Disappointment was replaced with appreciation for the University of Toledo women’s basketball team on Sunday night.
One day earlier, the Rockets lost a second-half lead to Ball State in the Mid-American Conference championship game, falling short of the ultimate prize — the NCAA tournament.
Tucked inside a small room in the bowels of Rocket Arena in Cleveland, the tears and puffy faces of seniors Sammi Mikonowicz and Khera Goss and the cracking voice and moist eyes of head coach Ginny Boggess illustrated the sorrow.
But Toledo got a reprieve of sorts Sunday when it was announced that the Rockets were not only in the 32-team WBIT but would also host No. 2 seed Minnesota at 7 p.m. Thursday, welcoming a Big Ten team to Savage Arena for the second time in as many seasons.
“Just preparing for the postseason, the energy in the room, the energy in the building, feeling the fans, I think it’s all really good stuff,” Boggess said.
UT clobbered Michigan 69-46 in December of 2023. Toledo is 20-6 in postseason home games, winning five of the past six. But the Rockets have never beaten a Big Ten team at Savage Arena in the postseason, going 0-4 against Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana.
Life on the road is nothing new for Minnesota, as the Golden Gophers won at Wyoming and Troy en route to the WNIT championship game last year. They were forced to play at UT because the boys’ state tournament is played in their home arena.
In two seasons under coach Dawn Plitzuweit, Minnesota is 7-14 in road games.
“The positive to it is, I guess we’ve done it in the past. So we go back on the road,” Plitzuweit said. “We play at Toledo, who draws really well. Their crowd is incredible. Really good program. We get an opportunity to play in an environment that will be very fun for our young ladies.”
The Gophers have back-to-back 20-win seasons, although they enter Thursday’s game having lost eight of their past 10 games. They started 12-0 but fell victim to injuries, losing leading returning scorer Mara Braun and Michigan transfer Taylor Woodson for most of the season.
Minnesota 5-foot-11 guard Amaya Battle averages 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The Gophers rank in the top 10 nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio, and they’re one of the best rebounding teams.
“They’re disciplined, they’re tough, and they’re very physical,” Boggess said. “They have the true pedigree of a Big Ten opponent. They take really good care of the basketball. They have a dominant 5 and a really good complement backup five. Think Jess [Cook] and Hannah [Noveroske] inside and Nan [Garcia] on the outside. They’ve got really good guard play.
“Coach Dawn has a longstanding tradition of coaching really tough, disciplined teams. We’re here for the hard. That just makes it more fun to us. Iron sharpens iron. We want to elevate our level of play.”
The crowd isn’t the only thing Minnesota will encounter Thursday. The Gophers must also corral a Toledo team that has won 24 games and played its best basketball in the past six weeks.
“I think they’re really disciplined,” Plitzuweit said. “They’re really tough. They play really hard. They have a good blend. They shoot the ball well from the perimeter but really attack you off the dribble. They can post up a variety of different kids and fly to the offensive glass. They’re a really sound program. Ginny is doing a great job in Year 1. I just think they play with a very high motor and a very high IQ. It means a lot to them.”
The WBIT provides another send-off for seniors Sammi Mikonowicz, Khera Goss, Garcia, Cook, and Noveroske.
“Any chance to put that jersey on, and then especially to do it here in Savage, I’m really just excited,” Mikonowicz said.
The underclassmen are another element.
In the MAC championship game, seniors played all 200 minutes for Ball State. Underclassmen played 95 minutes for the Rocket, including 52 minutes from true freshmen. In the most pressure-packed game of the season, UT’s underclassmen 24 points on 10-of-24 shooting with six rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one blocked shot, and only four turnovers.
They were only a combined minus-6, while 6-foot-2 freshman forward Evalyse Cole was plus-7 in a game Toledo lost by seven. Only two Ball State players had a plus-minus better than plus-7.
Boggess’s focus is squarely on the WBIT. She has a genuine bond and appreciation for this year’s senior class. But a peek into the future requires sunglasses. The outlook is bright.
“I thought Kendall Carruthers obviously played incredible,” Boggess said. “Eva Cole played the best basketball of her life. I’ve been watching that kid three years in high school, and then the year here with us. Faith is continuing to grow and develop. Destiny had big moments. No turnovers in a championship game. I don’t think you can put a price tag on it.
“What I can tell you is that in that locker room, the only thing we are focused on is making sure that those seniors continue to get to wear the jersey.”
First Published March 19, 2025, 9:09 p.m.
