2025-2026 Notre Dame Women's Basketball

[BabyIrish]

It's also hard to pull the big dog routine when one or both of them can just hop in the portal. But honestly I think she tried.

There's a lot of pointing to the NCST game as the turning point of the season, and from purely a timeline standpoint sure. After that game, they never got back on-track. But that was a good team on the road in 2OT. Not a lot of shame in that loss, much as you would expect and want to win it as the #1 ranked team.

Not so much the game against FSU, which was not only at home, but Senior Night. Go back and watch the post-FSU loss presser. Sonia did everything but call out her teammates for not showing up to compete. She was out there talking to the press. Not HH. Not Olivia. I think that was Ivey telling both of them, and the rest of the team, who the leader was. From their performances the remainder of the season, I think those two took that revelation personally. Unfortunately, one of them took it in the Jordan sense and the other took it the opposite.

Right. Certainly, the issue between Hannah and Olivia was a catalyst to some of the dysfunction that persisted in the team. But I suspect it was more than that. It was no secret that both Olivia and Maddy were playing awful defense most of the season. Maybe the separation had more to do with that than anything. Maybe Olivia and Maddy didn't like being called out for defense. Maybe they thought the coaches weren't teaching them properly and blamed them for their lack of defensive prowess. Maybe they thought the staff favored Hannah, Sonia and Liatau. Maybe Hannah and Sonia thought Olivia and Maddy were chumps.

A comment on the Ivey and Mcgraw comparisons. Muffet is a legend. A hall of famer. But she was not perfect. And she was given time to succeed and hone her skills. ND only made the NCAA tournament once in her first six years and twice in her first 8 before she got things rolling.

 

[irishrb]

OK. Life's tough. But you cannot be a coach who allows any player to run the program. Otherwise this is the NBA. You have to establish that YOU are running everything about the program day-one of every player's campus career. (Think Boone in Remember The Titans, or for a real life instance: Lou Holtz at Arkansas when he didn't even take several first team stars with the team to the bowl game because they decided they were above his rules ... "miraculously" the rest of the team manned-up and whacked the opponent.)

It takes guts to be the coach. You are not their "friend" nor their "Mom" nor even their "aunt Matilda." For damm sure you're not their Big Sister. It is a special commanding but supportive relationship that most people can't find in themselves. Much of that is their own self-confidence. All the big time coaches have that. I don't see it in Ivey. One CAN grow into it over time but ...........

I was wondering when OMM would pipe in...Well said, and imo, she's had enough time to show this...and hasn't..I guess there's still a chance, but.....

 

[Old Man Mike]

In support of Babyirish's post: I believe that the center of "Cancer" in all of last year was really Westbeld's and Miles' unwillingness to play college basketball defense. In Westbeld's case, that lack of giving an effort extended to rebounding (Miles at least liked to do that.)

Now, place our consciousnesses into the following true scenario: We're in a tough game. The opponents are NOT as talented as us, but they "want it". They're "physical" and they're in our face every play. Hannah likes the challenge and so does Soni. Liatu is a natural get-after-it competitor. They pound the floor: BRING IT ON!. Halfway through the defensive sequence, Westbeld is gazing at visions of Barbie Dolls somewhere, and Miles is standing near the sideline wondering (if we're lucky) where her man is, or even WHO it is. Meanwhile, despite working their asses off, Hannah, Soni, and Liatu watch someone shoot a lay-up ... or, if we're lucky, miss the shot, ... but Westbeld's man picks up an uncontested rebound.

(I've watched TCU play twice THIS season, by the way, and Miles is STILL doing that. Fortunately for them, the other four players either like to make efforts or are 6'7"{and even she tries despite being too "feminine" about her non-physicality}. AND I've watched Westbeld in the WNBA ... the difference between her and sister Kate is embarrassing ---- Lord please gift me with Kate's and never Maddy's.)

These two players are highly talented gifted losers -- even Miles. Miles MIGHT just be smart enough to change. Caitlin Clark was. Her coach though WAS a Coach. She went right to her and said (this is almost a quote): "You don't have to be a great defender, but YOU CANNOT BE A LIABILITY." ... and Clark is at least paying attention and trying to be involved every play.

If you are a high-motor team-oriented player, then you hate a teammate who loafs and/or is stupid or braindead on half the court. You hate that you bust your ass and some uncaring cruiser just undoes the whole cause. We had bench players last season who wanted to "join" the defensive three and get after it (Cass and KK, who still have that attitude.) When I helped Coach Ron Stewart with his statistics at WMU, we had a girl who was a real deadly bomber. Nets smoked. But she seemed to completely daze out when the other team had the ball. Even when she was hot, you could not afford to play her. The whole rest of the team just sagged into depression watching give-up matador defense, if any, play after play. The occasional spectacular three was not worth the frustration of the cancer, because you KNEW you couldn't win with dysfunctional defense. Coach Stewart manned up and benched her. Coach Ivey ....?

 

[burmafrd1944]

I have addressed it. You refuse to acknowledge what I have said because you prefer the simplistic "Ivey sucks and should be fired!" It's not that simple. The fixes weren't that simple.

At the end of the day, she's given more to ND than this entire board combined, so I am of the opinion that she's earned some grace to do the job, which in the current environment also means figuring out how ND can navigate the portal. Up to now, she has not had a lot of support on that front. Now she has a Pete and Pat, plus an administration that has signalled this football portal season that it is willing to make some adjustments to meet the moment. She deserves the chance to succeed after having the administration kneecap her last off-season by denying Dunn and Williams.

On the other hand, you're the guy who tried to tell us all what Indiana is like as if we've never been there after trying to tell jprue what Utah is like when dude has lived there for near 20 years because you lived there in the late 90s. But go off, sport. I'm sure it will be super enlightening for us all.

Actually I have lived in Utah for the past ten years now after retirement so go punk yourself
and I was born in Indiana and still have relatives I visit there so go screw yourself
and you are one of those that always makes excuses instead of looking at responsibility
loser in all ways

 

[burmafrd1944]

Right. Certainly, the issue between Hannah and Olivia was a catalyst to some of the dysfunction that persisted in the team. But I suspect it was more than that. It was no secret that both Olivia and Maddy were playing awful defense most of the season. Maybe the separation had more to do with that than anything. Maybe Olivia and Maddy didn't like being called out for defense. Maybe they thought the coaches weren't teaching them properly and blamed them for their lack of defensive prowess. Maybe they thought the staff favored Hannah, Sonia and Liatau. Maybe Hannah and Sonia thought Olivia and Maddy were chumps.

A comment on the Ivey and Mcgraw comparisons. Muffet is a legend. A hall of famer. But she was not perfect. And she was given time to succeed and hone her skills. ND only made the NCAA tournament once in her first six years and twice in her first 8 before she got things rolling.

Things were hugely different when Muffett started out so comparing them is BS. Just another excuse maker

 

[sfk324]

In support of Babyirish's post: I believe that the center of "Cancer" in all of last year was really Westbeld's and Miles' unwillingness to play college basketball defense. In Westbeld's case, that lack of giving an effort extended to rebounding (Miles at least liked to do that.)

Now, place our consciousnesses into the following true scenario: We're in a tough game. The opponents are NOT as talented as us, but they "want it". They're "physical" and they're in our face every play. Hannah likes the challenge and so does Soni. Liatu is a natural get-after-it competitor. They pound the floor: BRING IT ON!. Halfway through the defensive sequence, Westbeld is gazing at visions of Barbie Dolls somewhere, and Miles is standing near the sideline wondering (if we're lucky) where her man is, or even WHO it is. Meanwhile, despite working their asses off, Hannah, Soni, and Liatu watch someone shoot a lay-up ... or, if we're lucky, miss the shot, ... but Westbeld's man picks up an uncontested rebound.

(I've watched TCU play twice THIS season, by the way, and Miles is STILL doing that. Fortunately for them, the other four players either like to make efforts or are 6'7"{and even she tries despite being too "feminine" about her non-physicality}. AND I've watched Westbeld in the WNBA ... the difference between her and sister Kate is embarrassing ---- Lord please gift me with Kate's and never Maddy's.)

These two players are highly talented gifted losers -- even Miles. Miles MIGHT just be smart enough to change. Caitlin Clark was. Her coach though WAS a Coach. She went right to her and said (this is almost a quote): "You don't have to be a great defender, but YOU CANNOT BE A LIABILITY." ... and Clark is at least paying attention and trying to be involved every play.

If you are a high-motor team-oriented player, then you hate a teammate who loafs and/or is stupid or braindead on half the court. You hate that you bust your ass and some uncaring cruiser just undoes the whole cause. We had bench players last season who wanted to "join" the defensive three and get after it (Cass and KK, who still have that attitude.) When I helped Coach Ron Stewart with his statistics at WMU, we had a girl who was a real deadly bomber. Nets smoked. But she seemed to completely daze out when the other team had the ball. Even when she was hot, you could not afford to play her. The whole rest of the team just sagged into depression watching give-up matador defense, if any, play after play. The occasional spectacular three was not worth the frustration of the cancer, because you KNEW you couldn't win with dysfunctional defense. Coach Stewart manned up and benched her. Coach Ivey ....?

Ivey benched Miles against Duke and TCU and caught flak for it because "how can you bench one of your best players in a close game?!" Could she have done it earlier in the season? Maybe. But whatever the issues were last year didn't fully reveal themselves until the last month of the season.

I've posted earlier that I don't think last year's team was as good as people want to think it was. Yes, from a pure talent standpoint, it may have had th most talent of any team at ND. But there was substantial overlap in the talent sets with Milles and Hannah and then Maddy and King, with no true "pass first PG" and no true post. There was hope Koval would fill the post role when it became clear Watson wasn't going to be available, but she just wasn't able to keep up with the speed of the game against better teams. So.there was a big gaping hole in the middle because Maddy just wasn't a person who was willing to body folks in the paint. King would scrap and fight for boards, but she's undersized and it eventually catches up. You play a team who has a legitimate post and good guard play like TCU, and you're going to be up against it if shots aren't falling....and they definitely weren't falling.

 

[sfk324]

Actually I have lived in Utah for the past ten years now after retirement so go punk yourself
and I was born in Indiana and still have relatives I visit there so go screw yourself
and you are one of those that always makes excuses instead of looking at responsibility
loser in all ways

Lived in utah for a few years back in the late 90's.

lots of misconceptions amongst the ignorant here

Nobody who lives in a place currently makes a point of claiming their experience from almost 30 years ago is informative. But cool story bro.

 

[burmafrd1944]

Nobody who lives in a place currently makes a point of claiming their experience from almost 30 years ago is informative. But cool story bro.

since only morons like you did not look at the thread he was claiming it had always been that way
I was saying I had been there back then and it was not
but then you are such a tool

 

[BabyIrish]

Ivey benched Miles against Duke and TCU and caught flak for it because "how can you bench one of your best players in a close game?!" Could she have done it earlier in the season? Maybe. But whatever the issues were last year didn't fully reveal themselves until the last month of the season.

I've posted earlier that I don't think last year's team was as good as people want to think it was. Yes, from a pure talent standpoint, it may have had th most talent of any team at ND. But there was substantial overlap in the talent sets with Milles and Hannah and then Maddy and King, with no true "pass first PG" and no true post. There was hope Koval would fill the post role when it became clear Watson wasn't going to be available, but she just wasn't able to keep up with the speed of the game against better teams. So.there was a big gaping hole in the middle because Maddy just wasn't a person who was willing to body folks in the paint. King would scrap and fight for boards, but she's undersized and it eventually catches up. You play a team who has a legitimate post and good guard play like TCU, and you're going to be up against it if shots aren't falling....and they definitely weren't falling.

I would also say that while benching a player is your best option to get to a player to improve, we unfortunately have not had that luxury. There was really no one behind Miles to play her. The fact of the matter is that Ivey's roster management has been her biggest downfall to date. I can't remember a year under her leadership where she even had the option to go past 6/7 deep. Hopefully Pat and Pete can really aid her in this process. The recruiting class is a great start, but we are once again going to have to bring in a lot of transfers for next season.

 

[burmafrd1944]

Ivey benched Miles against Duke and TCU and caught flak for it because "how can you bench one of your best players in a close game?!" Could she have done it earlier in the season? Maybe. But whatever the issues were last year didn't fully reveal themselves until the last month of the season.

I've posted earlier that I don't think last year's team was as good as people want to think it was. Yes, from a pure talent standpoint, it may have had th most talent of any team at ND. But there was substantial overlap in the talent sets with Milles and Hannah and then Maddy and King, with no true "pass first PG" and no true post. There was hope Koval would fill the post role when it became clear Watson wasn't going to be available, but she just wasn't able to keep up with the speed of the game against better teams. So.there was a big gaping hole in the middle because Maddy just wasn't a person who was willing to body folks in the paint. King would scrap and fight for boards, but she's undersized and it eventually catches up. You play a team who has a legitimate post and good guard play like TCU, and you're going to be up against it if shots aren't falling....and they definitely weren't falling.

teams have won it all with the gaping hole you talked about
Ivey was simply not good enough to figure it out

 

[burmafrd1944]

I would also say that while benching a player is your best option to get to a player to improve, we unfortunately have not had that luxury. There was really no one behind Miles to play her. The fact of the matter is that Ivey's roster management has been her biggest downfall to date. I can't remember a year under her leadership where she even had the option to go past 6/7 deep. Hopefully Pat and Pete can really aid her in this process. The recruiting class is a great start, but we are once again going to have to bring in a lot of transfers for next season.

she is far enough into her tenure for us to say we know what she can and cannot do
she cannot get a bunch of divas to work together and she cannot recruit enough to have good depth
now the diva part is tough but the best coaches do it and its becoming clear Ivey is not one of them

 

[sfk324]

since only morons like you did not look at the thread he was claiming it had always been that way
I was saying I had been there back then and it was not
but then you are such a tool

LOL. Okay bud. I'm sure that's why you stopped responding when he told you he's lived in Utah for 18 years and you no longer had a leg to stand on. You have yet to have a take that doesn't involve insulting people, whether it is other posters, coaches, players, or just random people. It's really weird and honestly sad for someone who is apparently at least in their 60s to post the way you do. From here on, when I see you have posted I will imagine it boils down to this with a "p.s., I am not a crackpot" thrown in, and save myself the time of reading your drivel.

 

[sfk324]

I would also say that while benching a player is your best option to get to a player to improve, we unfortunately have not had that luxury. There was really no one behind Miles to play her. The fact of the matter is that Ivey's roster management has been her biggest downfall to date. I can't remember a year under her leadership where she even had the option to go past 6/7 deep. Hopefully Pat and Pete can really aid her in this process. The recruiting class is a great start, but we are once again going to have to bring in a lot of transfers for next season.

Agreed on the roster construction issues. Somewhat ironically, a player like De Jesus would have been a good fit on last year's team where she could play 10-15 per game to spell Hannah or Olivia. On the transfer front, Ivey tried to bring in others this year, but admissions said no. Hopefully that has changed for teams beyond just football, or it's going to be a bumpy ride for another year or two.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Yes to most of the recent commentaries. I'd add (though I should stop festering about this --- Ivey will either grow as a head coach or she won't and I should just watch the coming year) that ALL of this seems to revolve around the situation that our current head coach is just gradually learning what it means to BE a head coach. ... and too slowly.

Maybe she has all that potential ready to explode out of her, but the issues of a.)prima donna management, b.)knowing when to be unyieldingly tough, c.)long-term broad-scope roster management philosophy and planning, 2 to 3 years out at a minimum, d.)having clarity on who and who not Notre Dame will allow in, e.)biting the "friend" bullet and just maybe altering the understaff (one reason that the WNBA pros call us "Guard-U" is that we're never "Big-U"), f.)understanding that this is a ridiculously demanding job which time commitment threatens to ruin your life (ex. when you have a big game coming, do you skip out on any practice because your son is getting drafted or being awarded something, or whatever it was?) If you're a "human" of course you do. If you're a big time coach?

The point of concern for me sort of all along has been that this person, no matter how potentially qualified and "nice", seemed like she was pretty naive about what that head coaching seat really required. Do we just observe the truth of that and decide ourselves to be kindly human beings who will shrug and patiently wait for the growth spurt, and watch the house burn down before it rebuilds? , or does my crummy inhuman self get frustrated and start screaming? ... well, this IS IE.

 

[BabyIrish]

Yes to most of the recent commentaries. I'd add (though I should stop festering about this --- Ivey will either grow as a head coach or she won't and I should just watch the coming year) that ALL of this seems to revolve around the situation that our current head coach is just gradually learning what it means to BE a head coach. ... and too slowly.

Maybe she has all that potential ready to explode out of her, but the issues of a.)prima donna management, b.)knowing when to be unyieldingly tough, c.)long-term broad-scope roster management philosophy and planning, 2 to 3 years out at a minimum, d.)having clarity on who and who not Notre Dame will allow in, e.)biting the "friend" bullet and just maybe altering the understaff (one reason that the WNBA pros call us "Guard-U" is that we're never "Big-U"), f.)understanding that this is a ridiculously demanding job which time commitment threatens to ruin your life (ex. when you have a big game coming, do you skip out on any practice because your son is getting drafted or being awarded something, or whatever it was?) If you're a "human" of course you do. If you're a big time coach?

The point of concern for me sort of all along has been that this person, no matter how potentially qualified and "nice", seemed like she was pretty naive about what that head coaching seat really required. Do we just observe the truth of that and decide ourselves to be kindly human beings who will shrug and patiently wait for the growth spurt, and watch the house burn down before it rebuilds? , or does my crummy inhuman self get frustrated and start screaming? ... well, this IS IE.

I agree. The growth trajectory has been remarkably slow. Time is running out on her to hit that growth spurt. And you may be right, that she is too nice of a person to be a college head coach.

 

[burmafrd1944]

if you have not made it in 6 years, you will not

ND should seriously consider after this season if significant progress has not been shown firing her

 

[irishrb]

if you have not made it in 6 years, you will not

ND should seriously consider after this season if significant progress has not been shown firing her

At minimum...Hire NEW assistants! Gotta get someone that can recruit, and develop, an interior presence!

 

[Irish#1]

At minimum...Hire NEW assistants! Gotta get someone that can recruit, and develop, an interior presence!

That solves part of it, but you're still left with the other "holes" that need to be plugged. OMM is pretty spot on IMO. You can see the progression of coaching maturity in Freeman. I'm not seeing it with Ivey.

Savvy Jack was very patient with his coaches. I'm curious to see if Pete will be as patient with both of the BBall coaches.

 

[stpeteirish]

That solves part of it, but you're still left with the other "holes" that need to be plugged. OMM is pretty spot on IMO. You can see the progression of coaching maturity in Freeman. I'm not seeing it with Ivey.

Savvy Jack was very patient with his coaches. I'm curious to see if Pete will be as patient with both of the BBall coaches.

Pete will probably leave it up to Garrity. If they keep either HC the Assistants should be overhauled, especially on the women's side. No clue if Garrity has the gonads to do anything.

 

[Irish5Saint]

That solves part of it, but you're still left with the other "holes" that need to be plugged. OMM is pretty spot on IMO. You can see the progression of coaching maturity in Freeman. I'm not seeing it with Ivey.

Savvy Jack was very patient with his coaches. I'm curious to see if Pete will be as patient with both of the BBall coaches.

On the II podcast this past Monday it sounds like Pete won’t consider firing Shrews and eating the $16 million

 

[irishrb]

That solves part of it, but you're still left with the other "holes" that need to be plugged. OMM is pretty spot on IMO. You can see the progression of coaching maturity in Freeman. I'm not seeing it with Ivey.

Savvy Jack was very patient with his coaches. I'm curious to see if Pete will be as patient with both of the BBall coaches.

Agreed! I just think one, or the other, needs done. I don't think they do anything with Ivey, or Shrews, so hopefully they at least look at assistants.

 

[laughingirish92]

if you have not made it in 6 years, you will not

ND should seriously consider after this season if significant progress has not been shown firing her

she has won i believe two ACC titles and now has the top rated recruiting class coming to campus this summer so it might be hard to get rid of her if they wanted to

 

[burmafrd1944]

she has won i believe two ACC titles and now has the top rated recruiting class coming to campus this summer so it might be hard to get rid of her if they wanted to

no it would not be that hard
and she has had great recruiting classes before and has failed to capitalize
last years COLLAPSE and the mass transfers will put her on the hot seat if this year is not better
and deservedly so

 

[sfk324]

Sanchez has picked a good night to play her best game in an Irish uniform with Cowles out due to illness.

 

[BabyIrish]

Watched some highlights, but did not get a good feel for the game. But a win is a win. If the Irish had been able to take care of business against Georgia tech and California, they would be vying for a double bye. We'll see how they do Sunday against Virginia.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Strange stats: even shooting percentages, but we're outrebounded by almost 20!. Fortunately we make all our foul shots, plus steal the ball. Cass Prosper plays only 17 minutes --- I'm assuming foul trouble plus, maybe, a little bench time for gloating over an opponent after a physical lay-up. Thank goodness KK was back. Hannah leads rebounders with 7, and KK has 6 --- NO ONE ELSE MORE THAN 3! ... yi yi yi when the Bigs show up. Genuinely weird nervous win. Played with high energy though.

 

[sfk324]

Coach Ivey has been named the Head Coach of the U18 USA national team.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Has to be "politics". And ... you can't really fail with the talent.

 

[burmafrd1944]

Has to be "politics". And ... you can't really fail with the talent.

Well, she is not the one picking the team, right?
so that is good

 

[Old Man Mike]

I actually believe that she could pick a very good team. That is not her problem to my mind.