Set to meet in perhaps the most anticipated NCAA Women’s Basketball championship game in the storied history of the event, undefeated powers Notre Dame and Connecticut are making their final preparations before an unprecedented showdown that will surely capture the attention of basketball fans everywhere. Inaugurated in the 1981-1982 season, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament has blossomed into one of the most entertaining events in sports and while many teams have reached the top of the mountain in impressive fashion, the championship game has never experienced a contest between undefeated teams – until now.
Thanks to an impressive run through their non-conference schedule along with a title raising experience in their first season as members of the ACC, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will enter the Bridgestone Arena Tuesday night in Nashville with a perfect 37-0 mark. Hoping to avenge a crushing loss to UConn in last season’s Final Four, the Irish will need to be crisp on both ends of the floor, especially without the presence of star senior Natalie Achonwa, who suffered a torn ACL in the Regional Final against Baylor. Despite the loss, Irish head coach Muffet McGraw is confident her side will be able to earn another win based on the overall talent still available for one more game.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” McGraw, who is making her fourth appearance in the title game since taking over the Notre Dame program in 1987, said this week. “This senior class came in unheralded and set all kind of records. I think this is something that everyone's looked forward to all year long. People were hoping we would end up here. It's great for the game and I think it's great we're both undefeated coming into it. It should be a great matchup for women's basketball. Getting here consistently has been great for our program. Taking the next step would be a huge accomplishment.”
While McGraw and company look forward to ending the season with an unblemished mark, 6’5 Connecticut center Stefanie Dolson is excited for a chance to repeat their accomplishments from last season, including a 93-60 victory over Louisville in the 2013 NCAA Women’s championship. This year’s final also holds the potential for a history-making moment as well.
“It's amazing," Dolson said about reaching the final and having a chance to help coach Geno Auriemma claim his ninth championship. “I mean, obviously it's something coach isn't going to talk about. We don't really talk about as a team, it's just something that we know that we have the chance help him kind of win that ninth one. But if it happens, for all of us, now we have two of the nine. You know we have, like I was talking about that small piece of history. It's just something we have a chance to kind of add to the legacy of UConn and add to coach's legacy. I think that's something he would be extremely proud of.”
A win for Auriemma would place him ahead of former Tennessee coach Pat Summit for the most NCAA Women’s Basketball championships in history. It would also help the University of Connecticut claim the National Title for a second-straight night, since the UConn men defeated Kentucky 60-54 Monday night in the 2014 Men’s Championship.
Notre Dame vs. Connecticut: DATE, TIME & VIEWING INFO
DATE: Tuesday, April 8
TIME: 8:30pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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