Notre Dame women's basketball: Breaking down the NCAA Tournament Bridgeport Region

This is Notre Dame. When the Irish break out their dancing shoes, they expect to keep them off the shelf for a while.

No, this isn’t a Notre Dame team like the one that won an NCAA Championship in 2018 or the one that went back to the national title game the year later. Those teams were ACC champions and were destined for long, triumphant runs in the NCAA Tournament. The version of Notre Dame headed to Norman, Okla., to play UMass as a No. 5 seed Saturday is not quite on that tier of elite status yet.

A trip to the Sweet 16 would be a success. A Final Four berth would be somewhat shocking. But is it possible for Notre Dame’s season to end right in the middle of those two potential stopping points? Absolutely. The most likely Sweet 16 opponent should the Irish make it that far is a team Notre Dame has already beaten this season: NC State.

Notre Dame beat the Wolfpack 69-66 on Feb. 1. The Irish were greatly aided by a rowdy home crowd at Purcell Pavilion, which is something they obviously won’t have the benefit of in the Bridgeport Regional. Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games will be played at Webster Bank Arena in Connecticut. That’s of note if Notre Dame does upset NC State a second time; waiting with a spot in the Final Four on the line would likely be No. 2 seed UConn. The Huskies would essentially be playing in their own backyard, and they beat Notre Dame 73-54 in early December. They’re playing as well as anyone since sophomore Paige Bueckers‘ return from a knee injury too.

Full women’s basketball NCAA Tournament bracket

First things first — Notre Dame has to beat upset-minded No. 12 seed UMass in the first round Saturday. The Minutewomen have won 11 of their last 12 games. They’re led by two different players who average 15-plus points per game. Both of their front-court starters stand at 6-2, though, so the Irish will have a considerable size advantage with graduate senior center Maya Dodson and sophomore forward Maddy Westbeld in the post.

Notre Dame won’t have issues with size against No. 4 seed Oklahoma in the second round if the Irish beat UMass and the Sooners beat IUPUI, but there would be a considerable increase in athleticism from the opposition. Oklahoma has one of the best offenses in the country. The Sooners are one of three teams in the nation averaging at least 80 points per game. Only DePaul and Iowa average more than Oklahoma’s 83.3.

UMass’ two 15-plus points per game scorers are impressive, especially considering Notre Dame does not have any of its own. Oklahoma has three players scoring more than 17 points per game, meanwhile. Senior guard Madi Williams leads the team with her mark of 18.2. She can take over any given game, but even if she does it’s never a given Oklahoma can do enough defensively to make her offensive explosion worth while. The Sooners have one of the worst defenses in the country. They allow 76.0 points per game. Only eight teams give up more.

DePaul is one of those. Notre Dame beat the Blue Demons 91-86 in December. If the Sooners want to get into a track meet, the Irish can play that way. Head coach Niele Ivey prefers to get out in transition anyway. It’s entirely possible Notre Dame punches a ticket to the Sweet 16 by beating Oklahoma at its own game in its own building. Remember, the Irish have to play the first and second rounds in Norman, Okla. No. 4 seed Oklahoma earned the right to host, an honor the Irish narrowly missed out on.

Notre Dame men’s basketball

• Notre Dame headed to NCAA tournament, will play Rutgers in First Four

Notre Dame would love to be playing at Purcell Pavilion this season. But there’s a clear path to the Sweet 16 for the Irish even without the benefit of tipping off at a place they posted a 13-1 record at in 2021-22.

NC State’s road to Bridgeport is smooth sailing. The Wolfpack play the winner of First Four participants Longwood and Mount St. Mary’s in the first round. Then it’s either No. 8 seed Washington State or No. 8 seed Kansas State. Stranger things have happened, but it would be incredibly surprising for anybody other than the Wolfpack to be waiting for Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.

Would head coach Wes Moore‘s team be looking for revenge and with it a spot in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1998? Of course. But would Ivey’s team be out to prove February’s result was not a fluke and that Notre Dame is on its way back to being a perennial power? Undoubtedly so. Notre Dame has won more NCAA Tournament games than all but three programs; UConn, Tennessee and Stanford. Good company. The ultimate goal this month is to add some more victories to the current total of 67.