Notre Dame basketball: WBB could just be getting started
By Brad Weiss
The Notre Dame basketball team made it to the Sweet 16, and this WBB program could just be getting started under Niele Ivey.
The Notre Dame basketball team made it all the way to the Sweet 16 this season, as the WBB program took the next step forward under head coach Niele Ivey. Taking over for a legend in Muffet McGraw, Ivey has steadily brought the program back to prominence, and this season could have just been the tip of the iceberg.
During the season, we got to see the emergence of some elite freshmen, including Sonia Citron, who finished first in ACC Rookie of the Year voting. Fellow freshman Olivia Miles was named first-team All-ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel while showing the ability to handle point guard duties all season long.
Overall, this was a special group, led by some outstanding newcomers and elite veterans, a group that is going to be very good for years to come.
Notre Dame basketball should be loaded in 2022-23
Looking ahead, this is a Notre Dame basketball team that is going to be loaded next season, thanks to all the talent they have returning. They return most of their scoring in Miles, Citron, and Maddy Westbeld. Sam Brunelle returns as well, giving the team an excellent core moving forward.
KK Bransford will come in as a true freshman, and she is a special player, ranked No. 29 overall by ESPN for her recruiting class. She will be expected to help out right away, and with another season as head coach under her belt, expect Ivey to continue to grow in the role as well.
Losing Maya Dodson is going to be a tough blow for this Irish team, as she was named second-team All-ACC by the Blue Ribbon Panel, but there is plenty of talent on their way, and returning in 2022-23. This Notre Dame basketball program is in the right hands in Ivey, and have the talent to make an even deep run next season.
For now, we say congratulations to a special group of women on an extremely successful 2021-22 season.