Tag: Notre Dame Women’s Basketball

Notre Dame women’s basketball remains perfect with win over Lafayette

Another day, another victory.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is hurting right now. That’s evidenced by the fact that it had only six rotational players available against Lafayette. But the Irish are so talented that they barely had to break a sweat in a 91-55 victory.

The Irish (4-0) never trailed the Leopards (1-3) and did just about everything to keep their perfect record intact. Their offense was in sync as it typically is, which led to a program-record 15 3-pointer. Their defense also was smothering as usual. There was nothing to indicate that the Irish would slip up in this game.

All the Leopards could do was try and give a respectable showing to their home crowd, which they said they did on their postgame TV interviews. They should say that though after only scoring one less point than the Irish in the fourth quarter.

[autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] led everybody with 29 points and five steals. [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] was equally lethal with 20 points and seven assists. [autotag]Emma Risch[/autotag] scored all 12 of her points off the bench on four 3-pointers.

[autotag]Kate Koval[/autotag] flirted with a triple-double with 11 points, 19 rebounds and seven blocks. [autotag]Sonia Citron[/autotag] nearly achieved a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds while also accumulating six assists, three steals and three blocks.

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Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles’ shot from beyond half-court beats buzzer

She is so back.

As successful as Notre Dame was last season, having [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] available might have brought more success. All the Irish can worry about now though is this season, and Miles already is making up for lost time.

In the Irish’s season-opening victory against Mercyhurst, Miles immediately made an impact by recording her fourth career triple-double. She followed that with a 17-point performance in the Irish’s blowout win over Purdue. Her biggest moment in that game didn’t show up in the box score though.

With time running out in the third quarter and the Irish already up by 30, Miles launched a prayer from beyond half-court to try and beat the buzzer. At the exact moment that buzzer sounded, the ball found nothing but the bottom of the net.

It was a moment worthy of being shown on every sports highlight show in the country, and you’ll agree after you see it:

Miles is on a mission this season, and it will be beautiful to watch.

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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.

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South Bend Tribune loses Notre Dame women’s basketball beat reporter

Best of luck to Anthony in the future.

Until recently, this site went on location to cover numerous Notre Dame athletic events. Almost all of them were for basketball. As such, we got to know some of the people who covered the Irish more regularly. One of them no longer will be doing so.

Anthony Anderson, who has covered the Irish women’s basketball team for the South Bend Tribune for over seven years, has announced that he no longer will be doing so on a regular basis. No specific reason was given, and it is not known yet who will replace Anderson on this beat. Still, it is a tough loss for fans of Irish women’s basketball coverage, especially for local readers.

We wish Anderson nothing but the best in his future endeavors, and we’ll do our best to cover what should be a historic season in his absence, even if we won’t actually be on press row ourselves either.

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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

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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 women’s basketball ranked high in preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Big things expected from this years team

The expectations are extremely high for Notre Dame women’s basketball his fall and winter, and that showed today in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The Irish came in as the No. 5 team in the country, ranking behind South Carolina, Connecticut, USC, and Texas. There’s plenty of star power this year inside the top teams as the Juju Watkins of the Trojans, Paige Bueckers of the Huskies and Notre Dame’s [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag].

The Irish’s best player was recently named as a preseason All-American, who is coming off a fantastic freshman season. While Notre Dame didn’t get as far as they would have liked last year, losing to Oregon State in the Sweet 16, this coming season could see a return to the Final Four, the first since 2019.

This team has plenty of talent, and a star in the making in Hidalgo, which could very well result in a fantastic season for head coach Niele Ivey.

ALBANY, NEW YORK – MARCH 29: Hannah Hidalgo #3 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish speaks to head coach Niele Ivey against the Oregon State Beavers during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 29, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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Notre Dame women’s basketball ranks sixth in AP Top 25 Preseason Poll

Get on the bandwagon right now.

The expectations for the Notre Dame women’s basketball team couldn’t be higher. This roster is stacked, and everybody is taking notice. If this year’s Irish don’t get to at least the Final Four, this season widely will be seen as a disappointment.

The AP Top 25 Preseason Poll has been released, and the Irish rank very highly on it. Specifically, they rank sixth, which is the highest they’ve been ranked in this particular poll since they began the 2018-19 season as the top-ranked team fresh off their most recent national championship.

This season will mark the return of [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag], the former national player of the year runner-up who missed all of last season with a knee injury. She’ll be teamed in the backcourt with [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag], who herself was a national player of the year runner-up a season ago. This could be the most lethal guard combo in program history.

The Irish have some injury issues of course, but every team will go through those. They’ll be ready no matter who’s available:

The regular season tips off Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst. It should be a fun few months of Irish women’s basketball.

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Injury updates provided at Notre Dame women’s basketball media day

A mixed bag of news.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team held its local media day Thursday. Irish fans undoubtedly were anxious to hear updates about injuries to numerous players ahead of the team’s open practice Friday. While the updates were in fact there, not all of them were positive.

[autotag]Kylee Watson[/autotag], who tore her ACL during last season’s ACC Tournament, has undergone knee surgery, and there is no timetable for her return. It’s a tough break for someone who started every game until her injury.

[autotag]Maddy Westbeld[/autotag] already had announced that a foot issue would sideline her for the start of the season, and we now know she likely won’t return until early in conference play, which translates into her missing the first two months of game action.

In much better news, [autotag]Emma Risch[/autotag] and [autotag]Cassandre Prosper[/autotag], who had their own seasons cut short by injuries, are fully healthy. And we already knew that [autotag]Olivia Miles[/autotag] will be back to team with [autotag]Hannah Hidalgo[/autotag] in the backcourt.

The Irish open play with an exhibition game Oct. 30 against Davenport, and their regular-season opener will be Nov. 4 against Mercyhurst.

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Notre Dame women’s basketball game times released for Purdue, USC matchups

We know when the Irish will be playing Purdue and USC — and how to watch.

We now know when the Notre Dame women’s basketball team will be playing Purdue and USC — and which networks to watch those games on.

The first Fighting Irish away game of the season will be at Purdue on November 10, and that game will be broadcast on FS1 at 7 pm EST.

Meanwhile, the Irish will travel to Los Angeles on November to take on the Trojans at 4:00 pm EST, just ahead of the football team’s tilt against Army at Yankee Stadium in New York. The game will be broadcast on NBC, leading into the football game.

Notre Dame women’s basketball hasn’t faced USC on the basketball court since 2011.

Jan. 5, 2008; South Bend, IN, USA; Tennessee Lady Volunteers guard Candace Parker (3) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish center Melissa D’Amico (33) jump for the opening tipoff at the Joyce Center. Tennessee won 87-63. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

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