Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2024 39 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The 10-game streak snapped by OSU is even more impressive when you con- sider Miles sat on the bench in a sweat- suit alongside several other contribu- tors sidelined with injuries of their own, from freshman guard Emma Risch fol- lowing hip surgery and freshman guard/ forward Cass Prosper with an unidenti- fied lower-leg injury that kept her out since late November. And senior center Kylee Watson, who Notre Dame lost to an ACL injury in the ACC Tournament semifinals. Ivey said she felt like she won even in defeat because of how far her team went against all odds. "Redefining ourselves late in Febru- ary, being ACC champs in a season that had a lot of highs and lows — we really battled," Ivey said. "We found our iden- tity, our character, and I'm just blessed to coach this group." W h i l e No t re Da m e wa s u n d e r- manned, the Irish were also just six points — three two-point baskets or a couple threes — away from being one of the final eight teams still playing this season. This time next year, they should be one of those. The No. 5 overall player in the 2024 class, 6-5 center Kateryna Koval of Brookville (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran, is arriving this summer to help the Irish combat what they couldn't adequately compete with against OSU: size and strength in the post. Oregon State for- wards Raegan Beers and Timea Gardiner were unstoppable from the tip. They had 39 points and 24 rebounds between them. Notre Dame only pulled down 24 rebounds as a team. The only two Notre Dame players who exhausted their eligibility are graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe and grad- uate student forward Becky Obinma. The latter never factored into Ivey's ro- tation as a transfer from Pepperdine. The former started all 35 of the Irish's games, but it's Miles who will replace her and step into a starting role in the backcourt. Her running mate will be Hidalgo, one of five players to ever be named a first- team AP All-American as a freshman. She was a top-five scorer in the country and led the nation in steals. Don't let what happened against Oregon State make you forget she was one of the best players in America from the very start of the season when she dropped 31 points against No. 1 South Carolina in Paris, France. Hidalgo never got the chance to face the Gamecocks again. A win over Or- egon State would have set up a rematch in the Elite Eight. She's got three years to get 'em again. Those could be three years that re- semble the best Notre Dame women's basketball has ever had if everything falls into place. No injuries, Westbeld re t u r n i n g , K ova l making an imme- diate impact. Hi- dalgo, Miles, Citron, We s t b e l d , Kova l . There won't be many starting fives bet- ter than that one, if any. Westbeld has a decision to make regarding her future; she can leave Notre Dame after four successful seasons, or she can utilize her COVID-19 waiver and stay in South Bend for a fifth. If she does, the Irish could be very special. "We have great firepower coming back," Ivey said. Ivey has the pieces. She's just got to put them together. She said she already cannot wait to get started. "We've had so much growth this year, and I'm really excited for the team that's returning," she said. "It's going to be incredible to see." ✦ Notre Dame Sets Student Attendance Record NCAA women's basketball is worth the price of admission in 2024. Notre Dame students proved that in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when a record 635 of them went through the doors at Purcell Pavilion to see the No. 2 seed Fighting Irish beat No. 15 seed Kent State, 81-67. Notre Dame, with its two national championships and nine Final Four appearances, which ranks fifth all time, has never had that many students on hand for a women's basketball game in the proud history of the program. "I'm just excited to see the buzz that's here in South Bend because of women's basketball and obvi- ously our program," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said. Having one of the best players in the sport certainly helps. Point guard Hannah Hidalgo was a first- team Associated Press All-American, becoming one of just five freshmen to ever earn that honor. Her tantalizing two-way game drew eyes from around the country. And eyes from her own teammates, too. "Every time I go on Instagram, she broke another record," senior forward Maddy Westbeld said. "She's special. She's different. If I wasn't her teammate— I'm blessed that I am — I would pay to go watch her play." More than 600 Notre Dame students did just that in the tournament. They have three more years to keep doing it. — Tyler Horka "I'm really excited for the team that's returning. It's going to be incredible to see." NOTRE DAME HEAD COACH NIELE IVEY Hannah Hidalgo joined an elite list as one of only five freshmen in women's college basketball history to earn first-team Associated Press All-America honors. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME