The Notre Dame women's basketball team dropped a tough game to UConn in the Elite Eight, of the NCAA tournament. Notre Dame battled hard but faded late as the Huskies reached yet another Final Four. Following the game, Notre Dame's head coach Niele Ivey praised her team.
“You want to see your team reach the highest potential that they could, and I feel like we did,” Ivey said, per the South Bend Tribune.
The Fighting Irish were a no. 6 seed in March Madness this season. Notre Dame had gone on a great run during the final stretch of the season, and won 25 total games.
UConn is in the Final Four for the 25th time under legendary head coach Geno Auriemma.
Notre Dame tested UConn in the Elite Eight
The Elite Eight clash between Notre Dame and UConn was a defensive battle. Both schools were missing shots in the first half, and Notre Dame was able to keep it close.
The game got away from the Fighting Irish in the second half. Sarah Strong finished the game for UConn with 21 points. Blanca Quinonez was right behind with 20.
“She was the X factor for them,” Ivey said about Quinonez, per ESPN.
UConn has now won 54 straight games. The Huskies are 38-0 on the season, and looking for a 13th national championship for Auriemma.
“This group, they don't have that kind of swagger, trash-talking kind of mentality. That's why I think, for me, I just keep my fingers crossed because it's not the kind of team that I've had in the past that has gone this far undefeated. It's not. They don't have that kind of mentality off the court, on the court. They're just a bunch of really nice kids that play hard for each other,” Auriemma said.
Notre Dame will now have to wait until next season for another crack at a national title.
