Tag: Liatu King

Notre Dame women’s basketball gets third easy win vs. James Madison

The Irish continue to prove how deep they are.

The early part of Notre Dame’s schedule was set up in such a way that it seemingly wouldn’t be challenged early on. So far, that has proved to be the case. After cruising to easy wins over Mercyhurst and Purdue, the Irish continued that trend with a 92-46 victory over James Madison.

For the third time in as many games this season, the Irish (3-0) proved to have far more talent than their opponent, even with injuries tightening their rotation at the moment. That rotation might be tightened further after a hard knock to the floor caused [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] to leave the game early in the fourth quarter with a head injury. Hopefully, she won’t be lost for very long if at all.

The Dukes (3-1) took their lone lead on a 3-pointer early in the first quarter. Most of the time though, the Irish had double the points of the Dukes or close to it. While the Irish were their usual strong selves on both ends, the Dukes did themselves no favors by making only 15 field goals and shooting a putrid 21.7% from the floor:

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] had a typical game of 24 points, six rebounds and four steals. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] also played typically with 16 points, six rebounds and eight assists.

[autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] quickly is becoming an early contender for ACC Rookie of the Year. A night in which she had a line of 14 points, 16 rebounds and six blocks will do that.

King scored 11 points before she went out, and [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag] also had 11 points to go with seven boards off the bench.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Notre Dame women’s basketball clobbers Purdue on road for second win

Make that two blowout wins to start the season.

If an opponent isn’t contending for an ACC or national championship, Notre Dame is likely to run it out of the gym. That’s exactly what happened during the Irish’s first road game of the season against Purdue. Much like with the football team less than two months earlier, this game was never close as the Irish won, 102-58.

The Irish (2-0) scored the game’s first nine points before jumping out to an 18-3 lead and never looking back. Every time the Boilermakers (1-1) got any sort of momentum going, the Irish answered and often expanded their lead. They gave themselves more scoring chances with plays on both ends of the floor and took full advantage.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] had a trademark night with 28 points and six steals. [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] did a tall player’s impression of Hidalgo, scoring 18 points and recording four steals. She also achieved a double-double with 15 rebounds.

[autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] scored 17 points, which included this ridiculous shot from beyond half-court as time expired on the third quarter:

[autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] added 14 points in her season debut after missing the opener with an injury, and [autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] grabbed 10 rebounds while coming within two-points of a double-double.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Olivia Miles triple-double highlights Notre Dame season-opening win

Yeah, she’s back all right.

Notre Dame’s season opener against Mercyhurst was full of storylines. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] was in her first meaningful game since the end of the 2022-23 regular season. The Lakers were playing their first game at the NCAA Division I level.

There was no denying Miles’ proper comeback story though. She recorded the fourth triple-double of her career (20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) to help the Irish crush the Lakers, 105-61. Every starter scored in double figures.

Despite having only seven players healthy enough for their season opener, the Irish (1-0) never let the Lakers (0-1) in the contest. They imposed their will from the opening tip with a well-oiled offense, a stifling defense and numerous high-energy plays that the Lakers simply couldn’t keep up with.

[autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] marked her Irish debut with a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds. [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] just missed a double-double but had 19 points, nine boards and three steals.

[autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots in her first collegiate game. [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag], who missed most of last season because of injury, completed her own comeback story with 17 points.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Three Notre Dame women added to key watch list

Three Notre Dame forwards are up for a key award.

Notre Dame has placed three women’s basketball players on a key watch list.

[autotag]Liza Karlen [/autotag], [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] and [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] are all on the watch list for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award.

Graduate student Karlen averaged 17.7 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game as a senior at Marquette last season, started in all 32 games and was a unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team.

King, who comes to Notre Dame as a graduate student and played at Pittsburgh as a senior, averaged 18.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She also had 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

Westbeld, also a graduate, had 14.4 points per game 8.7 rebounds per game for Notre Dame last season, making 34 starts.

The award is named after Hall of Famer Katrina McClain-Pittman. The retired McClain won two Olympic gold medals and one Olympic bronze and was a two-time USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. The award is given to the best power forward in the country.

Mar 29, 2024; Albany, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Maddy Westbeld (21) shoots a jump shot against Oregon State Beavers forward Timea Gardiner (30) during the first half in the semifinals of the Albany Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the MVP Arena at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tim on X: @tehealey

Photos of Notre Dame women’s basketball exhibition win over Davenport

See how the season unofficially tipped off.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is ready for the season. That much was on display during its lone exhibition game, a 101-41 victory over Davenport.

That the Irish would dominate this game was a given well before the fans filed into Purcell Pavilion. The main attraction was the long-awaited return of [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag], who received a warm ovation while being introduced as part of the starting lineup. Miles made up for lost time by finishing one assist shy of a triple-double: 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] scored 31 points, dished out nine of her own assists and had five steals. [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag], in her first action for the Irish, scored 27 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked three shots. [autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] had 11 points and four blocks.

We should expect a lot of games like this from the Irish this season, especially against inferior opponents. For a better idea, here are some photos from this particular game:

Notre Dame forward Maddy Westbeld will miss start of season

Tough break for the veteran.

[autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] will be a veteran leader on a Notre Dame team full of them during the 2024-25 season. Recognizing the opportunity the Irish have to win a national championship, she chose to use her final year of eligibility and be a part of that effort.

However, the Irish will have to get used to life without Westbeld for now. The 6-foot-3 forward, who averaged 14.4 points, 1.1 blocks and a career-high 8.7 rebounds in 2023-24, is dealing with a foot injury that will keep her out of action at the start of the season. This is unfortunate for a player who has missed only one game during her collegiate career and always been in the starting lineup.

While the Irish have some veteran forward transfers this year in [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] and [autotag]Liza Karlen[/autotag] to help soften this blow, it doesn’t make this setback any easier for Westbeld or her teammates. Here’s what she said on social media:

 

We wish Westbeld the best of luck in her recovery. If the Irish are to have any real success this upcoming season, they’ll need her.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Notre Dame women’s hoops sells 1,000 new season tickets for 2024-25

Time to jump on the bandwagon!

Notre Dame’s women’s basketball team in 2024-25 will have its highest expectations since [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] took over the program. Fans have taken notice of that, and they want to watch the Irish play at Purcell Pavilion. If you need proof of this, look no further than this announcement the Irish made on social media:

If you haven’t gotten on board with Notre Dame women’s basketball, now is the time. [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] is coming off being named First Team All-American as a freshman. All-American [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] will be back after missing all of last season. [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] and [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] also are returning, and the Irish added two quality transfers in [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] and [autotag]Liza Karlen[/autotag].

Anything less than the Final Four for the Irish in 2024-25 will be a disappointment. Ivey has been blessed with the most talent she’s had while leading the program, and it’s up to her to get that talent to mesh.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Notre Dame adds five-star forward Leah Macy to 2025 recruiting class

The Irish just keep adding.

Notre Dame has had a couple of solid additions to its 2024-25 roster via the transfer portal. But [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] also is looking to the future. To that end, five-star forward [autotag]Leah Macy[/autotag] of Bethlehem in Bardstown, Kentucky has been one of the players on her radar. That pursuit officially has paid off with Macy announcing her commitment to the Irish:

And if that tweet isn’t enough for you, check out the awesome video Macy made also announcing her decision.

This past season, the 6-foot-2 Macy averaged 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds a game. ESPN ranks her as the No. 14 recruit in her class, and she can play both forward positions as well as center.

Perhaps it’s not coincidental that Macy announced her decision during the same 24-hour span in which the Irish landed forwards [autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] and [autotag]Liza Karlen[/autotag] for this coming season. While she won’t be teammates with them, she could be part of a new core of bigs that includes incoming freshman [autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag]. Hopefully, Koval will save that seat for her until she arrives.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

First Team All-ACC forward Liatu King transfers to Notre Dame

The Irish thought big in the portal, and they got who they wanted.

[autotag]Liatu King[/autotag] faced Notre Dame six times during her four seasons at Pittsburgh and lost every single time. They say if you can’t beat them, join them. But while it’s unlikely that the Irish’s dominance in their rivalry with the Panthers played a factor, King nonetheless is coming to the Irish for the 2024-25 season via the transfer portal.

The paint still was drying on the news that former Marquette forward [autotag]Liza Karlen[/autotag] had transferred to the Irish when the news about King broke. So in less than 24 hours, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] has added two standout forwards who will turn what had been a roster weakness into a real strength. The expectations for the 2024-25 Irish couldn’t possibly be higher now, and anything less than a Final Four berth will be a big disappointment.

This past season, King was the ACC’s Most Improved Player and made First Team All-ACC. She nearly doubled her scoring average from 9.4 the previous season to 18.7. Her 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game would have led the Irish. She and [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] will be a fantastic post duo and make life miserable for smaller teams.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Niele Ivey, Maddy Westbeld speak after Notre Dame beats Pittsburgh

There was more than basketball to talk about during this game.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Notre Dame’s 78-53 win over Pittsburgh took on a slightly different tone than usual. While there was the usual happiness over beating an ACC opponent handily, that wasn’t the only thing the Irish were celebrating. This game was the annual Think Pink Game that pays tribute to cancer survivors, and many of them were on hand.

Keeping with the spirit of the day, Niele Ivey and Maddy Westbeld talked about the subject that the game was played in awareness of in addition to answering the usual questions about the game and the team. In fact, some of the questions also were about cancer affecting their personal lives and the community in general. It was the least they could do for a game like this.

Also keeping in the spirit of the dominant win, Ivey and Westbeld were very relaxed and joking during their postgame news conference. Here’s some of what they had to say: