The Big Dance is down to the final 16. And one of the favorites to cut down the nets is none other than Olivia Miles’ Notre Dame. But their path hasn’t been easy. It was a shock for everyone when 11th-seeded Duke stunned the Fighting Irish in the ACC Tournament semifinals. No one saw it coming. It was a result that raised eyebrows across the country. Since then, coach Niele Ivey has taken measures to battle complacency.

It was smooth sailing for Niele Ivey’s team. Until February, Notre Dame had been a juggernaut, riding a 19-game winning streak with victories over UConn and USC that propelled them to the No. 1 spot in the AP poll—their first since 2018. But then things took a turn. They dropped three of their last five games, losing their chance at an outright ACC regular-season title. To make matters worse, they were knocked out by Duke in the tournament semifinals, ending their hopes of winning back-to-back titles. With March Madness approaching, one thing was clear. Tension was starting to build.

Chicago Tribune writer Julia Poe reported that there’s more to it than meets the eye. When asked to describe the practice sessions since the ACC Tournament semifinal loss to the first game of March Madness, both Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron used the same word–“Hostile.”

Why wouldn’t it be hostile? Until February, everything was going smoothly for the championship contenders. Then, out of nowhere, the losses started piling up. Confidence took a hit. But credit to Niele Ivey. She has managed to rally her troops and it certainly looks like the Fighting Irish have put their troubles behind them and are dancing ahead. Let’s take a look at who they face in their upcoming sweet 16 clash.

Olivia Miles and co prepare for a tough TCU game

The Fighting Irish have had almost a full week of rest. Now, they head to Alabama to face their Sweet 16 opponents: the high-flying TCU Horned Frogs. Hailey Van Lith has led the Frogs to their first-ever Sweet 16, and they’ll be looking to keep their dance going at Notre Dame’s expense.

TCU already beat Notre Dame once this season—76-68 in November at the Cayman Islands Classic—behind Van Lith’s 21 points and Sedona Prince’s 20-point, 20-rebound double-double, a loss that sparked a two-game skid for the Irish.

Olivia Miles, who got injured in the first game of the Big Dance, might finally be fully fit for the Sweet 16. After admitting she was only 45% fit during their second-round game, it looks like she’ll be back to her best against TCU. At least, that’s what Coach Ivey believes.

“We had the entire week that she received a lot of rest, a lot of treatment. She did exactly what she needed to do as far as being at home, doing the things that our trainer required her to do. She feels really good, has had a couple of practices, and she’s fresh and ready,” said the coach.

Any team with Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron as primary bucket getters, along with Olivia Miles as the primary facilitator, will always be favorites. This game won’t be any different. ESPN gives the Fighting Irish a 79.7% chance of advancing, but much will depend on how HVL performs if TCU is to stand a chance. Stay tuned for more updates!