Gophers standout Mara Braun is healthy again and headed to a national team tryout camp

Almost exactly seven months ago, Mara Braun took a step during a morning shootaround and felt a familiar feeling in her right foot.

Another season over.

Braun is one of the leaders of the Gophers women’s basketball team. She was one of the jewels of the draft class that came to Minnesota for the 2022-23 season. The 6-1 guard is a leader on defense, a three-level scorer on offense.

But that injured, broken, right foot curtailed her sophomore year at midseason, ended her third year after just five games. It was the same bone that broke, both times. The first while landing on an opponent’s foot after making a three pointer against Illinois in January 2024. The second in a pregame practice.

No more.

After another surgery, after months of rehab, after weeks of full-go workouts and scrimmages, Braun, now a redshirt junior, was with her teammates when the Gophers started summer practice Monday.

And here’s more: Braun is one of 21 athletes invited to the 2025 Team USA women’s AmeriCup Team trials, which will start next Monday in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Braun is part of a who’s who of college stars invited to the camp, which will determine the team — led by Duke coach Kara Lawson — that will represent the United States at the event in Santiago, Chili, June 28-July 6. The group also includes former Duluth Marshall star Gianna Kneepkens.

Braun will head to Colorado healthy, excited, determined.

“I’m going there to make the team,” said Braun, a Big Ten Conference all-freshman team member in 2023 and an all-conference honorable mention pick. “The goal is to go out and compete, be myself, be a great teammate and just be open to learn. Just being in the presence of some of these players I’m going to be with and the coaches is just a great opportunity. But I’m going out to make this team.”

In a way it is a perfect way for Braun, who has been inactive for huge chunks of the past two seasons, to get back her competitive edge. Just the experience of the camp — whether she heads to Chile or not — will help get her back into game shape and ready for game speed.

“I wasn’t expecting too much for this summer,” said Braun, a member of the winning Team USA 3x3 team that won the 2023 Nations League championship in Mongolia. “I hadn’t played for a while, and I knew I had to get back into it. But this is a great opportunity to have, something to look forward to.”

There is a lot for Braun to look forward to. The Gophers, likely an NCAA tournament team when Braun was hurt against Illinois, stumbled down the stretch of that season before catching fire in the WNIT. Last year the Gophers just missed the NCAA tourney. But, after landing in the WBIT, they walked away with the title.

Sitting on the bench, acting like a coach, soaking in the experience, Braun was still a big part of the team. All while being patient with her second post-op go-around, making sure it wouldn’t happen again.

“The team ended up winning,” Braun said. “The WBIT was a big deal.”

And now, bigger goals. This will be Braun’s last season with fellow Minnesotans Amaya Battle and Mallory Heyer, two of the three players who came to the U with her. Braun watched Battle’s game grow, watched Heyer come close to double-doubles many nights, saw freshman Tori McKinney — who stepped into Braun’s starting role — have a strong season.

The entire starting five returns, plus Braun.

“This is a huge year,” Braun said.

Certainly for her, personally. She has put in the work to return. She wants to become more of a three-level scorer, wants to take what she learned acting like a pseudo coach onto the court.

But also, for the team. “I know we’ve been saying it for a while now,” Braun said. “But I truly believe this is our year. We’re excited. We know we don’t have much time left [together].” This will be my last year with Amaya and Mallory. But we are more clear with our identity as a team. What we need to do is win.”

For Braun that road will start in Colorado. She will approach the camp determined that injuries are behind her.

“You have to go out and play with confidence,” she said. “Not think about [injury]. Anything can happen, at any time, but you can’t play with fear. You just go out and enjoy it.”