| NCAA Bridgeport Regional: | #5 Seed Notre Dame |
|---|---|
| Where: | Bridgeport, CT | Total Mortgage Arena |
| Listen: | 99.9 WQLQ-FM | ND Radio Network |
| Notes: | ND Notes |
| Social: | @NDWBB |
| Sweet 16: | #1 seed NC State |
| When: | Saturday, March 26 | 11:30 am ET |
| Watch: | ESPN |
| Elite 8: | #2 seed UConn or #3 seed Indiana |
| When: | Monday, March 28 | TBD |
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The Notre Dame women’s basketball team continues its season-opening stretch of three games within six days by hosting Western Illinois on Thursday night. The Fighting Irish (1-0) will tip off against the Leathernecks (0-0) at 7 p.m. ET inside Purcell Pavilion, with the contest being streamed on ACCNX. For ticket inquiries, please visit und.com/buytickets.
The Fighting Irish are less than 48 hours removed from an emphatic 105-69 season-opening victory over Ohio.
OH MY, MAYA
How about a career-high 25 points for grad transfer Maya Dodson in her official Irish debut in Purcell Pavilion. Dodson blew by her previous high of 16 set at Stanford back in December of 2018. Dodson went off in the third quarter for 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. She ultimately finished 11-of-16 for the game.
FRESHMEN MAKE IMPACTFUL DEBUTS
Sonia Citron joined a prestigious list of ND freshman who scored in double figures in their freshman debut. The list includes names such as Skylar Diggins-Smith, Lindsay Allen, Brianna Turner and Marina Mabrey. Fellow teammates Sam Brunelle and Anaya Peoples accomplished the feat as well.
Citron not only scored 13 points in her debut but notched a Stat-Sheet-Stuffer (at least 5-5-5) as well. Citron led the team in rebounds with seven and also dished out six assists. She recorded the second-most minutes in the game with 30.
Her fellow freshman Olivia Miles made the most of her 21 minutes, dishing out a career-high 11 assists. She becomes the first-ever Irish rookie to notch double-digit assists in her debut.
Furthermore, if Miles were to record double-digit assists again in game two, it would mark the first back-to-back since Jackie Young in 2019 — 12 assists at Syracuse, 2/25/19; 11 vs Virginia, 3/3/19
BENCH POWER
When the final buzzer sounded vs Ohio, the Irish accumulated a total of 44 bench points. That marked the most in the Ivey Era and the most since at least the 2016-17 season.
Citron was a major bench contributor, but the biggest one was Sam Brunelle. The junior recorded 20 points in just 17 minutes of play. She shot an efficient 8-of-10 from the field, including an impressive 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
DROPPIN’ DIMES LIKE ITS 2013
In the win over Ohio, the Irish accomplished 31 assists on 41 made baskets. The 31 assists were the most since the Irish dished out 31 and defeated UCLA back on Dec. 7, 2013. All-in-all, it was only the fourth 30+ assist team performance since that UCLA game.
FRESHMAN STARTING AT POINT GUARD
Olivia Miles became the first freshman to start at point guard for the season opener since Lindsay Allen in 2013.
Back in 2013, it was the first time a Fighting Irish rookie point guard started the season opener since Nov. 26, 1994, when Mollie Peirick cracked the lineup and played 38 minutes (two points, five rebounds, three assists) in a 65-60 overtime loss at No. 25 Seton Hall.
REMEMBER, REMEMBER, THE WINS OF NOVEMBER
Over the past decade, the Irish have found tremendous success in the month of November. In fact, the Irish have gone an impressive 56-6 over the opening month of play.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
After earning First Team All-ACC honors a season ago and the Coaches nod for Rookie of the Year, Maddy Westbeld was named Preseason All-ACC for the 2021-22 season. In addition, Westbeld was recently named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List as well.
The youth movement was on full display with Westbeld the sophomore and Notre Dame’s two freshmen making the ACC Newcomer Watch List.
When it came to the Naismith position awards, junior Sam Brunelle made the Katrina McClain Watch List for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes the best power forwards in the country.
MILESTONE UNLOCKED: 700
When it comes to the Mabrey family, that’s a whole lot of buckets. Queens of three some might say. Marina graduated in 2019 as the program’s all-time career made three-pointer leader, draining a total of 274. Michaela converted a career total of 228, while Dara now boasts 198.
And with Dara’s third trey vs Ohio on Nov. 9, it was career three-pointer No. 700 for the Mabrey sisters.
— ND —