Notre Dame Fighting Irish | ||||
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University | University of Notre Dame | |||
First season | 1977–78 | |||
Athletic director | Pete Bevacqua | |||
Head coach | Niele Ivey (5th season) | |||
Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference | |||
Location | Notre Dame, Indiana | |||
Arena | Purcell Pavilion at the Edmund P. Joyce Center (capacity: 9,149) | |||
Nickname | Fighting Irish | |||
Colors | Blue and gold [1] | |||
Uniforms | ||||
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NCAA tournament champions | ||||
2001, 2018 | ||||
NCAA tournament runner-up | ||||
2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019 | ||||
NCAA tournament Final Four | ||||
1997, 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 | ||||
NCAA tournament Elite Eight | ||||
1997, 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 | ||||
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | ||||
1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament round of 32 | ||||
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
NCAA tournament appearances | ||||
1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 | ||||
Conference tournament champions | ||||
1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 (MCC) 2013 (Big East) 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2024 (ACC) | ||||
Conference regular season champions | ||||
1985, 1986 (North Star) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 (MCC) 2001, 2012, 2013 (Big East) 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023 (ACC) |
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team is the intercollegiate women's basketball program representing University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. The program currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I. The Fighting Irish play their home games in the Purcell Pavilion at the Edmund P. Joyce Center, and are currently coached by Niele Ivey.
Former coach Muffet McGraw was the women's head coach from 1987 to 2020 [2] and led the Irish to two national championships in 2001 and 2018. [3] The Irish's first national championship team in 2001 was led by 6-foot-5 center and future WNBA star Ruth Riley, [4] who led the Irish past Purdue 68–66.
Under McGraw's stewardship, Notre Dame has reached the Final Four nine times (1997, 2001, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019), [3] [5] which currently ranks 5th all time in NCAA history. Notre Dame has made it to the Sweet Sixteen in each of the last ten seasons (2010–19), has won 20 or more games in 24 of the past 25 seasons, and has won 30 or more games in eight consecutive seasons (2011–19). [3] The Irish have made 26 NCAA tournament appearances as of the end of the 2018–19 season, including a current streak of 24 appearances. [3] In the current streak, Notre Dame has made it to the second round in all but one of the appearances. [3]
McGraw would take the Fighting Irish back to the Final Four in 2011 under the play of star point guard Skylar Diggins, beating Pat Summitt's Tennessee Lady Volunteers; the program's first win against the Lady Vols in 21 tries. That win was followed by an upset of the number one-ranked UConn Huskies (making Notre Dame the first team ever to beat both Tennessee and UConn in the same tournament) to advance the Fighting Irish to the 2011 championship game, where it lost to Texas A&M. [6] The Irish would return to the championship game in 2012, losing to unbeaten Baylor after winning the Big East regular season title and beating UConn again to reach the final.
In the 2012–2013 season, the Irish, led by Diggins and shooting guard Kayla McBride, posted their best regular season record in school history (31–1), despite losing Big East defensive player of the year Devereaux Peters and two other starters to graduation. Their only regular season loss was to Baylor, and the team posted wins over #9 Tennessee in Knoxville and a narrow 1 point at #1 Connecticut. The Irish completed an undefeated 16–0 Big East regular season championship vs #3 Connecticut in the final game of the season, winning a triple overtime thriller to close out Diggins’ career in South Bend. UConn and Notre Dame would again meet in the Big East Tournament final, with Notre Dame winning narrowly 61–59 to claim their first ever Big East tournament championship. Notre Dame had lost to UConn in the finale 6 previous times.
Notre Dame made it to the national championship game in 2014 and 2015, twice losing to Connecticut.
After an injury plagued start to the 2017–18 season, which saw four Irish players lost to injury, Notre Dame won its second national championship by beating Mississippi State 61–58. Junior guard Arike Ogunbowale scored the game winning three point shot with one-tenth of a second left, two days after scoring a similar buzzer beater to knock out Connecticut in the semifinal game. The win was coach McGraw's second national championship and 800th win at Notre Dame. [7] Four of the returning five starters, including Ogunbowale, Jackie Young, Marina Mabrey and Jessica Shepard, returned to the Final Four the following year. [5] The Irish would beat Uconn 81–76 before falling by 1 point to Baylor, 82–81.
The Irish are now coached under former player and star Niele Ivey, who in her third season has led the team to an ACC regular season conference championship and a trip to the sweet sixteen.
Naismith College Player of the Year
AP National Player of the Year
Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year
NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player
Naismith College Coach of the Year
ACC Athlete of the Year
ACC Player of the Year
ACC Defensive Player of the Year
ACC Rookie of the Year
Big East Freshman of the Year
Big East Defensive Player of the Year
Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League Player of the Year
North Star Conference Player of the Year
ACC Coach of the Year
Big East Coach of the Year
Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League Coach of the Year
North Star Conference Coach of the Year
Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sharon Petro ()(1977–1980) | |||||||||
1977–78 | Sharon Petro | 13–4 | — | — | |||||
1978–79 | Sharon Petro | 16–6 | — | — | |||||
1979–80 | Sharon Petro | 20–10 | — | — | |||||
Petro: | 49–20 (.710) | ||||||||
Mary DiStanislao ()(1980–1983) | |||||||||
1980–81 | Mary DiStanislao | 10–18 | – | — | — | ||||
1981–82 | Mary DiStanislao | 16–9 | – | — | — | ||||
1982–83 | Mary DiStanislao | 20–7 | – | — | — | ||||
Mary DiStanislao (North Star Conference)(1983–1987) | |||||||||
1983–84 | Mary DiStanislao | 14–14 | 6–4 | — | — | ||||
1984–85 | Mary DiStanislao | 20–8 | 13–1 | 1st | — | ||||
1985–86 | Mary DiStanislao | 23–8 | 13–1 | 1st | — | ||||
1986–87 | Mary DiStanislao | 12–15 | 4–2 | — | — | ||||
DiStanislao: | 115–79 (.593) | ||||||||
Muffet McGraw (North Star Conference)(1987–1988) | |||||||||
1987–88 | Muffet McGraw | 20–8 | 7–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
Muffet McGraw (Midwestern Collegiate Conference)(1987–1994) | |||||||||
1988–89 | Muffet McGraw | 21–11 | 12–2 | T-1st | 7th in NWIT | ||||
1989–90 | Muffet McGraw | 23–6 | 16–0 | 1st | — | ||||
1990–91 | Muffet McGraw | 23–9 | 15–1 | 1st | 8th in NWIT | ||||
1991–92 | Muffet McGraw | 14–17 | 8–4 | 2nd | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
1992–93 | Muffet McGraw | 15–12 | 11–5 | T-2nd | — | ||||
1993–94 | Muffet McGraw | 22–7 | 10–2 | 1st | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
1994–95 | Muffet McGraw | 21–10 | 15–1 | 1st | 3rd in NWIT | ||||
Muffet McGraw (Big East)(1995–2013) | |||||||||
1995–96 | Muffet McGraw | 23–8 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
1996–97 | Muffet McGraw | 31–7 | 17–1 | 2nd | NCAA Final Four | ||||
1997–98 | Muffet McGraw | 22–10 | 12–6 | T-4th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
1998–99 | Muffet McGraw | 26–5 | 15–3 | 3rd | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
1999–00 | Muffet McGraw | 27–5 | 15–1 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2000–01 | Muffet McGraw | 34–2 | 15–1 | T-1st | NCAA Champions | ||||
2001–02 | Muffet McGraw | 20–10 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
2002–03 | Muffet McGraw | 21–11 | 10–6 | 5th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2003–04 | Muffet McGraw | 21–11 | 12–4 | T-2nd | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2004–05 | Muffet McGraw | 27–6 | 13–3 | T-2nd | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
2005–06 | Muffet McGraw | 18–12 | 8–8 | 10th | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
2006–07 | Muffet McGraw | 20–12 | 10–6 | 5th | NCAA 2nd Round | ||||
2007–08 | Muffet McGraw | 25–9 | 11–5 | 4th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2008–09 | Muffet McGraw | 22–9 | 10–6 | T-4th | NCAA 1st Round | ||||
2009–10 | Muffet McGraw | 29–6 | 12–4 | T-4th | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2010–11 | Muffet McGraw | 31–8 | 13–3 | T-2nd | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
2011–12 | Muffet McGraw | 35–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
2012–13 | Muffet McGraw | 35–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
Muffet McGraw (ACC)(2013–2020) | |||||||||
2013–14 | Muffet McGraw | 37–1 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
2014–15 | Muffet McGraw | 36–3 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Runner-up | ||||
2015–16 | Muffet McGraw | 33–2 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
2016–17 | Muffet McGraw | 33–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | ||||
2017–18 | Muffet McGraw | 35–3 | 15–1 | T-1st | NCAA Champions | ||||
2018–19 | Muffet McGraw | 35–4 | 14–2 | T-1st | NCAA Runner-Up | ||||
2019–20 | Muffet McGraw | 13–18 | 8–10 | T-9th | |||||
Muffet McGraw: | 848–248 (.774) | 245–89 (.734) | |||||||
Niele Ivey (ACC)(2020–present) | |||||||||
2020–21 | Niele Ivey | 10–10 | 8–7 | 6th | |||||
2021–22 | Niele Ivey | 24–10 | 13–5 | T-3rd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
2022–23 | Niele Ivey | 27–6 | 15–3 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
2023–24 | Niele Ivey | 28–7 | 13–5 | T-2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
Niele Ivey: | 89–32 (.736) | 49–20 (.710) | |||||||
Total: | 1,098–378 (.744) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
Notre Dame has played in 27 NCAA Tournaments with a record of 69–25.
Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | #12 | Round of 64 | #5 UCLA | L 72–93 |
1994 | #7 | Round of 64 | #10 Minnesota | L 76–81 |
1996 | #12 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #5 Purdue #4 Texas Tech | W 73–60 L 67–82 |
1997 | #6 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #11 Memphis #3 Texas #2 Alabama #5 George Washington #3 Tennessee | W 93–62 W 86–83 W 87–81 W 62–52 L 66–80 |
1998 | #9 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #8 Southwest Missouri State #1 Texas Tech #4 Purdue | W 78–64 W 62–52 L 65–70 |
1999 | #5 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #12 Saint Mary's (Calif) #4 LSU | W 61–57 L 64–74 |
2000 | #2 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #15 San Diego #7 George Washington #3 Texas Tech | W 87–61 W 95–60 L 65–69 |
2001 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Alcorn State #8 Michigan #5 Utah #3 Vanderbilt #1 Connecticut #3 Purdue | W 98–49 W 88–54 W 69–54 W 72–64 W 90–75 W 68–66 |
2002 | #7 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #10 New Mexico #2 Tennessee | W 58–44 L 50–89 |
2003 | #11 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #6 Arizona #3 Kansas State #2 Purdue | W 59–47 W 59–53 L 47–66 |
2004 | #5 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #5 Southwest Missouri State #13 Middle Tennessee #1 Penn State | W 69–65OT W 59–46 L 49–55 |
2005 | #4 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #13 Santa Barbara #5 Arizona State | W 61–51 L 61–70 |
2006 | #9 | Round of 64 | #8 Boston College | L 61–78 |
2007 | #9 | Round of 64 Round of 32 | #8 California #1 North Carolina | W 62–59 L 51–60 |
2008 | #5 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #12 SMU #4 Oklahoma #1 Tennessee | W 75–62 W 79–75OT L 64–74 |
2009 | #7 | Round of 64 | #10 Minnesota | L 71–79 |
2010 | #2 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #15 Cleveland State #10 Vermont #3 Oklahoma | W 86–58 W 84–66 L 72–77OT |
2011 | #2 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #15 Utah #10 Temple #6 Oklahoma #1 Tennessee #1 Connecticut #2 Texas A&M | W 67–54 W 77–64 W 78–53 W 73–59 W 72–63 L 70–76 |
2012 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Liberty #8 California #5 St. Bonaventure #2 Maryland #1 Connecticut #1 Baylor | W 74–43 W 73–62 W 79–35 W 80–49 W 83–75OT L 61–80 |
2013 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four | #16 Tennessee-Martin #9 Iowa #12 Kansas #2 Duke #1 Connecticut | W 97–64 W 74–57 W 93–63 W 87–76 L 65–83 |
2014 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Robert Morris #9 Arizona State #5 Oklahoma State #2 Baylor #4 Maryland #1 Connecticut | W 93–42 W 84–67 W 89–72 W 88–69 W 87–61 L 58–79 |
2015 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Montana #9 DePaul #4 Stanford #2 Baylor #1 South Carolina #1 Connecticut | W 77–43 W 79–67 W 81–60 W 77–68 W 66–65 L 53–63 |
2016 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #16 North Carolina A&T #9 Indiana #4 Stanford | W 95–61 W 87–70 L 84–90 |
2017 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 Robert Morris #9 Purdue #5 Ohio State #2 Stanford | W 79–49 W 88–82OT W 99–76 L 75–76 |
2018 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Cal-State Northridge #9 Villanova #4 Texas A&M #2 Oregon #1 Connecticut #1 Mississippi St. | W 99–81 W 98–72 W 90–84 W 84–74 W 91–89OT W 61–58 |
2019 | #1 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship | #16 Bethune-Cookman #9 Michigan State #4 Texas A&M #2 Stanford #2 Connecticut #1 Baylor | W 92–50 W 91–63 W 87–80 W 84–68 W 81–76 L 81–82 |
2022 | #5 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #12 UMass #4 Oklahoma #1 NC State | W 89–78 W 108–64 L 63–66 |
2023 | #3 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #14 Southern Utah #11 Mississippi State #2 Maryland | W 82–56 W 53–48 L 59–76 |
2024 | #2 | Round of 64 Round of 32 Sweet Sixteen | #14Kent State #7 Ole Miss #3 Oregon State | W 81–67 W 71–56 L 65–70 |
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division I in all sports, with many teams competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Notre Dame is one of only 16 universities in the United States that play Division I FBS football and Division I men's ice hockey. The school colors are gold and blue and the mascot is the Leprechaun. It was founded on November 23, 1887, with football in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter is a retired American professional basketball player, playing most recently for the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA women's championship in 2001, and her Detroit Shock team won the WNBA championship in 2003 and 2006. Riley was the Most Valuable Player in the 2001 and 2003 championship series, becoming the first person to win the MVP awards in both the NCAA and the WNBA championships. She has also played on teams that won the National Women's Basketball League (NWBL) championship, the gold medal at the Olympic Games, and the 2010 EuroCup Championship. In 2019, Riley was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
The following are the basketball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.
Coquese Makebra Washington is a basketball coach and former player who is currently the head women's basketball coach for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Washington holds a law degree and was the first president of the WNBA Players Association, holding that position from 1999 to 2001. She played high school basketball at Flint Central High School and collegiate basketball at the University of Notre Dame.
Ann "Muffet" McGraw is an American former college basketball coach, who served as the head women's basketball coach at Notre Dame from 1987 to 2020, compiling a 848–252 (.771) record over 33 seasons.
Niele Deirdre Jamillah Viveca Ivey is an American college basketball coach and the current head coach for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team. She is a former Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Indiana Fever, Detroit Shock, and Phoenix Mercury. Prior to her move to the NBA in August 2019, she was an assistant coach for the University of Notre Dame women's basketball team, where she had played in college. She was an All-American point guard and became the 17th player in school history to record over 1,000 career points. She received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award presented for the nation's top player under 5'8" in 2001. She would go on to lead the Irish women to their first NCAA Championship in 2001, in her hometown of St. Louis as a fifth-year senior.
The Big East Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the women's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the 1982–83 season, the first in which the Big East sponsored women's basketball. The current Big East claims the history of the original Big East Conference, which split along football lines in 2013, with three members leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference, the seven members that did not field teams in NCAA Division I FBS leaving to form a new Big East Conference, and the remaining FBS schools continuing to operate under the original Big East charter with the new name of American Athletic Conference.
Skylar Kierra Diggins-Smith is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diggins was drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the 2013 WNBA draft. In high school, she was the National Gatorade Player of the Year and the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year. She played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and led the team to three consecutive Final Fours and two consecutive NCAA championship appearances. She finished her Notre Dame career ranked first in points and steals, second in assists, and as a two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation.
Bird at the Buzzer is a 2011 sports book written by Jeff Goldberg about the 2001 Big East Championship women's basketball game between the University of Connecticut and Notre Dame, a pivotal game in the rivalry between the two teams.
The 2010–11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2010–2011 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Irish, coached by Muffet McGraw, play their home games at the Edmund P. Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish, members of the Big East Conference, finished runners-up in the Big East regular season and conference tournament, and also in the NCAA tournament.
The 2012–13 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began in November and ended with the Final Four in New Orleans, April 7–9.
The 2013–14 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented University of Notre Dame during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Irish, led by twenty-seventh year head coach Muffet McGraw, played their home games at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center and were 1st year members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season with 37–1 overall, 16–0 in ACC play to win both of the ACC Regular Season and Tournament. They earned an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament where they defeated Robert Morris in the first round, Arizona State in the second round, Oklahoma State in the Sweet Sixteen, and Baylor in the Elite Eight to make it to their sixth Final Four, where they defeated Maryland. In the championship game, they lost to Connecticut, ending their school-record 37-game streak.
The 2017–18 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Irish, led by thirty-first year head coach Muffet McGraw, played their home games at Edmund P. Joyce Center as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. McGraw was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame at the start of the season. The Irish finished the season 35–3, 15–1 in ACC play to earn a share of the regular season championship. They defeated Virginia and Florida State before losing to Louisville in the ACC Women's Tournament championship. They received an at-large bid as the No. 1 seed in the Spokane region. They defeated Cal State Northridge and Villanova to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. There they defeated Texas A&M and Oregon to advance to the Final Four. After upsetting then-unbeaten Connecticut 91–89 in overtime in the Final Four, Notre Dame played Mississippi State in the national championship. The Irish edged the Bulldogs 61–58 by Arike Ogunbowale's three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left on the clock, capturing their second national title in 18 years. The Irish became the first team in NCAA Women's Basketball history to trail by double digits in both the semifinal and National Championship games and come back to win.
The 2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The game was played on April 1, 2018, at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs to win their second national championship.
Arike Ogunbowale is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, before being drafted by the Wings with the fifth overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. She was the Most Outstanding Player of Notre Dame's 2018 national title run, hitting game-winning baskets in both the semi-final and championship game. Arike Ogunbowale was named WNBA All Star MVP in 2021 and 2024.
The 2019 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 2019 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It determined the national champion for the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The game was played on April 7, 2019, at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, between Notre Dame and Baylor. Baylor won its third NCAA Championship, defeating the Fighting Irish, 82-81.
The 2019–20 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Irish, led by 33rd year head coach Muffet McGraw, played their home games at Edmund P. Joyce Center as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The 2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball championship game was the final game of the 2014 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. It determined the national champion for the 2013–14 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The game matched the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the UConn Huskies and was played on April 8, 2014, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 2011–12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented University of Notre Dame during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Irish, led by twenty-fifth year head coach Muffet McGraw, played their home games at the Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center and were 1st year members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season with 35–4 overall, 15–1 in Big East play to win the Big East regular season title. They earned an at-large bid to the 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament where they defeated Liberty in the first round, California in the second round, St. Bonaventure in the Sweet Sixteen, and Maryland in the Elite Eight to make it to their fourth Final Four, where they defeated UConn. In the championship game they lost to Baylor, 80–61. The Lady Bears became the first team to finish a season 40–0.
The 2000–01 Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 2000–01 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Fighting Irish, led by fourteenth-year head coach Muffet McGraw, played their home games at Edmund P. Joyce Center as members of the Big East Conference. The Irish finished the season 34–2, 15–1 in Big East play to earn a share of the regular season championship. They defeated Virginia and Florida State before losing to UConn in the Big East Women's Tournament championship. Notre Dame received an at-large bid as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest (Denver) region. They defeated Alcorn State and Michigan to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. There they defeated Utah and Vanderbilt to advance to the Final Four. The Fighting Irish exacted some revenge over the No. 1 UConn Huskies in the Final Four, then defeated the No. 3 seed from the Mideast region, 9th ranked Purdue, in the national championship. The Irish edged the Boilermakers 68–66 to capture the program's first national title.