Minnesota women's basketball coach Lindsay Whalen missed the Gophers' 62-49 win Thursday at Rutgers after having an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday.

In Whalen's absence, assistant Carly Thibault-DuDonis served as acting head coach. Thibault-DuDonis' father, Mike Thibault, is head coach of the Washington Mystics.

Whalen's status will be updated before Sunday's home game against No. 10 Maryland, the school said.

Minnesota is currently 8-7.

Whalen was an All-American player at Minnesota before playing 15 seasons in the WNBA, nine with the Minnesota Lynx with whom she won four championships.

Whalen took over as the Gophers' coach in 2018.