Tag: Niele Ivey

Five former Notre Dame players among top 20 WNBA scorers

These ladies are making Irish fans proud.

Before too long, Notre Dame coach [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] will be sending players she’s had as head coach to the WNBA. For now though, a few of [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag]’s former players are tearing the league up through their scoring. But a lot of people might not seem to realize just how much they’re lighting up the scoreboard.

While most fans are focused on the budding rivalry between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, just as much focus should be going to the professionals the Irish have developed. If you need more convincing of that, check out this tweet from @trendyhoopstars:

That’s unbelievable. It’s a testament to how great the program has been for a while now but especially during McGraw’s final decade coaching the Irish. It should come as no surprise that these players have blossomed professionally and are giving the development at some other prominent women’s basketball schools a run for their money. UConn and South Carolina aren’t the only two programs worthy of attention.

So who are the former Irish players turning heads through the first month-and-a-half of the WNBA season, and where do they rank among the league’s scoring leaders? It’s these five:

Detroit Pistons fire Notre Dame alumnus Monty Williams as coach

New team leadership has declared Williams an expensive sunk cost.

A year ago, Notre Dame alumnus [autotag]Monty Williams[/autotag] received the biggest coaching contract in NBA history. It turned out to be a very bad investment for the Detroit Pistons, who lost a single-season record 28 straight games en route to finishing a franchise-worst 14-68. That will be the only season Williams sees from the bench.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Pistons have fired Williams. This comes less than a month after the hiring of Trajan Langdon as president of basketball operations. The Pistons still owe Williams over $65 million.

One thing Williams and Pistons ownership didn’t agree on as highlighted in the USA TODAY report was how to use second-year guard Jaden Ivey, son of Notre Dame women’s basketball coach [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag]. Obviously, that only was the tip of the iceberg.

The Pistons hired Williams after he was fired by the Phoenix Suns, whom he took to the 2021 NBA Finals. His wife also had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Here’s hoping he can take some time off now to focus on the truly important things in life.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Photos I took while reporting at Notre Dame this past year

Miss being on campus?

Some of you loyal site readers, particularly of the basketball coverage, may know I traveled to Notre Dame several times over the past year. As I was there, the fact that I was doing my reporting on a prestigious campus was not lost on me. I had been to campus once for the football team’s 2012 game against Michigan, so I needed to re-familiarize myself with my surroundings.

There were a couple of instances in which I found myself with more downtime than I needed, so I took those opportunities to explore the campus. A few photos came from sitting inside Purcell Pavilion while the women’s team held a practice that was open to the public (after which I introduced myself to [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag]). The rest came from other places around campus that I thought were interesting, some of them better known than others. So while you continue to count down the days to football season, I hope these photos tide you over:

Former five-star recruit Emma Risch arrives at Notre Dame

The Irish are excited about this one.

Even with [autotag]Emma Risch[/autotag] having put pen to paper, [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] and her staff surely still couldn’t believe it had happened. One of the country’s top recruits, Risch officially signed with Notre Dame in November. However, they can put all their disbelief away now. Risch is all moved into her home for the next few years, and the Irish’s Twitter account took full advantage in making a fuss about it:

Risch averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists over 24 games in her final season at the high school level. When her signing was announced, Ivey said the following:

“Emma is one of the best shooters I’ve seen in a very long time. She has an incredible IQ, deep shooting range and elite vision. Her size and ability to score in all three levels separates her and will translate to college basketball immediately. I’m looking forward to the positive impact she will make on our team on and off the court. We can’t wait to welcome her to South Bend!”

Well, the welcome has happened, and it will be exciting to watch what she can do.

Fourth anniversary of Niele Ivey’s hiring as Notre Dame coach

A look back at Ivey coaching the Irish so far.

Monday meant four years since [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] took over the Notre Dame women’s basketball program. Hall of Famer [autotag]Muffet McGraw[/autotag] had been at the helm for 33 years, but she chose to retire after completing the worst season of her career. While Ivey had plentiful experience as an assistant coach, including on McGraw’s staff, the question obviously was whether she could be a worthy successor to her mentor.

Four years later, Ivey has laid the groundwork for her own long tenure as Irish coach. She has accumulated an 89-32 record, made three straight Sweet 16s for the NCAA Tournament and won both an ACC regular-season championship and ACC Tournament championship. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to a win a national championship like she did as a player for the 2001 Irish.

Until that national title comes, Irish fans can be happy to know the program is in good hands with Ivey. Here are some images of her tenure so far:

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

Notre Dame loses two rotational players to transfer portal

Notre Dame widely is expected to compete for a Final Four berth during the 2024-25 season.

Notre Dame widely is expected to compete for a Final Four berth during the 2024-25 season. However, a couple of players have chosen to take their talents elsewhere. Forward Natalija Marshall has announced that she will enter the transfer portal:

https://www.instagram.com/natalijamarshall/p/C5meAvQN9Ro/?hl=en

This news dropped only two days after sophomore guard KK Bransford also announced she was entering the transfer portal:

https://www.instagram.com/kkbransford/p/C5dqbVFunv3/?hl=en

Marshall will leave the Irish despite starting their final four games of this past season for the injured [autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag]. In three seasons with the Irish, Marshall averaged 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds a game.

Bransford is out after only two years with the Irish. In her 66 games, she made 19 starts and averaged 7.5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game.

[autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] already is down two players whom she played regularly. That hurts regardless of the talent coming in via the transfer portal and the 2024 recruiting class. Whatever the reason though, this is a sure sign that the new season already is here.

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, Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld speak after Notre Dame loss

Niele Ivey surely has to be bothered that she still can’t get over the Sweet 16 hump as a head coach. Yes, Notre Dame was ravaged of depth and height by season’s end, but that likely doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow. Still, she has no …

[autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] surely has to be bothered that she still can’t get over the Sweet 16 hump as a head coach. Yes, Notre Dame was ravaged of depth and height by season’s end, but that likely doesn’t make the pill any easier to swallow. Still, she has no choice after the Irish lost to Oregon State in Albany Regional 1, 70-65. It’s the third straight season the Irish have been stopped short of the Elite Eight.

Among those returning next year will be guard [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag]. In three NCAA Tournament games this season, she averaged 22.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 assists while shooting 47.4% from the field. She will be key to the success of the 2024-25 Irish.

Unknown at this point is whether [autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] will exercise her final year of eligibility and return to the Irish for a fifth season. She averaged 16.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game in March Madness. Hopefully for Irish fans, it won’t take much convincing for her to come back, especially with a healthy team sure to have high expectations.

Ivey, Citron and Westbeld all spoke to the media shortly after their season ended. Here’s what they had to say:

Photos of Notre Dame’s season-ending loss to Oregon State in Sweet 16

See how the 2023-24 Irish wrapped up play, even if they surely didn’t want to.

Three straight years, Notre Dame has made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Three straight years, it has been eliminated from the tournament in that round. [autotag]Niele Ivey[/autotag] will have to wait at least one more season for her first Elite Eight berth as a head coach. But right now, she and the rest of the Irish are left to contemplate their 70-65 loss to Oregon State.

Many hoped this season would go at least one more game. The Irish had the personnel to do it, and they were in this loss until only seconds remained. But the depth and size issues even the biggest Irish fans couldn’t ignore finally caught up to them, and both of those issues were on display in this final contest of the season.

The hope now is that the Irish can get healthy and make a serious run at next year’s national title. Until then, here are some of images from the game that stopped the Irish from pursuing this year’s championship any further:

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