ND Women's BB '17 -'18 Season

[NDGOLDEN]

That's a huge pickup wow she's a really good player excited to see her play at ND

 

[texbender]

Keep 'em coming, ND Ladies going back for more in 2019.

 

[BGIF]

Thank you, Lou for the "40 year decision".

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

The good thing about this is she’s good friends with a ton of top talen especially he buekers girls in 2020 ND women should have a great class

And Kat's sister is a 2020 recruit, so that class looks like its already getting off to a good start haha

 

[BGIF]

No. 1 prospect Samantha Brunelle of Virginia's William Monroe commits to Notre Dame Fighting Irish

By Jonathan Hawthorne | Apr 15, 2018
Special to espnW

Samantha Brunelle, the No. 1 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60 for the 2019 class, capped her high-profile recruiting process Sunday by announcing she's headed to Notre Dame.

Brunelle called coach Muffet McGraw two days after Notre Dame's NCAA title, asking simply: "Coach, do you mind if I become an Irish?"

But even before McGraw's team knocked off a pair of March Madness heavyweights in improbable style at the Final Four, Brunelle had been "getting some feelings" that South Bend was everything she was looking for in a college destination.

"The championship was cool, but I wouldn't say it was the only thing that impacted my decision," Brunelle said. "The coaching staff is amazing. They empower women all the time, and it's amazing how they care about making their players better every single day.

"Coach McGraw is an amazing coach. She's a great role model for a lot of women's basketball players. I really look up to her."

Brunelle's other finalists were Kentucky, UConn, Wake Forest, Maryland, NC State, South Carolina, Duke and Virginia.

A 6-foot-2 forward from Stanardsville, Virginia, Brunelle is already a two-time medalist for USA Basketball, captaining last year's U16 team in Argentina. She earned Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year accolades this spring after helping William Monroe to its first playoff appearance since 1988. She posted a trio of 40-point games along the way.

She's an innate scorer from everywhere on the court and can take over a game single-handedly during crunch time. She averaged 30.0 points and 15.6 rebounds a game as a junior.

"Nobody works harder," said Jess Stafford, Brunelle's coach at William Monroe. "I know you've heard that a million times. But she has sacrificed all the average teenager stuff -- all the fun stuff. She sacrificed, in order to have that 'I want to be the best' come to fruition."

Brunelle took an unofficial visit to South Bend last October and followed closely as McGraw and the Irish navigated a slew of season-ending injuries, and consequently, a short bench.

In March, McGraw and associate coach Beth Cunningham visited the Brunelle home, located at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Ruckersville, Virginia. Brunelle and McGraw grew close by "shooting the breeze" and exploring topics outside the lines of basketball.

After Arike Ogunbowale's buzzer-beating heroics lifted the Irish to their first national championship since 2001, Brunelle sat down with her family for a final discussion.

"All fingers really pointed to Notre Dame," said Brunelle, who called all of her finalists to inform them of her decision before Sunday's announcement at her high school. "They're a special program.

"I can't wait to see what happens in the coming years for them. It's so exciting."

Brunelle sees definite parallels between her current coach, Stafford, and McGraw.

"To be a great coach, you have to care about the person and the player -- not just the player," Brunelle said. "In that way, they're very similar. I really look up to Coach McGraw with how she cares about her players."

At Notre Dame, Brunelle plans on pursuing a career in sports broadcasting, a field that matches her outgoing personality.

"She's not only an incredible athletic talent, but can handle the pressure, the publicity and be able to remain humble," Stafford said. "She's a role model for girls -- and everyone -- in our community. ... She will stop whatever she is doing to give them her full attention -- 17-year-olds just don't do that."

Stafford is already planning ways to bank up her vacation days in order to catch a good chunk of games in South Bend. Brunelle's the second addition to the Irish's 2019 class, joining 5-foot-10 point guard Anaya Peoples, the nation's No. 15 prospect. The Irish signed the nation's No. 7 class for the 2018 cycle.

"I can't wait to see when she gets to the next level and is pushed every single day by athletes of her caliber -- or better," Stafford said. "With world-class coaching, what will that look like? It's going to be something to see, I have a feeling."

 

[daytonirish]

Love it. Great pick up for the irish

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

This is from a free Rivals article by Lou Somogyi about the Brunelle commitment, but what I found interesting is the talk about other 2019 recruits. We could potentially really cash in on this championship because even with Brunelle and Peoples, we only have 9 players on the roster when they would be freshmen. Women's basketball has scholarship limit of 15, so we could potentially add 6 more on top of those 2, though we won't because we would only have 1 scholarship for 2020 then and we should keep room for transfers in. But the article says we are looking at two more, but with how good the girls are that we are considering, I could see us going over that. I added their espnW and ProspectNation rankings in parentheses, in that order.

With guards Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey plus forwards Jessica Shepard and Brianna Turner in their final seasons of eligibility in 2018-19, a superb recruiting class in 2019 is needed to keep future Fighting Irish national title aspirations in place as they have been for the past decade with six trips to the Final Four since 2011.

Prior to Brunelle, Notre Dame had already received a 2019 verbal last summer from 5-10 point guard Anaya Peoples of Danville, Ill. Peoples is ranked the No. 15 prospect overall by espnW (No. 3 at point guard), and No. 5 by Prospects Nation (where Brunelle is No. 4, but the No. 1 forward).

The Irish hope to land at least two more premier prospects in the 2019 haul. One of them could be 6-4 post Aliyah Boston (11,16), who plays for Worcester (Mass.) Academy and is ranked No. 11 by espnW and No. 16 by Prospects Nation. Brunelle and Boston were teammates who captured the 2018 USA Basketball 3x3 U18 national championship, and she has reportedly taken an unofficial visit already to Notre Dame.

Among other projected top-10 prospects the Irish are interested in are 6-1 Ohio Ms. Basketball Kierstan Bell (4,19), 6-1 California wing Haley Jones (5,14), 6-2 Illinois wing Breanna Beal (10,10) and 6-3 Canadian star forward Laeticia Amihere (2, 5* & #1 international).

 

[BGIF]

This is from a free Rivals article by Lou Somogyi about the Brunelle commitment, but what I found interesting is the talk about other 2019 recruits. We could potentially really cash in on this championship because even with Brunelle and Peoples, we only have 9 players on the roster when they would be freshmen. Women's basketball has scholarship limit of 15, so we could potentially add 6 more on top of those 2, though we won't because we would only have 1 scholarship for 2020 then and we should keep room for transfers in. But the article says we are looking at two more, but with how good the girls are that we are considering, I could see us going over that. I added their espnW and ProspectNation rankings in parentheses, in that order.

Muffet doesn't take a full complement of players. If I recall correctly her max number is 13, often less. Combination of player development time and a full complement leads to transfers.

This year she started with 11 counting an already injured Turner and two transfers although Shepard wasn't expected to play. Then they lost 3 more ... and 7 scholarship players won an NC.

McGraw has the space to add a bunch but I doubt she does.

 

[SouthSideChiDomer]

Muffet doesn't take a full complement of players. If I recall correctly her max number is 13, often less. Combination of player development time and a full complement leads to transfers.

This year she started with 11 counting an already injured Turner and two transfers although Shepard wasn't expected to play. Then they lost 3 more ... and 7 scholarship players won an NC.

McGraw has the space to add a bunch but I doubt she does.

If there was a year to do it, this is it. I actually wouldn't doubt them trying to get a grad transfer for 2019 or just a regular transfer this year because otherwise Jackie Young will be the only senior come 2019.

 

[ab2cmiller]

In regards to Brunelle's announcement. The person standing right next to her was Azzi Fudd who many consider the top 2021 prospect. They play on the same Nike EYBL team. Fudd was also on the same USA Women's U16 National Team of which she was the only person in the 2021 class on that team.

While Fudd does live somewhat close to Brunelle, Googlemaps says it would've still been an hour and 45 minute trip to show up for her announcement.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s official! <a href="https://twitter.com/babybruney33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babybruney33</a> to Notre Dame!! <a href="https://t.co/CMJsmfhVun">pic.twitter.com/CMJsmfhVun</a></p>— Azzi Fudd (@azzi_35) <a href="https://twitter.com/azzi_35/status/985611959239364609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/babybruney33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@babybruney33</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/azzi_35?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@azzi_35</a> celebrating Sam’s commitment to <a href="https://twitter.com/ndwbb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ndwbb</a> <a href="https://t.co/qoxDT9CWNZ">pic.twitter.com/qoxDT9CWNZ</a></p>— Tim Fudd (@TFudd23) <a href="https://twitter.com/TFudd23/status/985619634991837185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WBB: Notre Dame unofficial visitors today include Sam Brunelle, Caitlin Clark, Azzi Fudd—ranked #1 in 2019, 2020, 2021 by at least 1 service</p>— Raoul (@Raoul_000) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raoul_000/status/924351618249879552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[BGIF]

https://www.ndinsider.com/basketball/womens/top-ranked-recruit-samantha-brunelle-was-ready-to-commit-to/article_406427d8-e4a3-5e1e-9389-97b41ecc0c9d.html

By Tyler James South Bend Tribune Apr 19, 2018 Updated

SOUTH BEND — Minutes after Notre Dame won the women’s basketball national championship, Arike Ogunbowale looked into the ESPN camera at the end of her interview with Holly Rowe and delivered a recruiting pitch.

“Anybody that’s thinking what school to go to, go to Notre Dame,” said Ogunbowale, who just made her second game-winning shot in as many games in the Final Four. “This is what we do. National champs right here.”

Samantha Brunelle, espnW’s top-ranked recruit in the 2019 class, was watching and nodding.

“She’s right on,” Brunelle said. “It’s special at Notre Dame. I could see that. I just love the things that coach (Muffet) McGraw and the coaching staff have done.”

But Brunelle didn’t need any more convincing. The week prior, the 6-foot-2 forward decided she wanted to commit to Notre Dame. On April 3, two days after the Irish won the title, she called McGraw to share the news.

Brunelle still wasn’t ready to share the news with the world yet. She wanted to schedule a commitment ceremony at her high school, Stanardsville (Va.) William Monroe, to let everyone in on her verbal commitment. Keeping the secret wasn’t easy.

“It was really hard for me, because I was so excited about it and the opportunity,” Brunelle said. “For me, I really wanted my community to be able to see it happen if they wanted to. They’ve been through everything with me my whole career. It was important to me to have them involved in my decision.

“I really wanted to pick a day that all my teammates, former coaches, current coaches and anybody who’s involved with me could make it. I had to wait a little bit for that, but it was all worth it.”

Brunelle spent most of the ceremony thanking the numerous people who guided her basketball career. Then she showed off a Notre Dame shirt and put on an Irish hat.

Notre Dame made a strong first impression on Brunelle when she visited in October on the same weekend the Irish football team defeated N.C. State. She was able to visit campus for the first time, talk with McGraw and associate head coach Beth Cunningham, whom she communicated regularly with from a distance, and reunite with Irish center Mikayla Vaughn, whom she had played against on the camp circuit.

“Stepping on campus was amazing. I love the architecture of the school and how it’s all laid out,” Brunelle said. “Going there you’re going to have so many connections.”

Then Brunelle watched the Irish fight through a season riddled with injuries. Vaughn, a freshman, went down with a torn ACL in her left knee in November. Then Lili Thompson, a graduate transfer point guard, tore the ACL in her right knee.

But the Irish kept picking up victories and did the unthinkable with wins over UConn (36-1) and Mississippi State (37-2) in the Final Four.

“I was watching them the whole season because of the underdog look they had with so many crucial injuries,” Brunelle said. “It’s just amazing how they did everything they did and accomplished the things they accomplished.”

When Brunelle, who can first sign with the Irish in November, arrives at Notre Dame, she’ll give the Irish a different dynamic than they’ve had in recent years. Dan Olson, creator of the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and the man behind espnW’s HoopGurlz rankings, couldn’t think of a recent Notre Dame player to compare with Brunelle.

Brunelle has her own lofty comparison. She tries to model her game after Elena Delle Donne, the four-time WNBA All-Star and 2015 MVP. Brunelle averaged 30 points, 15.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3 blocks and 2.2 steals per game as a junior.

“I’m a competitor. I don’t really like to lose,” Brunelle said. “Losing’s tough, but I accept it and move on. My offensive ability is pretty versatile. Offense is my big key. I’m working on my defense.”

Brunelle’s competitive edge could have been tested Sunday, when shortly after her commitment announcement, a report in the Hartford Courant, citing unnamed sources, claimed the Huskies hadn’t offered Brunelle a scholarship.

That was news to Brunelle, who last visited UConn in December.

“They did offer me. I went on a visit and sat with (head coach) Geno (Auriemma), and he told me,” Brunelle said. “That’s false information.”

Auriemma is no stranger to recruiting controversy with the Irish. In 2014, Auriemma sent out a now infamous tweet that appeared to be related to Ogunbowale. Fourteen minutes after Ogunbowale tweeted out the top five schools in her recruitment, a list that did not include UConn, a verified Twitter account for Auriemma posted the following:

“Stay tuned for my list of the 5 players I saw the past 7 days that I have zero interest in recruiting.... #whatajoke”

If only a coincidence, that would be some awfully poor timing from Auriemma. The report on Brunelle moments after committed announced wasn’t a good look either.

Brunelle, like Ogunbowale, will likely get a chance to prove herself on the court against UConn. She said she informed the Huskies of her decision before announcing it on Sunday. She’s ready to head to Notre Dame – whether UConn wanted her or not.

“UConn really wasn’t the place for me. So for somebody to say that now, it is what it is,” Brunelle said. “It’s not a huge deal to me because I’m just happy with my decision and that’s what’s most important.”

 

[BGIF]

Ogunbowale to Compete in 2018 USA Basketball Women's 3x3 Championships :: Notre Dame Women's Basketball :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of ND Athletics

Ogunbowale to Compete in 2018 USA Basketball Women's 3x3 Championships
12 women's teams to converge upon Colorado Springs this weekend

COLORADO SPRINGS - There has been no stop in Notre Dame junior guard Arike Ogunbowale's schedule since hitting the two game-winning shots to help deliver the second national championship for the Irish. This weekend bodes no different as Ogunbowale heads to Colorado Springs to compete in the 2018 USA Basketball 3x3 Championships.

All-in-all 12 teams will converge upon the United States Training Center for the 3x3 tournament spanning April 21-22. Ogunbowale will be representing Team N.A.A.K., joining Napheesa Collier, Asia Durr and Kristine Anigwe. The weekend's games are free and open to the public.

Games are played under FIBA 3x3 rules and feature a 10-minute clock and 12-second shot clock. Other rules of note: free throws and buckets inside the arc are worth one point and shots from beyond the arc are worth two points; the first team to 21 points or whichever team is ahead at the end of regulation play is the winner; and if the game ends in a tie, the first team to score two points in overtime wins.

The teams for each tournament have been drawn into two pools for the April 21 preliminary round-robin competition. Ogunbowale will see some familiar faces in the opening bout vs Team Oregon Ducks, consisting of Erin Boley, Otiona Gildon, Ruthy Hebard and Sabrina Ionescu. That matchup will take place at 9:20 MT/11:20 ET.

Following Saturday's games, teams will be seeded for medal-round play, which will begin at 9:40 a.m. MT on Sunday. Winning teams will continue to advance to play in the national championship games, both of which will be streamed live on usab.com beginning at 12:50 p.m. MT.

The winning team at the USA Basketball 3x3 Women's National Championship may have an opportunity to represent the U.S. at the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup.

-- ND --​

USAB Press Release
https://www.usab.com/news-events/news/2018/04/3x3-w-national-champ-teams.aspx


USA Basketball Women's 3x3 National Championship Schedule

https://www.usab.com/3x3/3x3-open-women-nc/schedule.aspx

 

[BGIF]

NOTRE DAME WBB
@ndwbb
21h21 hours ago

Kathryn Westbeld signed to @LA_Sparks training camp roster!!

Do your thing, @K_Westbeld33!

#IrishintheWNBA☘️

WNBA, Kathryn Westbeld and Los Angeles Sparks

 

[Old Man Mike]

Wow.... tough task. Hope that coach has the sense to look at "glue" rather than "flash." Pro basketball is so run-and-gun and get-out-of-the-star's way, that I wonder if a REAL team player like Kat can be allowed to function to make everything better.

The ultimate intangibles star --- though hustle, brains, passing, help defense, scrap, coolness, plus decent shooting, defense, and rebounding aren't "intangible" to me.

.... old school, but Kat was my favorite player on our team this year. (Jackie and Marina very close behind.)

 

[BobbyMac]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Also during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ESPYs2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ESPYs2018</a> commercial break, the Notre Dame women’s basketball gives us No Scrubs <a href="https://t.co/htPjqrLVF2">pic.twitter.com/htPjqrLVF2</a></p>— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/jemelehill/status/1019803317730361345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[arrowryan]

#24 overall player in the 2020 class.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Committed!&#55356;&#57152;&#55357;&#56474; <a href="https://t.co/yKO5QyJh6m">pic.twitter.com/yKO5QyJh6m</a></p>— Alli Campbell (@alli_campbell21) <a href="https://twitter.com/alli_campbell21/status/1040195345572134912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


The 2019 class looks like its going to have more height/length with the 2020 class being guard heavy. In the 2019 class, Muffet and the Irish are being heavily considered by the #1 (Haley Jones, 6'1") and #3 (Aliyah Boston, 6'4") overall recruits. Boston just took her OV to Notre Dame this past weekend. I like Notre Dame's chances with Boston more than Jones. Remember that Notre Dame already has two 5 stars in the 2019 class in Samantha Brunelle and Anaya Peoples.

In 2020, they have Campbell now. They are considered the favorites or at least being heavy contenders for Paige Bueckers (#1 overall and #1 PG) and Caitlin Clark (#3 PG). Also, Sydney Parrish out of Indy; she's also a 5 star and #11 overall. If Muffet wants her, she'll probably get her.

Muffet and this staff were already really good at landing top talent; with another ring, we'll see that starting to pay off on the recruiting trail.

Is this how Alabama fans feel during recruiting!? Muffet is a bull on the court and on the trail

 

[arrowryan]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Highlights on duo of 5-Star Notre Dame women's basketball commits Anaya Peoples & Sam Brunelle! <br><br>VIDEO: <a href="https://t.co/rdFUHkE5Lj">https://t.co/rdFUHkE5Lj</a> <a href="https://t.co/SAYE8l5Qhf">pic.twitter.com/SAYE8l5Qhf</a></p>— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) <a href="https://twitter.com/CourtsideFilms/status/1042827618691764224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>