Slap the Sign
Fansided

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball: Maddy Westbeld takes ACC by storm

By Brad Weiss

Dec 3, 2020; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre DameÕs Maddy Westbeld (34) fixes her hair after the Michigan at Notre Dame NCAA women's basketball game Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY NETWORK
Dec 3, 2020; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre DameÕs Maddy Westbeld (34) fixes her hair after the Michigan at Notre Dame NCAA women's basketball game Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-USA TODAY NETWORK /
facebooktwitterreddit

Notre Dame Women’s Basketball has a special player in Maddy Westbeld, who is taking the ACC by storm as a true freshman in 2020-21.

The Notre Dame Women’s Basketball team has had an up-and-down season, as they have looked elite some nights, and other nights, they have struggled. Such is the way when you have a young team, and as Niele Ivey continues to navigate her first season at the helm of the program, there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way.

Recently, the Irish have looked like a more complete team, stringing together great ACC wins against Miami (FL) and Georgia Tech, before barely losing to Boston College by three. Through the ups and downs, there has been one constant for the Irish, and that has been the play of freshman forward Maddy Westbeld.

Last season, freshman Sam Brunelle was the standout for the Irish, earning a spot on the Naismith Watch List heading into 2020-21, but it has been Westbeld who has been the premier player this season. Brunelle is having a terrific season as well, and with two stellar forwards in place, the Irish have an advantage for all 40 minutes.

Two-time ACC Freshman of the Week

Recently, Westbeld was named the ACC Freshman of the Week, the second time she has earned that honor this season. Going into the team’s game against Boston College on Wednesday night, the freshman was seventh in the ACC in points per game, scoring 16.2 a contest, which was best among all freshmen.

Also, Westbeld was tied for sixth in the conference in steals and has shown that the college game definitely is not too big for her. The 6-foot-3 frosh from Kettering, Ohio dominated during the Irish wins against the Hurricanes and the Yellow Jackets and is only going to get better as the season wears on.

dark. Next. Notre Dame football: 5 early questions for the 2021 season

Notre Dame has a tremendous recruiting class coming in, so the fact that this team is getting such great production from freshman and sophomores is great for the future of the program. Ivey has done an outstanding job taking over for a legend in Muffet McGraw, and as she continues to stack recruiting classes, the Irish will go back to being perennial championship contenders.