAAB News

Gophers women's basketball has announced its Big Ten opponents for the 2025-26 season.

Entering the second season of 18 teams in the conference, they will play every team once.

Women's college basketball plays an 18-game Big Ten conference schedule compared to 20 games on the men's side.

It works out well for the new-look Big Ten, giving every team an opportunity to face off once.

After making the Los Angeles road trip last season, the Gophers will welcome UCLA and USC to the Barn in 2025-26.

Superstar JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury in March, so the chances she's healthy in time to face the Gophers are slim.

The Bruins, on the other hand, project as a preseason top-five team, and star post player Lauren Betts should be a preseason first-team All-American and potential preseason player of the year, after averaging 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game last season.

Some other intriguing home games include Maryland and Michigan State, who project as potential preseason top 25 teams and contenders in a loaded Big Ten conference.

ESPN's latest preseason top 25 has seven Big Ten teams ranked.

The Gophers will play four at home UCLA (No.

3), Maryland (No.

12), USC (No.

19) and Michigan State (No.

23), but they will play three on the road Michigan (No.

15), Iowa (No.

22) and Washington (No.

24).

Ohio State is also a borderline top 25 team, which Minnesota will host next season.

Ultimately, the Gophers are hosting all the teams they played on the road last season, and they're traveling on the road to face all the teams they played at home last season.

The Big Ten is expected to be the best conference in women's basketball once again, and Minnesota will be heavily tested throughout the year.

Gophers news, rumors, analysis.

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