This has been a pretty good week for Gophers women’s basketball center Sophie Hart.
Gophers center Sophie Hart is granted an extra year of eligibility by NCAA
The Gophers learned Tuesday that center Sophie Hart, a former Farmington High School standout, will be able to return to Minnesota next season.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 29, 2025 at 12:10AM
On Sunday, Hart played perhaps her best college game, scoring 16 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field, making all six of her free-throw tries, grabbing five offensive rebounds and tying a career high with four assists in the Gophers’ 71-50 victory over Wisconsin.
And now, Hart has been granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.
Hart and Gophers coach Dawn Plitzuweit learned the good news Tuesday, months after applying for the waiver.
“We were more hopeful than anything else,” Plitzuweit said. “You’re kind of hopeful she’d have a chance. It’s great news for her and for the program.”
A former Farmington High School standout, the 6-5 Hart originally went to North Carolina State but played sparingly as a freshman. After brief appearances in five games as a sophomore, Hart entered her name in the transfer portal, ultimately choosing Minnesota.
She sat out the rest of the 2022-23 season, chose to stay with the Gophers after the coaching transition from Lindsay Whalen to Plitzuweit, and has been a starter since the beginning of last season.
Now she will be able to return for the Gophers next season. Had she not gotten the waiver, the Gophers would have had to find a post player for next year, as backup center Annika Stewart is in her fifth and final year of eligibility.
Hart averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 23.7 minutes for the Gophers last season. This season, splitting time with Stewart, Hart is averaging 19.6 minutes, 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.
John Gilbert covered hockey for three decades, hitting pros, preps and colleges, sometimes all at once.
