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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Irish Lose Heartbreaker to Baylor in National Championship

By Jordan Small

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts a shot against DiDi Richards #2 of the Baylor Lady Bears during the first quarter in the championship game of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 07, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Arike Ogunbowale #24 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts a shot against DiDi Richards #2 of the Baylor Lady Bears during the first quarter in the championship game of the 2019 NCAA Women's Final Four at Amalie Arena on April 07, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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The Notre Dame women’s basketball team played in the National Championship on Sunday night. The Irish fell to Baylor 82-81 in the final game of the season.

After beating UConn on Friday, the Notre Dame women’s basketball team took on Baylor in the final game of the season. They fell to the Bears 82-81 who won their third championship in program history. Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers with 31 points. Brianna Turner added 12 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.

Free throws cost the Irish

The Irish erased a huge halftime deficit to bring the game even with less than three minutes to play. But four missed free throws down the stretch really cost the Irish. First, it was Jessica Shepard who had the opportunity to take the lead with two shots with under a minute to go. She missed the first but made the second to tie it at 78. The Irish then needed a defensive stop but let Chloe Jackson just drive down the lane untouched for the easy bucket. Then with under four seconds to go, Arike Ogunbowale drove to the basket and was fouled. She missed the first that would have tied it up, and then while trying to go for the miss on the second one, she put it in. It was a tough break for two of the most consistent players for the Irish this season.

Jackie Young struggles in what could be her last game for the Irish

Was that the last we will see of Jackie Young in an Irish uniform? We will find out very quickly as she has just 24 hours after the game to make a decision on whether or not to declare for the WNBA draft. In ESPN’s most recent mock draft, Young is projected as the number two overall pick if she does declare. It would be a huge blow for the Irish who would then lose all five starters from this season. If Young does decide to go, it would be on the heels of a less-than-stellar performance from the junior guard. She finished with just four points on 1 of 8 shooting. She did also have nine rebounds and six assists in the loss. It was a good tournament for the Princeton, Indiana native who will now have to make one of the biggest decisions of her life.

Next Up

While the season is now over, attention now turns to the WNBA draft. It is projected that all four seniors will get drafted and if Jackie Young decides to declare, it could be five draftees for the Irish. The WNBA draft will be held on April 10.