Get to Know the 2019-2020 Minnesota Women’s Basketball Roster

Get to know the newest members of the 2019-2020 Minnesota Women’s Basketball team!

Introduction

The 2019-2020 Minnesota Golden Gophers women’s basketball team will be an experienced, talented and deep squad. Coach Marlene Stollings enters her seventh season at the helm of the program and has led the Gophers to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Minnesota returns all five starters from last year’s team that went 23-9 overall and 11-5 in Big Ten play.

The Gophers will be led by senior guards Kenisha Bell and Destiny Pitts. Bell, a preseason All-Big Ten selection, is a dynamic playmaker that can score from anywhere on the court. Pitts is a versatile scorer that can also provide a spark on the defensive end of the court.

Joining Bell and Pitts in the backcourt are seniors Jasmine Powell and Gabby Williams. Powell is an excellent shooter that will provide valuable minutes off the bench. Williams is a physical presence on defense that can also contribute on offense.

In the frontcourt, Minnesota will be anchored by senior center Amanda Zahui B. Zahui B., a two-time All-Big Ten selection, is one of the best post players in the country. She will be joined by sophomore forward Taiye Bello, who is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker.

The Guards

The 2019-2020 Season is right around the corner, and the Minnesota women’s Basketball team is gearing up for another year of action. Head Coach Lindsay Whalen has assembled a talented roster that will look to build on last season’s success.

Leading the way for the Gophers will be a trio of experienced guards. Senior Kenisha Bell is coming off a sensational junior year in which she averaged 19.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game She was named to the All-Big Ten first team and was an honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press. Bell will once again be the focal point of Minnesota’s offense and will look to take her game to even higher levels as a senior.

Joining Bell in the backcourt will be juniors Destiny Pitts and Jasmine Powell. Pitts is coming off a strong sophomore campaign in which she averaged 16.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 47 percent from three-point range She was named to the All-Big Ten second team and is one of the best shooters in program history. Powell also had a breakout year as a sophomore, averaging 8.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while serving as one of Minnesota’s top perimeter defenders She will look to build on that success as a junior while also taking on an increased scoring role with Pitts graduated.

Rounding out Minnesota’s backcourt are freshmen Taylor Gleason and Kyla Nelson. Gleason comes to Minneapolis after a decorated High School career in which she was named Ms Basketball in Michigan after averaging 27 points, four assists, and three steals per game as a senior. She will add instant offense and leadership to a young Gophers team. Nelson joins the Gophers from Texas where she was ranked as one of the top 100 recruits in the nation by ESPN Hoopgurlz. She brings athleticism and versatility to Minnesota’s guard rotation and will look to make an immediate impact as a freshman

The Forwards

The forwards on the 2019-2020 Minnesota Women’s basketball roster are: Taiye Bello, Mikayla Bailey, Zipporah Broughton, Amy Kloner, and Kendahl Ammerman.

Taiye Bello is a redshirt senior from Coon Rapids Minnesota. She is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 215 pounds. She played in all 34 games for the Gophers last season, starting in 33 of them. She averaged 9.1 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game

Mikayla Bailey is a redshirt junior from Prior Lake Minnesota. She is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 185 pounds. She appeared in 32 games last season for the Gophers, starting eight of them. She averaged 4.4 points per game and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Zipporah Broughton is a redshirt sophomore from Brooklyn Park Minnesota. She is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 190 pounds. She played in all 34 games for the Gophers last season, starting one of them. She averaged 3 points per game and 2 rebounds per game.

Amy Kloner is a sophomore from Eden Prairie Minnesota. She is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 175 pounds. This will be her first season playing for the Gophers after transferring from Drake University.

Kendahl Ammerman is a freshman from Chaska, Minnesota who has not declare a major yet at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. she is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 190 pounds..

The Centers

The University of Minnesota women’s basketball team has five centers on their roster for the 2019-2020 season Here is a brief overview of each player.

Sophie Brunner is a 6’1” center from Ames, Iowa. She is entering her senior season with the Gophers. Brunner averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season.

Taiye Bello is a 6’7” center from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bello is entering her junior season with the Gophers. She averaged 2.3 points and 3 rebounds per game last season.

Bridget Carleton is a 6’1” center from Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Carleton is entering her junior season with the Gophers. She averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds per game last season.

Destiny Pitts is a 6’2” center from Detroit, Michigan. Pitts is entering her sophomore season with the Gophers. She averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds per game last season as a freshman.

Danielle Scoggins is a 6’4” center from Blue Springs Missouri. Scoggins just completed her freshman year at the University of Minnesota and will be looking to make an impact on the court as she enters her sophomore season..

The Coaches

The University of Minnesota women’s Basketball team is coached by head coach Lindsey Whalen and associate Head Coach Marlene Stollings.

Whalen, a former Gopher women’s basketball player herself, is in her first season as Head coach after being hired in April 2018. She is the winningest player in program history, with a career record of 155-74 (.676).

Stollings is also in her first season with the Gophers. She has been a Division I head coach for eight seasons, including stops at Ohio State Virginia Commonwealth and Texas Tech

The Schedule

The 2019-2020 season will feature a number of new and exciting changes for the Minnesota Women’s basketball team The schedule has been released, and it is full of big games and strong opponents. Take a look at some of the highlights below.

The Gophers will open the season with a road game against Syracuse on November 8th. This will be the first time these two teams have met since 2014, when Syracuse won 78-64. The Gophers will look to make a statement in this game and start the season off on the right foot.

After Thanksgiving, Minnesota will take part in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. This year, they will take on Notre Dame at home on December 4th. This will be a great opportunity for the Gophers to show how far they have come since last year’s loss to Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament

conference play will begin on December 27th when Minnesota travels to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. The Wolverines are always tough at home, so the Gophers will need to be ready for a battle.

The Gophers will have many other tough games throughout conference play including home games against Purdue and Iowa and road games at Rutgers and Nebraska. If they can navigate their way through conference play unscathed, they will be in good position to make a run at the Big Ten Championship.

The Rivalries

The Gophers basketball team has some fierce rivals, including the Iowa Hawkeyes the Wisconsin Badgers and the Nebraska Cornhuskers These are the teams that the Gophers love to beat, and they usually rise to the occasion when playing them. The games against these teams are always highly anticipated and usually very intense.

The Fans

The Gophers women’s basketball team is coming off a 27-win season in which they made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen This year, they will look to build on that success with a roster that includes nine returners and six newcomers. head coach Marlene Stollings will once again have a deep and talented team at her disposal, one that is capable of making a run at the Big Ten title and beyond.

Here is a closer look at the 15 players who will be suiting up for Minnesota this season:

RETURNING PLAYERS

Sophie Cunningham
Cunningham is a 6-foot-1 guard who was one of the best players in the Big Ten last season. She averaged 17.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. Cunningham is an excellent all-around player who can score, rebound, and distribute the ball. She will once again be one of the leaders for the Gophers this season.

Alexis Beusly
Beusly is a 6-foot guard who made 26 starts for Minnesota last season. She averaged 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range. Beusly is a good shooter and ball-handler who will once again be asked to play a significant role for the Gophers this season.

Kenisha Bell
Bell is a 5-foot-10 guard who averaged 11.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game last season as a junior. She is an excellent perimeter defender and an explosive scorer who can get to the rim with ease. Bell will be one of Minnesota’s go-to scorers this season as they look to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament

The Venue

The Barn, home of the Gophers women’s basketball team has a capacity of 14,625 fans. The facility opened in 1987 and is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. The court is named after former head coach Cheryl Reeve and the team has played its home games here since 2004. The program has compiled a 274-51 (.840) record at The Barn.

Conclusion

The end of another college Basketball season is near, and for the Minnesota Golden Gophers that means it’s time to say goodbye to a talented and hardworking senior class. This year’s team is young and inexperienced, but they have a lot of potential. Get to know the 2019-2020 Minnesota women’s Basketball Roster so you can be familiar with the team before next season.