2024-2025 Notre Dame Women's Basketball

[Old Man Mike]

Worst shooting game almost imaginable. A slightly-below-average game would have us up 15.

Westbeld continues to show multiple areas wherein she doesn't have a clue how to really play basketball.

Koval ... yikes ... grab and gather ... Then power it up. Way better than looking like you don't know how to walk.

Can't believe that Soni hasn't hardly touched the rim on any shot. If we find ONE shooter somehow, we'll win.

Miles ... terrible.

Our general defensive hustle is saving us barely. Pray that Liatu somehow saves us.

 

[irishu]

Ivey to Koval

 

[laughingirish92]

irish down by 6 pts now mid 3rd as they still can't buy a bucket

 

[Old Man Mike]

When you can't shoot, you must win somehow else. The only two choices are defense and getting fouled.

California knows that neither Miles nor Westbeld can play defense. The WNBA coach has now talked about Miles as a liability directly. (She questioned her ability to play if she can't play defense.) Ivey has taken Miles out because Miles stunk so badly. Miles won't even pay close attention to Mikayla over there trying to teach. . If someone other than Hannah can't rise, we're done.

 

[laughingirish92]

Miles and Citron not doing anything on the offensive side is killing this team right now and plus they can't shut down the 3 pt shooting of the bears

 

[irishu]

Tbf, they’re specifically targeting Miles when we’re on defense

 

[irishu]

Also Cal has a boy on their team (shocker)

 

[irishu]

Guys I think the team heard us

 

[irishu]

10-0 run since I started bitching. I’m gonna keep at it

 

[Old Man Mike]

What I believe the I'm seeing (seen this before) is that Miles has finally gotten so embarrassingly aware of how she's stinking up the place, that she has gotten angry. Some people NEED to play a little angry --- it focusses them.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Miles starting to play harder; Westbeld still wasted space on the court. Liatu has begun in last few games to have trouble seeing the ball sometimes ... very worrisome. Koval has helped.

 

[laughingirish92]

playing way better like some of you mentioned above and it started with better defense and Miles making some key buckets

 

[irishu]

Westbeld not playing well per usual. Used to be so good, not this year though

 

[irishu]

“These west coast bands…..have their own signature look”


Broadcasters are calling Cal’s band gay as hell

 

[irishu]

Man, Hidalgo is so slippery through picks on defense. Absolute turnover machine on defense too

 

[laughingirish92]

shutting off the Cal 3 pt shooting in second half was huge in irish being able to come from behind and win this game, looking forward to watching Duke vs Louisville next on ACCN as we play one of them saturday

 

[FU BK]

Also Cal has a boy on their team (shocker)

Ok....I feel better knowing I'm not the only one that thought that

 

[Old Man Mike]

In a lot of ways we did not "deserve" to win this game, but in the most important way we did: the big majority of our players worked hard every play all game, Westbeld and Miles did not, but the rest did. Miles at least decided to make up for some pretty embarrassing play.

What a difficult team to manage.

 

[stpeteirish]

Team looks like a shell of the version that beat USC, TX and CT.

Agree 100%. What changed? Nothing I can really single out although the “big three “ of Miles Hildago and Citron are all less effective than they were in those days

 

[BabyIrish]

Didn’t get to watch. Listened on the radio from time to time. Not sure if the offensive sets were terrible in the first 25 minutes or we were just cold shooting the ball. Defense seemed pretty good minus the five minute stretch in the third quarter where cal took the lead. Hopefully it was just rust. But part of me thinks not. Really wish the starting lineup would be Hannah, Citron, cass, king and koval. I understand koval can play poor at times but I still like her better than Westbeld. Olivia’s on another planet right now, and imo it’s because she’s thinking of her future in the pros. Westbeld isn’t even in the same galaxy.

 

[Old Man Mike]

It would be hard to tell from the radio; I get that --- our problem today was that we couldn't throw a stone in the ocean. REALLY STRANGELY BAD SHOOTING (Even Hannah --- she held us together mainly via getting fouled.) The opposing coaches now all know that they can design plays to exploit both Miles and Westbeld, and to mainly stay away from the other three starters if possible. (Soni, for instance, essentially shut down to nothing the ACCs leading 3-point gunner, so except for ego plays they didn't try that.) Ivey tried all night to mix up coverages in hopes Cal couldn't find Miles on a switch. ... and there was a lot more to all of it than that ... but horrendous shooting was a big part (we turned them over about every other play and still couldn't get made shots to end the game by halftime. The announcers marveled at that. )

I think that Ivey knows all this about Miles and Westbeld fully, but is worried about the baby(ego)-sitting issue. I dislike the current "solution" (if that's what this is) of pulling Westbeld early to lower the pain level created on the floor, BUT TAKING SONI OUT WITH HER (as if it's not a Maddy thing since Soni is benched right beside her.) Sometimes (tonight was one) KING comes out too. Yow. I was gasping for breath on that combo. This left us with a very awkward offensive set. I sympathize with the problem, but I think that benching Miles some will motivate her, and I HAVE seen in past years that Maddy CAN get mad and play better. ... so I'd try it.

 

[irishandy]

Team took over in the 3rd quarter. An ugly win is a win. Miles/Hidalgo need to make better shots sometimes when driving to the basket. King's mid range shot is money, take it every time she is open. For a freshman Koval has been aggressive at times in the post, she will get better with experience. Citron has played better as of late, but Westbeld has been silent.

I felt that Hidalgo was a better defensive player last year and the team fed off that energy on defense; find that energy this post season.

 

[UPMich_NDfan]

I’ve said this before but what I feel this team truly lacks is an offensive identity. There should be more sets or more of a structured motion that gets people touches in comfortable spots. They go off script way to much and to many players going to many minutes with touching ball or getting a shot. Now you play a game of my turn.
Ivey needs an offensive cordinator on her staff.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Just a note: here is the early substitution that I was talking about yesterday. Getting the soft-playing Westbeld out quickly, but sitting Soni down with her (for, in my opinion, Westbeld's ego-stroking reasons --- I'm not benched alone; Sony's here too.) Of course as soon as Soni comes out, her player(who barely could receive a pass scores twice.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Finally found a way to get Miles off the floor and we played better. We have four very good defensive players but not a fifth. Koval is the missing piece (i.e. a paint protector.) Too bad Karlen doesn't quite seem to be able to play the 5.

 

[laughingirish92]

if they can just somehow get this game speeded up then i think they'll pull away in second half

 

[Old Man Mike]

Miles went off late and we shut Duke out for about 5 minutes. ... Amazing. Duke broke the drought with a 3 which was due to a big effort to try to double team, which failed (but at least it was hustle.

 

[Blazers46]

Miles going out could be a blessing. She seems lost.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Ivey trying to hide fact that neither Miles nor Westbeld can guard anybody by going to a zone. Unfortunately only one can be buried in the middle, so Miles' lazy movements on the perimeter are still a deficit. I'm not sure I see the solution here. One of these teams will make a few shots and win. Which one isn't obvious. Sadly.

 

[irishu]

Westbeld is not good