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Gophers women's basketball snubbed from postseason Big Ten awards

Minnesota did not have a player on either of the all-conference teams, all-freshman team or all-defensive team.

Tony Liebert

Feb 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Tori McKinney (14) shoots over UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) during the first quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Tori McKinney (14) shoots over UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) during the first quarter at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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The Big Ten announced its end-of-year awards on Tuesday, and Minnesota did not have a player on either all-conference teams, the all-freshman team or all-defensive team.

After starting the season 17-2 and 5-2 in the Big Ten, the Gophers limped to the finish line, winning only three of their final 11 games. Nevertheless, they won 20 regular season games for the first time as a program since 2018-19.

All-Big Ten Teams

The Big Ten opted to select two teams of 10 for its all-conference teams, and Minnesota was only one of five teams without a single player selected. Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions. They simply didn't have the numbers to make the first time, but were they snubbed from the second team?

Amaya Battle 2024-25 stats (31.7 MPG)

  • 11.9 PPG (34th in the Big Ten)
  • 5.1 RPG (32nd)
  • 4.2 APG (8th)
  • FG: 39.9% (118th)
  • 3P: 29.0% (88th)
  • Assist-TO ratio: 1.64 (25th)
  • 1.8 SPG (10th)

Grace Grocholski 2024-25 stats (33.5 MPG)

  • 12.4 PPG (30th in the Big Ten)
  • 4.8 RPG (36th)
  • 2.8 APG (27th)
  • FG: 42.1% (100th)
  • 3P: 34.0 (63rd)
  • Assist-TO ratio: 1.46 (37th)
  • 1.3 SPG (35th)

There were only 20 players named to the first and second teams and based on the stats, it seems like Battle and Grocholski simply didn't have good enough numbers. Battle's 4.2 assists per game and her 1.8 steals per game were her only major statistics to rank inside the top 20 in the conference, while Grocholski didn't have one major statistic to rank inside the top 20.

All-Defensive Team:

There were only five players named to this year's All-Defensive team and Battle was the only Gophers player to rank inside the top 10 in either steals or blocks per game, so it's entirely fair that Minnesota was blanked from this team.

All-Freshman Team:

There were five players named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman team, and I think this was the only distinction that Minnesota got truly snubbed from. Southern Cal guard Kennedy Smith is a major contributor on the No. 1 team in the country, but Minnesota's Tori McKinney averaged more points and assists per game, had fewer turnovers per game, recorded a higher field goal percentage, and had more games with 15 points or more.

Ultimately, Minnesota's omission from all three teams and all the major awards is indicative of its 3-8 finish to the regular season. The Gophers looked like a team missing their best player, Mara Braun, who had a great chance of taking home some postseason awards. They will now look to use their lack of awards as motivation for this week's Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis.

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Tony Liebert
TONY LIEBERT

Tony Liebert is particularly known for his coverage of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though he also contributes to coverage of the Minnesota Vikings, Timberwolves and Twins. His writing style is noted for providing in-depth analysis and insights, making him a go-to source for fans looking for comprehensive coverage of Minnesota sports.

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