Road back to the championship hasn’t been easy
Notre Dame has had a tough time trying to repeat. Baylor knows just what that’s like.
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s been a difficult road back to the title game for Muffet McGraw and Notre Dame.
The Fighting Irish, who face Baylor on Sunday night for the NCAA title, came into the season as the favorites to repeat as champions, with nearly everyone back from last season’s team. McGraw acknowledged that with the lofty expectations, the Irish weren’t handling the pressure well early in the year and, most importantly, weren’t having any fun.
“It was a burden,” she said.
That changed after a meeting before Christmas.
“We all felt like it was way too businesslike. We weren’t enjoying it enough,” McGraw said. “I think from then on we started to enjoy it more. They started to enjoy it a lot more; I still couldn’t. It’s not a celebration when you’re supposed to win, and you win by 20. Then you’re like, ‘We didn’t play well enough.’ Then you start getting really picky. That was my problem.”
There was a lot less expected last year when the Irish won their first title since 2001 because the team had lost four players to season-ending injuries.
A win over Baylor would put McGraw and the Irish in an exclusive club. They would become the fourth school to win consecutive titles, joining USC, Tennessee and Connecticut.
To do it, the Irish need to beat Baylor, which is going for its first title since 2012. Kim Mulkey’s team beat the Irish for that title, 80-61, capping a record 40-0 season.
Mulkey can appreciate how hard it is to repeat. The year after the Bears won their last title, she returned most of the team and they were upset by Louisville in the Sweet 16.
“It’s so hard to win championships. You can be the favorite and not win them,” Mulkey said.
Rebounding might be the key to deciding who wins this year. Both teams have dominant inside players. Baylor’s twin towers are 6foot-7 Kalani Brown and 6-4 Lauren Cox. The Irish counter with Brianna Turner and Jessica Shepard in the post. The Irish outrebounded Connecticut 54-37 in the semifinals, including 22-11 on the offensive glass.
“Two areas we were not very good at early: turning the ball over, just uncharacteristic turnovers for us in transition when there was no need to, and then offensive boards. They were getting more offensive boards and second-chance opportunities than we were,” Mulkey said of the semifinal win over Oregon. “You know when you play Notre Dame, Shepard and Turner are capable of doing that. It’s going to be a battle.”
Since each coach has won two championships, today’s winner will move into sole possession of third place on the all-time list behind Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma (11) and Tennessee’s Pat Summitt (8).