In her first public comments since her dismissal, Blodgett said Thursday she was first told there was a divide in the locker room when she was asked to resign. She says that after her players rallied behind her, Athletic Director Steve Abbott announced she was being fired over the team’s performance.

Her teams had a record of 24-94 in her four years — including 4-25 this season.

But she predicted her team would’ve won 12 to 15 games if she’d been allowed to finish out her contract, which was extended last September.

As a player in the 1990s, Blodgett took the team to the NCAA tournament four times and was the nation’s scoring leader two straight years.