Apr 1, 2018; Columbus, OH, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Arike Ogunbowale (middle) lifts the national championship trophy after defeating the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs in the championship game of the women's Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. Joe Maiorana-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament History

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Mar 17, 2025 5:19 PM ET

For the 30th time in program history Notre Dame women's basketball is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Irish will host Stephen F. Austin in the NCAA Tournament's first round on Friday as they play as a three-seed following a 26-5 regular season.

How far can Notre Dame go as it looks to make its first Final Four since the spring of 2019?

Despite getting a relatively late start in women's basketball, Notre Dame has become one of the forces in the sport. Here is a quick look at Notre Dame's history in the NCAA Tournament as Niele Ivey looks to continue to build on the legacy that Muffet McGraw built in South Bend.

9 Final Fours All-Time

Chris Humphreys-Imagn Images

Notre Dame has made the Final Four nine times since making its first trip in 1997. The nine all-time Final Four appearances rank fifth all-time in NCAA women's basketball, trailing only UConn, Tennessee, Stanford, and Louisiana Tech.

Of Notre Dame's 29 all-time appearances in the NCAA Tournament previous to 2025, more than 30% of them (9 of 29, 31%) have ended in a trip to the Final Four.

7 All-Time National Championship Game Appearances

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Notre Dame's seven all-time appearances in the national championship game trail only powerhouses UConn (13) and Tennessee (12) for the most in the history of NCAA women's basketball.

2 National Championships

Notre Dame has won two of those seven trips to the national championship game all-time, most recently doing so in the spring of 2018 when Arike Ogunbowale hit buzzer beaters to beat UConn in the national semi-finals and Mississippi State in the national championship to take home the crown.

Notre Dame also won in 2001 when it beat Purdue in the national championship game. Ruth Riley and Niele Ivey helped lead that Fighting Irish team to the title in what was just its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance all-time.

Other Notre Dame NCAA Tournament Notes

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Notre Dame is set to play in its 30th all-time NCAA Tournament starting on Friday. The Fighting Irish have compiled a 69-25 record all-time in the NCAA Tournament and in addition to making the Final Four nine times in program history, it has also reached the Elite Eight 10 times and the Sweet 16 20.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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