WBB: Gophers 2016-17 Season

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Introducing Sue Key:

GopherSports: You were a part of the NJCAA national championship team from a few years ago. What were some of your favorite memories from that run in the tournament?
Sue Key: Coming together as a team. We were a lot stronger once we progressed in the tournament. The first game was tough, but the second game was pretty good.

GS: Your team only lost one game that year. What went wrong in that one game?
SK: Honestly, I didn’t show up like I should have during that game. Being one of the oldest on the team I took responsibility for that game.

GS: How do you think being part of such a good team helped you transition into the D-I level?
SK: The coaching staff I had at Chipola was pretty tough, much like this coaching staff. There’s not much of a difference except I sat out a year, which hurt me conditioning-wise.

GS: How do you think the early part of practice so far has helped prepare you for the season?
SK: The intensity is pretty tough but in terms of getting me in shape I think it’s doing a great job. Especially Coach Ralph (Petrella) having me go up and down when (teammates are) taking a break from running.

GS: What do you hope to contribute to the team this year?
SK: Most definitely to help on the defensive end and actually help clean up the boards with the bigs. I can get in there and rebound a lot more than I’ve been doing and hopefully helping Wags (Carlie Wagner) shoot more.
 


I dropped by the basketball tip-off scrimmage following the football near fiasco. The Gophers were in mid-season shooting form with the final score (in two seven minute periods) 52-44. There were tons of threes with perhaps the most unexpected cluster coming from Allina Starr. Last year I didn't think Starr had much of an outside stroke; today she looked very comfortable from beyond the arc.

Hubbard demonstrated a nice three point shot shooting spree in the warm-ups; but in the scrimmage Gadiva was primarily a distributor. Kenisha Bell made some nice one handed moves to the hoop and Whitney Tinjum should be an asset. I beliieve both Edwards and Lamke have improved their foot work and leverage.

Anyway, it was good quick look at this year's team. Of note: Jasmine Brunson (who served as a player coach) did not play because of injury. For what it's worth the injury was not apparent to my untrained medical eye.
 

STrib: Carlie Wagner applies lessons from Gophers women's basketball legend Rachel Banham

When the Gophers women’s basketball team opens the Big Ten season at home on Jan. 1 against Maryland, Rachel Banham’s No. 1 jersey will be retired and lifted into the Williams Arena rafters.

Banham’s record-setting career, as the leading scorer in Big Ten history, will be celebrated again.

Carlie Wagner can’t wait to share that moment with her former teammate. But the junior guard is just as eager to see the Gophers quickly establish themselves in the post-Banham era, which starts under those rafters Nov. 12 against Harvard.

It might seem overwhelming for Minnesota to think about replacing Banham, but Wagner embraces the challenge.

“She laid down a foundation for me to build off of,” Wagner said. “She taught me how to do things and be the player I am. I wouldn’t say that she’s putting pressure on me. She paved a way for me to get there. She’s been a big part of my career, and I thank her for that.”

http://www.startribune.com/carlie-w...-s-basketball-legend-rachel-banham/398800701/

Go Gophers!!
 

Banham had her rookie season with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun cut short in July after knee surgery. She stopped by a few times to check on her alma mater, most recently this month to chat with Wagner about goals for the upcoming season.

“I think she will do great,” Banham said. “She just has to stay confident and believe in herself and lead the team. Talked to her recently about more off-the-court leadership stuff. The main thing I consistently tell her is to stay confident and lead.”
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