What are ACC Tournament expectations for Notre Dame women’s basketball?

The print on Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey’s shirt said exactly what her team didn’t do just a few days prior.

“Play like a champion today.”

Ivey repped the shirt with her alma mater’s iconic catchphrase in the foyer of Rolfs Athletics Hall on Tuesday. She stood next to ACC Freshman of the Year Sonia Citron, a key cog in helping Notre Dame (21-7, 13-5 ACC) claim the No. 3 seed in this week’s ACC Tournament. The Irish face No. 6 seed Georgia Tech (21-9, 11-7) Friday at 8 p.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.

Citron and the Irish have accomplished perhaps more than even those within the program thought possible. The season-long objective was simply making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, and the Irish have soundly done so. But being that only two teams had a better record in ACC play, a potential postseason run quickly entered the conversation.

That talk isn’t complete, though, without referencing two losses to Louisville by an average margin of 24 points. The most recent defeat was a 22-point beating that could have been much, much worse. The Cardinals led by as many as 42. So how does a team aspire to play like a champion with those dreadful defeats in the back of its mind?

Short-term memory and a whole lot of confidence.

“We have an amazing opportunity,” Ivey said. “We’ve done an incredible job of putting ourselves in a position to be a third seed, double bye. Friday, we can take care of business. And this entire weekend. We have the right pieces to do it. We just have to make sure we compete.”

More emphasis on the confidence than the short-term memory, too. Notre Dame can’t forget what happened against Louisville. Otherwise, the Irish are at risk of letting it happen for a third time in as many weeks. If Notre Dame is able to beat Georgia Tech Friday, Louisville likely awaits on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

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Lessons are not learned by forgetting but rather retaining. Short-term memory should mean forget the notion that Notre Dame can’t beat Louisville. Understand why it hasn’t happened in six straight tries and take the necessary steps to snap the streak.

“Losses like those teach you a lot,” Citron said. “We’re going to look at it, learn from it, take the lesson as a team, get better, move on from it and be ready by Friday.”

Notre Dame isn’t good enough to get caught looking ahead, either. The last time the Irish faced the Yellow Jackets just a few weeks ago in Atlanta, Ivey’s team blew a 16-point lead and needed heroics from senior guard Dara Mabrey to pull out a six-point victory in overtime. If Notre Dame is focused on the Cards, they could certainly lose to the Jackets. A No. 3 next to their name looks flashy and all, but the Irish are just a year removed from losing to No. 11 seed Clemson on day one of the conference tourney as a No. 6 seed.

“It is a blessing to be the three seed compared to what we did last year,” Ivey said. “It’s a credit to our heart. It’s been a long season. An incredibly long road. I’m happy to be the three seed because it shows our improvement.”

What’s the improvement worth if Notre Dame goes 0-1 in Greensboro again? Not much at all. Even a win over Georgia Tech and another blowout loss to Louisville would be better than one and done. But maybe the third time is the charm for Ivey and company against the Cardinals. She’s correct to an extent in saying her personnel, although not incredibly experienced and definitely not deep, is good enough to compete with Louisville. But those players need to exhibit much more energy and intensity to even have a chance.

“It’s go time,” Ivey said. “Survive and advance. This is what we all prepared for.”

No. 25 Georgia Tech (21-9, 11-7 ACC) vs. No. 20 Notre Dame (21-7, 13-5)

When: Friday, March 4, 8 p.m. ET

Where: Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.)

TV: Regional Sports Networks

NET rankings: Notre Dame 20, Georgia Tech 25

Last meeting: Notre Dame won 72-66 (OT) in Atlanta on Feb. 17

Series history: Notre Dame leads 15-1

Pregame notes

• Senior guard Abby Prohaska could return from an orbital bone injury to give Ivey an eight-player rotation. The Irish have been playing with a seven-player rotation since she suffered the injury on Feb. 1. She has averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 17 appearances this season. More than anything else, Notre Dame could use an extra body and Prohaska’s toughness on defense and in drawing fouls.

• Freshman point guard Olivia Miles, a first-team All-ACC selection, finished the regular season with 197 assists. That currently ranks fourth in the nation. Miles also leads Notre Dame in scoring at 13.8 points per game.

• Friday is another opportunity for graduate student forward Maya Dodson to perform against a school she grew up less than an hour away from. The Alpharetta, Ga., native had 11 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks when these two teams met last month.

• Notre Dame won the ACC Tournament in five of six seasons from 2014-19. The only year the Irish did not win the conference tournament in that span (2018), they went on to win the program’s second national championship.

• Notre Dame fell out of the NCAA’s top-16 NCAA Tournament seeds and began the week as a No. 5 seed according to ESPN bracketology expert Charlie Creme. The only way for the Irish to earn a No. 4 seed and the right to play the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend might be to beat Louisville if that matchup arises again.