Notre Dame's Niele Ivey Praises Team After Elite Eight Loss

The Fighting Irish fell short against UConn, but the head coach sees the team's potential.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 1:53pm

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting the dynamic movements and overlapping perspectives of a women's basketball game, with the players' forms broken down into abstract shapes and planes.A cubist interpretation of the intense battle between Notre Dame and UConn in the NCAA women's basketball tournament, capturing the raw energy and competitive spirit of the game.Notre Dame Today

The Notre Dame women's basketball team lost to UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, but head coach Niele Ivey praised her team's effort and performance, saying they reached their 'highest potential' despite the disappointing defeat.

Why it matters

Notre Dame was a surprise no. 6 seed in the tournament, but the team made a deep run before falling to the powerhouse Huskies. Ivey's positive outlook on the season shows she sees a bright future for the Fighting Irish program.

The details

The Elite Eight clash between Notre Dame and UConn was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to score in the first half. However, UConn pulled away in the second half, led by 21 points from Sarah Strong and 20 from Blanca Quinonez. Ivey singled out Quinonez as the 'X factor' for the Huskies.

  • The Notre Dame women's basketball team lost to UConn in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA tournament.

The players

Niele Ivey

The head coach of the Notre Dame women's basketball team.

Geno Auriemma

The legendary head coach of the UConn women's basketball team, who has led the Huskies to 25 Final Four appearances.

Sarah Strong

A UConn player who scored 21 points in the Elite Eight win over Notre Dame.

Blanca Quinonez

A UConn player who scored 20 points in the Elite Eight win over Notre Dame, and was singled out by Ivey as the 'X factor' for the Huskies.

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What they’re saying

“'You want to see your team reach the highest potential that they could, and I feel like we did.'”

— Niele Ivey, Notre Dame Head Coach

“'She was the X factor for them.'”

— Niele Ivey, Notre Dame Head Coach

“'This group, they don't have that kind of swagger, trash-talking kind of mentality. That's why I think, for me, I just keep my fingers crossed because it's not the kind of team that I've had in the past that has gone this far undefeated. It's not. They don't have that kind of mentality off the court, on the court. They're just a bunch of really nice kids that play hard for each other.'”

— Geno Auriemma, UConn Head Coach

What’s next

Notre Dame will now have to wait until next season for another chance at a national title.

The takeaway

Despite the disappointing loss, Ivey's positive outlook on her team's performance and potential shows she believes the Fighting Irish are on the right track and will be a force to be reckoned with in the future.