Two of the best women’s basketball teams in the nation — each boasting one of the brightest stars in the ACC — will square off at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday.
Sixth-ranked Virginia Tech (10-0, 1-0 ACC) will host fifth-ranked Notre Dame (8-1, 0-0) at 4 pm in a game that will be televised by the ACC Network.
It will be the first time two top-10 women’s basketball teams have faced each other at Cassell.
“Whoever wins this game, … at least at this way-too-early time, looks like the favorite in the league,” ACC Network analyst Kelly Gramlich said Friday in a phone interview. “Both of these teams are Final Four contenders.
“I was talking to [ESPN’s] Rebecca Lobo the other day and she told me she thinks Virginia Tech is a Final Four contender.
“Virginia Tech’s focus should be getting a top-four seed [in an NCAA tournament bracket so Tech can host the first two rounds], which they’re definitely on pace to do at this point. If you host the women’s game in the NCAA tournament, it’s such a difference.”
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Tech center Elizabeth Kitley is the reigning ACC player of the year. But Notre Dame features point guard Olivia Miles, who is coming off the third triple-double of her college career.
“Which player can exert their dominance?” Gramlich said. “As of now, I think you have the two best players in the ACC in this game.
“They’re both top-10 players in the country.”
The Fighting Irish have already played two ranked foes this season, having lost to Maryland 74-72 on a buzzer-beater and having won 74-60 at UConn.
“They’re extremely talented,” Tech coach Kenny Brooks said in a phone interview. “One of the few teams in the country that can stake a claim that they can win a national championship.”
Notre Dame ranks sixth in the nation in scoring offense (88.2 ppg), while the Hokies rank third nationally in scoring defense (48.5 ppg).
“They do like to get up and down the floor,” Brooks said of the Fighting Irish. “Miles, … she’s tremendous in transition, so we’ve got to be able to slow her down.
“And then they’re big and strong inside. … They’re a very versatile basketball team.”
The Fighting Irish will be the first ranked foe Tech has played this season.
“I think people are looking at Virginia Tech and thinking, ‘They’re obviously super talented, but have they been tested?'” Gramlich said.
The Hokies thumped Nebraska, which beat the Maryland team that defeated Notre Dame. The Hokies also own wins over Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. Nebraska and Tennessee were both ranked in the preseason.
“We’ve played the level of talent that we need to prepare us for this game,” Brooks said.
The 5-foot-10 Miles, in her third season at Notre Dame, averages 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists. She had 13 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists in a rout of Merrimack last weekend.
“She’s … so lethal in transition,” Gramlich said. “Her vision in the open floor I think is the best in the country. I think her size at the point guard spot is unique. … When she’s running the floor, she can really see everything. And that helps her finish inside as well. “
But Notre Dame is hardly a one-woman show.
Sophomore guard Sonia Citron averages 15.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.
“My favorite player on their team is Citron,” Brooks said. “There’s challenges all over the place.”
Guard Dara Mabrey, who played for the Hokies for two years before transferring to Notre Dame in 2020, opted to return to South Bend for her extra season of eligibility. The graduate student is averaging 12.3 points.
“An exceptional shooter,” Gramlich said. “She’s so confident.”
The other starters are forward Maddy Westbeld (8.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Oregon transfer Kylee Watson (8.3 ppg).
Texas graduate transfer Lauren Ebo averages 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds off the bench.
Limiting Notre Dame’s trips to the free-throw line will be important for Tech. Notre Dame leads the nation with an average of 20.7 made free throws.
“That’s something Virginia Tech has to be cognizant of, is defending without fouling,” Gramlich said.
Notre Dame ranks fourth nationally in rebounding margin, outrebounding its foes by 16.1 rebounds per game.
“We’ve got to make sure we put a body on them” Brooks said. “That’s one of the things we’ve talked about, is not only getting the initial stop but we’ve got to finish it up with a defensive rebound.”
Kitley averages 18.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. She is one of five active Hokies averaging double figures in points.
The 6-4 Ebo, the 6-4 Watson, the 6-3 Westbeld and 6-5 backup Natalija Marshall could take turns guarding the 6-6 Kitley.
“I imagine they’re going to try to guard her one-on-one … because they have that depth inside,” Gramlich said.
Notre Dame has won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the series, including the past three.
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