The first Final Four, 1997

1996 – 1997

The team: The 1996–97 Irish went 31–7 behind two seniors who between them rewrote the record book on their way out: Beth Morgan, the wing from Bloomington, Indiana, and Katryna Gaither, the post player whose 20.4 points a game that season set a school record. The media guide's career sketches credit Morgan with twenty-eight school records held or shared at her graduation and Gaither with twenty-two. The point guard was a freshman from St. Louis named Niele Ivey, five games into her career from a torn knee ligament — of whom much more below.

The run: In November the Irish had won at sixth-ranked Iowa — the program's first win over a top-ten team. In the NCAA tournament they reached the East Regional in Columbia, South Carolina, where Gaither scored 36 points against Alabama in the regional semifinal, then a program record for an NCAA tournament game, and Notre Dame beat George Washington 62–52 in the regional final to reach the Final Four for the first time. Gaither was the regional's most outstanding player.

Cincinnati: The first Final Four ended in the semifinal: Tennessee 80, Notre Dame 66, at Cincinnati, against the program that then owned the sport. The Irish went home having established the fact that shapes everything after: the distance between Notre Dame and the top of the women's game was now measured in one game, not in leagues.

Sources:

1. University record book, NCAA tournament history — the 1997 East Regional games; the semifinal loss to Tennessee (66–80) at Cincinnati.
2. University media guide — the 1996–97 season (31–7); the November 1996 win at Iowa; the Morgan and Gaither career sketches and record counts; Gaither's 36 points against Alabama.