Notre Dame senior center Kylee Watson tears ACL, out for NCAA Tournament
Notre Dame landed a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament but officially lost a key piece in the lineup around the same time. Senior center Kylee Watson announced on social media she will not play in the tournament because of a torn ACL.
Watson started all 31 games she played this season and averaged 6.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
“While it’s definitely not how I wanted the year to end, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason,” Watson wrote. “I have so many incredible people in my corner, and I know how blessed I am regardless of my changing circumstances. I know with this team, these coaches and this community, I will come back stronger than ever. I am so grateful.”
Watson is the second player in as many seasons to have a significant knee injury knock her out for the season approaching the NCAA Tournament. Last year it was point guard Olivia Miles, who has still yet to make her return to game action. The Irish also lost starting guard Dara Mabrey to a knee injury a season ago.
Watson joins Miles, freshman guard Emma Risch (hip), sophomore guard/forward Cass Prosper (lower leg) and graduate student guard Jenna Brown (personal) as Notre Dame players not available for the tournament. Watson, Miles, Risch and Brown are all official on that front. Prosper has not been publicly ruled out, but she has not played since November. Head coach Niele Ivey does not seem inclined to reintroduce her to the lineup with the season now on the line.
That means Notre Dame will have eight healthy scholarship players to choose from when the Irish’s tournament run begins later this week against No. 15 seed Kent State. Ivey put forth a six-player rotation in the ACC Tournament championship game, the first time Notre Dame played without Watson all year.
Former walk-on Sarah Cernugel and Pepperdine transfer Becky Obinma will probably only play in a serious pinch or a blowout situation. Notre Dame’s tournament advancement falls on the shoulders of freshman point guard Hannah Hidalgo, graduate student guard Anna DeWolfe, junior guard Sonia Citron, senior forward Maddy Westbeld, senior center Nat Marshall starting in place of Watson and sophomore guard KK Bransford off the bench.
That’s it. That’s all Ivey’s got.
“We’re very intentional about what we’re doing as far as preparing,” Ivey said addressing how she manages low roster numbers. “A lot of recovery. I play a lot of zone. And again, very intentional about what we’re doing. My team, they know their roles. They’ve were redefined with all the injuries. Everybody knows what they need to do to help us win. When you’re locked in and you know your roles, that’s probably the key.”
Westbeld and Marshall are affected the most by the absence of Watson, Notre Dame’s tallest player at 6’4″ and biggest post presence on both ends of the floor. Westbeld will be asked to help in the paint defensively. Marshall has to find a productive two-way game.
“Kylee is a really consistent player for this team,” Westbeld said. “She comes up every game. She does a lot of the little things that people don’t see. … Both of us have to step up. Both of us have to lock in and play that tougher role that Kylee was playing.”
