Slap the Sign
Fansided

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: 2018-2019 Regular Season Review

By Jordan Small

COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half in the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four at Nationwide Arena on March 30, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Connecticut Huskies 91-89. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - MARCH 30: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates against the Connecticut Huskies during the second half in the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four at Nationwide Arena on March 30, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Connecticut Huskies 91-89. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Notre Dame
Notre Dame /

Team MVP: Jackie Young

With a starting lineup as talented as the Irish have, it might seem hard to pick out the team MVP for the season. But one stretch of games makes that decision incredibly easy. If you look at the loss at North Carolina on January 27 and then the win over Clemson just four days later, one major thing stands out. Against North Carolina, Jackie Young had to sit out due to an ankle injury. When the Irish would travel to Clemson for their next game, Young was recovered enough to play in the game and what a difference it made. It can be hard to tell how good a player is until they are not around and that is exactly the case for Young.

This season, Young and Marina Mabrey have been both tasked with handling the ball for the Irish. While neither are true point guards, they have been running the offense because of the lack of an experienced point guard and the ability to leave their best five players on the floor. It is typically Mabrey’s responsibility, but Young will take over if things aren’t going well. Against UNC, to say things weren’t going well would be an understatement. The Irish turned the ball over 20 times on the afternoon and the Tar Heels were giving Notre Dame all kinds of trouble. When Young returned to the lineup against Clemson, the points went up in due in large part to the increase in points off turnovers.

But if you look at the season as a whole, the stats are pretty nice. Young is averaging 14.2 points, 5.17 assists, and 7.0 rebounds per game. She has also recorded six double-doubles and two triple-doubles this season. Then on the defensive end, where the stats might not show it as much, she is a force to be reckoned with. At 6’0”, she is a tough matchup for opposing teams because she is taller than most guards. It is unclear if Young will return for her senior season or declare for the WNBA draft, but it is clear that Young will have a big impact on her team next season — college or pro.