U's Kayla Mershon ready for mixed emotions facing former team

Kayla Mershon feels like she's back home, but she's about to revisit her old haunts.

Mershon is just beginning her Minnesota women's basketball career. The 6-3 post player has been eligible since late December.

Tuesday's game at Nebraska will be her sixth game in a Gophers jersey, and it will be her first against the team she began her college career with.

Follow the play-by-play of today's Gophers-Nebraska game here,

"There are a lot of emotions," Mershon said before practice Monday. "Excitement. Nervousness. It's kind of a surreal feeling."

A former star at Minnetonka High School — the Skippers won a Class 4A state title in 2016 — Mershon originally went to Nebraska, where she played in 60 games over two seasons, starting five and averaging 2.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 14.6 minutes per game.

After last season she felt it was time for a change. It wasn't necessarily playing time because she knew she'd have to earn that wherever she went. It was more a feeling, outside of basketball.

That led her back to Minnesota. Almost as soon as her name hit the transfer portal the Gophers called. Coach Lindsay Whalen had watched her for two years and new what she could do. Minnesota needed depth in the post.

"It was nice," Mershon said. "They could see my potential. That made it a smooth transition."

The original plan was for Mershon to sit out a year after the transfer. COVID-19 and the NCAA's ruling on eligibility during the pandemic made Mershon apply for, and ultimately be granted, eligibility.

Since then she has played in five games, started one, and averaged 4.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 21.4 minutes per game.

She is part of a post rotation that Whalen, frankly, wants more production from. The Gophers are 2-7 overall, including a 1-6 start in conference play.

"I told them, 'We need you,'" Whalen said. "I'm leaning on those guys."

The group hasn't yet consistently carried over strong practices into games. Sissoko had back-to-back double-doubles against Wisconsin and Iowa, but has scored just 10 points on 3-for-15 shooting with five rebounds while battling foul trouble in the past two games.

Whalen would like Sissoko to finish better, Mershon to rebound more, Bagwell-Katalinich to score more.

"We have to keep pushing 'em," Whalen said. "They've played a lot of college basketball, so it's there."

It is especially important against a Nebraska team that features 6-5 center Kate Cain, this week's conference player of the week after coming one block short of a triple-double in Nebraska's win over previously unbeaten Ohio State.

For Mershon it couldn't come at a better time, or in a better place. It would be nice to have a statement game against her old team.