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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: The 4 Best Players of the McGraw Era

By Ben Belden

CHARLESTON, SC - NOVEMBER 09: Skylar Diggins #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Walmart Carrier Classic on the deck of the USS Yorktown on November 9, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
CHARLESTON, SC - NOVEMBER 09: Skylar Diggins #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Walmart Carrier Classic on the deck of the USS Yorktown on November 9, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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CHARLESTON, SC – NOVEMBER 09: Head coach Muffet McGraw (L) of the Notre Dame Women’s basketball Fighting Irish talks with Skylar Diggins #4 against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Walmart Carrier Classic on the deck of the USS Yorktown on November 9, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
CHARLESTON, SC – NOVEMBER 09: Head coach Muffet McGraw (L) of the Notre Dame Women’s basketball Fighting Irish talks with Skylar Diggins #4 against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the Walmart Carrier Classic on the deck of the USS Yorktown on November 9, 2012 in Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball has developed into quite the powerhouse under Head Coach Muffet McGraw. Since McGraw took over at the helm in 1987, the Irish have had their fair share of star players.

In 1987, Muffet McGraw became the head coach of the Notre Dame Women’s Basketball program. At the time, she took over a team that went 12-15 the year before. Since then, she has amassed 800 wins compared to just 229 losses for the Irish. Along the way, the McGraw has led Notre Dame to the National Championship Game seven times, winning twice. In 31 seasons at Notre Dame, she has tallied just one losing season. That’s right: One. 

In all her seasons at Notre Dame, this last one might have been the most rewarding. Notre Dame’s injury troubles were well-documented. It’s also well-documented the way McGraw was able to re-invent her team and use a shortened rotation to propel the program to its second National Championship.

However, for every bit of great coaching, no coach achieves the accolades McGraw has without some good fortune.

If one were to ask McGraw about her coaching success that has featured a vast array of individual awards and a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, she would almost certainly say that a major key to her success has been her ability to coach some tremendous players. Indeed, McGraw has attracted a lot of tremendous talent to Notre Dame.

While there have been plenty of star players for the Irish during McGraw’s tenure, four stick out from the pack.