Anyone who has watched a Notre Dame Women’s basketball game in the last 25 years will recall the well dressed, stoic personality that has guided the Irish bench. Little emotion, in victory or defeat has been seen from the legendary Hall of Fame coach, Muffet McGraw, but last night, a different side of the coach was revealed. Following Notre Dame’s 80-61 loss in the National Championship, Muffet couldn’t find the words to describe how meaningful this senior class has been to her, and the usually glamorous coach was brought to tearful speechlessness.
This year’s senior class is certainly one worth getting emotional over. In all phases of the program, the women who leave the Irish team this year have left a mark on the program’s growing legacy. It was only 30 years ago that the NCAA even began to sponsor a championship for women’s basketball, and since then, success in the sport has been associated almost exclusively with the University of Connecticut and the University of Tennessee. This year’s senior class, led by Coach McGraw, has changed the landscape of the sport, showcasing their skills on the court and in the classroom. Not only was Notre Dame the first school in over 20 years, besides UConn or UT, to make back-to-back trips to the National Championship game, but they accomplished the feat within a program that leads the nation in graduating its athletes.
The Irish fought hard last night, but in the end, the Baylor squad proved to be too much for the Irish to handle. Credit goes to the hard work that the women from Waco, TX have put in over the years developing an excellent team and program. Our hats go off to them, and kudos goes to them for their work in developing the sport.
Thanks to McGraw & Co, women’s basketball is on the rise. More people are watching women’s basketball because of its tremendous showcase of fundamentals and its extremely team-oriented style of play. Fans are getting access to more women’s games in the media, and girls around the country are getting to see role models in a sport that, throughout its history, has been mostly dominated by men.
Most importantly, the entire Notre Dame Women’s basketball team embodies everything that Play Like a Champion Today® stands for. They are tenacious in the way their pursuit of goals that they set. They care for each other like each teammate was a member of her own family. They pursue their work with full hearts, and unwavering integrity. And they handle victory and defeat with equal grace.
For the Irish faithful, it is a sad day. There is no doubt that a championship trophy would have been a welcome addition to Notre Dame’s collection, but we can be proud of what our women accomplished in another great season. The Baylor Bears played extremely well, and walked out as winners, but the Fighting Irish left as they always leave—as champions.
