How former Notre Dame players fared on WNBA opening night
The WNBA started its regular season Tuesday night. Notre Dame has eight former Fighting Irish players in the league. Four of them were in action last night. Here’s how they performed.
JACKIE YOUNG
Team: Las Vegas Aces
Score: Aces 89, Phoenix Mercury 80
Young’s statistics: 36 minutes, 23 points, 6-of-16 (37.5 percent), 2-of-8 from three (25 percent), 9-of-10 free throws (90 percent), 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 1 foul, +12
Notable: Young had the second highest +/- of anyone in the game from either team. Her shot wasn’t falling at the rate it normally does — she’s a career 47.4-percent shooter from the floor and a sizzling 40.9-percent shooter from three-point range — but like she did at Notre Dame, Young affected the game in enough ways to give her team a victory. She tied Phoenix’s Diani Taurasi for the second most points in the game only behind teammate A’Ja Wilson’s 30.
KAYA MCBRIDE
Team: Minnesota Lynx
Score: Minnesota 83, Seattle 70
McBride’s statistics: 31 minutes, 9 points, 3-of-8 (37.8 percent), 1-of-5 from three (20 percent), 2-of-2 free throws (100 percent), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, +12
Notable: The 31-year-old is in her 10th professional season out of Notre Dame and fourth with Minnesota. She’s been a starter everywhere she’s gone, from San Antonio to Las Vegas and now Minnesota.
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH
Team: Seattle Storm
Score: Minnesota Lynx 83, Seattle 70
Diggins-Smith’s statistics: 31 minutes, 10 points, 4-of-13 (30.8 percent), 0-1 from three, 2-for-2 free throws (100 percent), 1 rebound, 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, -12
Notable: Diggins-Smith made her Seattle debut on Tuesday. She’s in her ninth professional season out of Notre Dame and first with Seattle.
JEWELL LOYD
Team: Seattle Storm
Score: Minnesota Lynx 83, Seattle 70
Loyd’s statistics: 33 minutes, 3-of-19 (15.8 percent), 10 points, 1-of-3 from three (33.3 percent), 3-of-3 free throws (100 percent), 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, -13
Notable: Loyd has spent her entire WNBA career with Seattle after coming out of Notre Dame as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft. The 30-year-old’s 10th season got off to a rough start. She couldn’t buy a bucket. It’ll be fun to monitor how Diggins-Smith and Loyd fare as teammates for the first time since Diggins-Smith was a senior and Loyd was a freshman in 2012-13.
