Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/608448
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL BY LOU SOMOGYI I n a basketball house filled with the latest shiny new toys and top- of-the-line furniture, Notre Dame fifth-year senior guard Madison Cable is like the somewhat worn re- cliner in the corner that people pre- fer to sit in because nothing beats its comfort. Or at least Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and the women's basketball program do. With five consecutive Final Fours and an overall program that is sec- ond nationally only to Connecticut, McGraw has developed her recruiting to a point where anyone not ranked among the top players in the country is now considered "unheralded." Eight McDonald's All-Americans — players who generally rank among the top 20 nationally in their class — dot the current Fighting Irish roster, including freshmen guards Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale, two of the top five scorers during this year's 4-0 start. Sophomore post Brianna Turner was the Gatorade National Player of the Year when she was recruited, while classmate Kathryn Westbeld, another McDonald's All-American, has filled in superbly at forward for junior Taya Reimer, a top-five recruit who has been gradually seeing more ac- tion while recovering from an Achil- les injury suffered during the Pan-Am games this summer. Next year, two more top-10 pros- pects will enroll in forward Erin Boley and guard Jackie Young. Back in 2011, the Pennsylvania na- GLUE GUN Madison Cable holds the Irish together with a winning mentality and versatility Cable, a fifth-year senior guard, provides a stabiliz- ing presence in a mostly young lineup. PHOTO BY JOE RAYMOND