WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
BY LOU SOMOGYI
T
he word "surprise" enters Notre
Dame head coach Muffet Mc‑
Graw's vocabulary less fre‑
quently these days.
That's understandable with five con‑
secutive Final Four appearances (four
of them in the title game), five straight
conference titles — including the last
four outright — and a 104‑1 record
the last three years against teams not
named Connecticut.
Yet even McGraw conceded that
finishing 31‑1 this year entering the
NCAA Tournament in mid‑March
— with the lone loss to No. 1 UConn
(91‑81) Dec. 5, while two Irish starters
were sidelined — was not what she
anticipated.
A dip was supposed to occur this
Triple
Double
No. 2 Notre Dame
captures third
straight ACC
regular season
and tournament
titles
Notre Dame has won three straight ACC Tournaments and posted a mark of 57-1 against league oppo-
nents since joining the conference three years ago.
PHOTO BY MIKE BENNETT/NOTRE DAME MEDIA RELATIONS
