Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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decades, there have been two super- have — 18 offensive rebounds [by powers in women's basketball — Con- UCLA]. I think there are plenty necticut and Tennessee, which have things for us to talk about there. won eight national titles apiece in the "I thought we were average offenlast 27 seasons. sively in terms of our execution. We Over the last five years, several got a lot in transition. Seventeen turnother teams have trickled into elite overs, that's just way too many in a status, namely game like this." 2013-14 Results/ Notre Dame (three S e n i o r g u a rd Upcoming Schedule straight Final Kayla McBride, Date Opponent Result/Time (ET) Fours), Stanford a returning AllNov. 9 UNC Wilmington W, 99-50 (five consecutive American from Nov. 11 Michigan State W, 81-62 Final Fours from 2013, noted that Nov. 16 Valparaiso W, 96-46 2008-12), Baylor the team draws its (two national titles cue from McGraw Nov. 23 at Penn W, 76-54 and three Final on staying hungry. Nov. 26 DePaul W, 92-76 Fours since 2005) "She expects a Dec. 1 vs. Duquesne W, 100-61 and Duke (Elite lot out of us and Dec. 4 at Penn State W, 77-67 Eight each of the she never wants Dec. 7 UCLA W, 90-48 past four years). to settle," McBride Dec. 14 at Michigan 7 p.m. "That's the bigsaid. "There's alDec. 22 Central Michigan 2 p.m. gest difference in ways something Dec. 29 at Oregon State 5 p.m. our game," Close we should be Jan. 2 South Dakota State 7 p.m. said. "As we grow working on. It's Jan. 5 Clemson* 2 p.m. our game from a just our team men* ACC game grassroots effort, tality at this point. hopefully in a few years you'll see 10 I don't think that we're taking anyto 15 [teams with] not a big difference, thing for granted. … We can be a lot then 15 to 20. We have to be committed better, and we know that — and that's to that as a whole group to move our why we're kind of hanging our heads game forward." a little bit." Perhaps the best manifestation of Better Than Last Year? Notre Dame's status was McGraw's The graduation of three-time Allevaluation of her team after the American point guard Skylar Diggins 42-point win versus the Bruins. "I was a little disappointed with might have elicited belief that Notre our sloppy play at times," McGraw Dame would take a step down from said "Unforced errors, just trying the top two to the top eight to 10. If anything, Close believes Notre to do too much instead of just playing a sound fundamental game. … Dame could even be better collectively. I thought our defense broke down, Four starters with Final Four experiI thought we got complacent, we ence returned, and the additions of didn't rebound as well as we should McDonald's All-Americans Taya Re-