Which head coach will be the next Final Four newcomer?

COLLEGE PARK, MD - MARCH 25: Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins signals to her players during a NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Second Round game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center Center on March 25, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - MARCH 25: Head coach Cori Close of the UCLA Bruins signals to her players during a NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - Second Round game against the Maryland Terrapins at the Xfinity Center Center on March 25, 2019 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
10 of 10
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 03: Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen reacts to a foul call during a game between the Minnesota Gophers and Michigan State Spartan’s on March 3rd, 2019 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 03: Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Lindsay Whalen reacts to a foul call during a game between the Minnesota Gophers and Michigan State Spartan’s on March 3rd, 2019 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota – The homegrown star and first-year head coach had her alma mater rolling in non-conference play, starting this season 11-0 with eight double-digit wins. The Gophers struggled in the Big Ten, but Whalen has been a winner at every level—college, WNBA, and the USA national team—and there’s a belief around the state that she could get the Gophers to the Final Four for the first time since she took them there as a senior in 2004. If it happens in 2022, when the Final Four will be in Minneapolis, well, that would be icing on the cake.

Love our 24/7 women’s basketball coverage? Join our Patreon now and support this work, while getting extra goodies and subscriber-only content for yourself.