Riding the NCAA tournament bubble, with a rematch with Washington looming in the first round of the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament, Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit used part of her Monday meeting with reporters to make a case for her team deserving a bid.

The Big Ten has been the best conference in women's college basketball all season, with 13 teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament field. I think we'll see the depth on Friday with a trio of upsets. Oregon takes down Indiana, Minnesota upsets Michigan, Nebraska sneaks by Illinois and Iowa knocks off Michigan State.

If there’s to be a third game, on a neutral court in the 2025 Big Ten women’s basketball tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, it won’t come until the final on March 9, as U-M and MSU wound up on opposite sides of the bracket finalized Sunday evening.