Ohio State Women’s Basketball pushes into Big Ten tournament semifinals as Minnesota’s momentum builds
ohio state women’s basketball is moving on in the Big Ten tournament, reaching the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years as of 7: 10 PM ET on March 6, 2026. The Buckeyes’ latest step forward comes as Minnesota is also drawing attention in the conference, with a 60-55 game result against Ohio State on March 6, 2026. The broader picture in the Big Ten is tightening fast: postseason wins are stacking up, and the race for national positioning is colliding with recruiting momentum in key states.
Ohio State Women’s Basketball advances, semifinals now in view
ohio state women’s basketball has advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals, marking a fourth semifinal appearance in the last five years. The development underscores the program’s continued presence in the conference’s late-stage postseason rounds, with the current tournament week now turning toward the next game on the bracket.
On the same date, March 6, 2026, a recap headline documents a 60-55 Ohio State–Minnesota final. Beyond the result itself, the immediate takeaway for the tournament picture is straightforward: Ohio State is still alive deep into the Big Ten tournament, and the semifinals round is now the next checkpoint.
Minnesota’s surge fuels recruiting buzz as the Big Ten spotlight intensifies
Minnesota enters this moment with a wave of attention around the state’s high school basketball scene. Gophers women’s coach Dawn Plitzuweit has been visibly active in recruiting and has built momentum with a strong season that is generating interest among top prospects in Minnesota.
In the days before a West Coast road trip earlier this season, Plitzuweit attended Crosby-Ironton senior Tori Oehrlein’s 5, 000-point career milestone on Jan. 16, a gesture Oehrlein said “meant a lot” and reflected recruiting priorities. Oehrlein, who signed with Minnesota in November, pointed to Plitzuweit’s impact and game understanding, saying the coach “really pushes her players” and has “a great IQ for the game, ” with that showing late in the season.
The Gophers are 22-7 overall and 13-5 in the Big Ten, ranked No. 19 nationally, and seeded fourth in the Big Ten tournament this week. Minnesota is predicted to make its first NCAA tournament since 2018, and on March 1 the projected top 16 seeds in the NCAA women’s tournament listed Minnesota at No. 15—positioning that would potentially allow the program to host the first two rounds.
Five-star Duluth Marshall sophomore Chloe Johnson called Minnesota “a really fun team to watch, ” adding she is “excited to keep watching them. ” Hill-Murray coach Betty Trull also described the program’s rise as “super fun to watch, ” referencing sophomore Tori McKinney’s growth into Minnesota’s points-per-game leader and emphasizing the coaching staff’s presence and investment across the state.
Immediate reactions: what key voices are saying right now
Oehrlein described a shift in belief around the program, saying, “I’d say a lot people didn’t have faith, ” before adding she felt Plitzuweit would “turn the program around and surprise a lot of people. ” Johnson’s view from the recruiting landscape was similarly clear: “I think they’ve had a really good season so far. I’m excited to keep watching them. ”
Trull, who has trained McKinney since high school, said of the sophomore’s jump, “When she went to college, she was able to open up her game, ” and added that the Gophers’ staff is “so invested in Minnesota. ”
What’s next as the bracket tightens
For ohio state women’s basketball, the immediate next development is the Big Ten tournament semifinals, with the program now one step closer to the title round after reaching this stage for the fourth time in five years.
At the same time, Minnesota’s season-long rise—paired with national seeding projections and growing in-state recruiting energy—sets up a high-stakes closing stretch where postseason results and program momentum will be judged side by side, starting with what unfolds next in the Big Ten tournament week.
