The women of Notre Dame’s Fighting Irish basketball team cut down Connecticut (83 – 75) on Sunday night, while the Lady Bears topped Stanford (59-47) in the battle of the Final Four. This means that Notre Dame will face off with Baylor to complete some unfinished business.
Back in November Baylor won in their game against Notre Dame with Lady Bear Brittney Griner bringing them to victory (94 – 81).
Speaking about their upcoming battle Griner said “It's going to be a good game. We beat them earlier in the season, but we've got to get ready because this is the game they really want. So it's going to be laid out on the floor."
Notre Dame’s Natalie Novosel said "There's definitely some unfinished business. That seems to be a common theme for everyone this year."
“Unfinished business” has become so much of a theme that Kim Mulkey, Baylor's coach, had the phrase emblazoned on signs in the locker room, notebooks and even gave the players green wristbands to wear.
Mulkey wants to keep the game on point and have them constantly reminded that they didn’t even make it to the Final Four last year.
She said “You don't have comfort. There's never comfort in this business. You go to the film room tonight and you get ready for the next game."
It seems to be working. Baylor guard Kimetria Hayden is ready to finish this. She said “Since we're in the national championship game, we have to finish it now.”
But the Notre Dame team are an experienced bunch and have shown themselves to be a force to be reckoned with this season. They’re ready for whatever punches Baylor have to offer.
Jordan Madden said “We know they'll double Griner, so the rest of us had to knock down some big shots. When we hit shots, it opens up the paint so we can get it into Griner."
Mulkey insists “We're not the Brittney Griner show. Brittney Griner is the face of women's basketball, and she deserves to be, but this team is bigger than Brittney, she will tell you that."
Griner responded saying “I have all the trust in the world in my teammates…Like you said, three field goals, and I was never worried. I knew my team, my guards, would step up and knock down shots."
For both teams a win would mean a second national championship. Notre Dame won in 2001 and Baylore in 2005.
Here's the highlights from the Final Four Notre Dame V Connecticut game:
Comments