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Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Drafted Irish players make WNBA debuts

By Ben Belden

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 07: Jessica Shepard #32 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts to control the ball against 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: Jessica Shepard #32 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish attempts to control the ball against 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 had unprecedented success in the WNBA Draft this year, having all five starters drafted to WNBA teams.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team will have a new look next season, as the Irish had all five starters drafted in the WNBA draft. With the new WNBA season starting this past Friday, the former Irish standouts made their respective professional debuts. Here is a rundown of how each player performed:

Arike Ogunbowale

The former Irish standout was the first of the Irish players to step foot on a WNBA floor as the Dallas Wings traveled to Atlanta to face the Dream. The Wings took a 55-47 lead into the 4th quarter, but were outscored in the final frame 29-17 and lost the game 76-72.

Ogunbowale got the start for the Wings and had her moments. She finished the game with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, but wasn’t completely herself, as she shot only 5-for-16 from the field.

Brianna Turner

The former Irish shotblocker didn’t see much action in her WNBA debut, only logging 3 minutes in the Phoenix Mercury’s 77-68 loss to the Seattle Storm. Turner did not attempt a shot in the game, but logged 2 rebounds.

Jessica Shepard

Turner’s frontcourt counterpart, Jessica Shepard, had an impressive start to her WNBA career. Shepard came off the bench, but played the second-most minutes (27) on the team. During her time on the court, Shepherd did not score from the field, but she did take 4 foul shots, making 3. Shepard made her impact on the boards, grabbing 13 total rebounds, 5 of which came on the offensive end. She also dished out 6 assists in Minnesota’s 89-71 win over the Chicago Sky.

Jackie Young

Although it wasn’t the most noteworthy WNBA debut, Jackie Young quietly did what she’s always done when she plays basketball: Everything her team asked of her.

Young had a quiet game for the Aces, but she flashed what made her the number one overall pick. Her first bucket came on an and-one in the second half after driving to the basket and finishing strong. On the night, Young finished 4-for-4 from the field, tallying 8 points. She also was a focal point in Vegas’ defensive effort in 29 minutes of play against the Sparks.

The Aces beat the Sparks 83-70.

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Marina Mabrey

The former Irish sharpshooter came off the bench for the Sparks and logged 20 minutes for Head Coach Derek Fisher. Like Young, Mabrey didn’t score until draining a three-pointer in the 3rd quarter. She added one more three-pointer and finished with 6 points.