STrib: Powell and Brunson Make Nice Pairing

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Jasmine Powell makes nice pairing with Jasmine Brunson for Gophers women's basketball team

Adding freshman Jasmine Powell to the starting lineup along with point guard Jasmine Brunson has helped the Gophers after Destiny Pitts left the team.

www.startribune.com

Kent Youngblood:

Less than 1½ minutes remained in the game and the crowd at Williams Arena was pensive.

For a reason.

The Gophers women's basketball team has been in just about every Big Ten game this season, and many have gone down to the wire, with the Gophers coming up just short. On Thursday the Gophers led Nebraska by three when Jasmine Brunson drove down the left side of the lane, drew a second defender, and then a third. She jumped and, using her left hand, got the ball to Jasmine Powell on the right side. Without hesitation, Powell let go with a three-pointer, keeping her shooting hand aloft for a second or two after the ball swished through the net with 1:17 left, the crowd roaring as the Gophers went on to win.

"That was when we broke 'em,'' coach Lindsay Whalen said. "That was a huge play.''

...

Pitts' decision to transfer hit Powell particularly hard. The two were high school teammates at Detroit Country Day School and have been friends for years.

"It's something that I'm still working through,'' said Powell, who was ranked 76th in the nation in her recruiting class. "Obviously I was sad when she left. She was definitely a big part of the reason I came here. She's always told me to keep going. She wants success for us and the team.''

 

[hungan1]

Powell, Brunson, and Scalia - definitely somebody has to pick up the leadership mantel and spark the team to action.

I am still shaken at the decision by Pitts to transfer. Will we ever know what happened between Whalen and Pitts?

Whalen had nothing but praises for Pitts during her interview prior to the blow-up. They had three consecutive Big Ten loses: 12/31/19 - Lost to Ohio State 63-66; 1/4/20 Lost to NE 58-72; 1/9/20 Lost to NW 54-56.

Something bubbled over between Whalen and Pitts the team leader. Pitts gets suspended subsequently for the Illini game for bad body language and the Bello sisters did not make the trip out of protest.

Did Whalen being such a competitive person and Pitts lock in a heated disagreement reaching the point of no return? Could cooler heads have prevailed? Misconstrued gestures and miscommunication doomed the relationship with a regrettable suspension issued to equally stubborn Pitts backed her into a corner. She refused to sign the terms of lifting the suspension thinking she did nothing wrong. What terrible thing did Pitts do that she was issued an indefinite suspension?

The lady Gophers lost to Illinois 71-74. A game they should have won had Pitts and the Bellos made the trip. They lost another game against Iowa. Then, they rebounded on the road against Purdue. They lost the next two consecutive games against Wisconsin and Indiana. Then, they won on 1/30 against Nebraska.

If the situation and relationships are not repaired, Whalen may stand to lost a few players when the season is over. We'll see what happens. Winning usually helps everyone.