Mitch Alcala/Associated Press
As a Notre Dame player and assistant coach, Niele Ivey had participated in 17 NCAA tournaments. She had won national championships in both capacities, knowing full well what it felt like to thrive on the sport’s biggest stage.
And yet, prior to her team’s first-round matchup vs. UMass over the weekend, Ivey experienced a newfound wave of excitement.
“It feels like I’m a rookie,” she said. “Even that I've been there as a player and a coach, assistant coach, being here for the first time as a head coach, it feels really special.