Three Notre Dame women's basketball legends will return to Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center on May 2 for a preseason matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings.
Former Fighting Irish teammates Arike Ogunbowale (who plays for the Wings) and Jackie Young (who plays for the Aces) will be on opposite sides of the court on Notre Dame's campus. They were both a part of the 2018 NCAA championship team.
Fellow Aces star Jewell Loyd didn't overlap with Ogunbowale and Young during her time in South Bend. She did reach two NCAA championship games in 2014 and '15, but the Fighting Irish were runners-up both times.
“We are super excited to be able to welcome WNBA championship organizations in the Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings to Purcell Pavilion while supporting Arike, Jackie and Jewell and inspiring the current Notre Dame team and the South Bend community,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said, via a press release. “I always want to bring new experiences to our program, and I am thrilled we are able to do this while elevating and showcasing women’s basketball.”
Ogunbowale is the Notre Dame women's basketball all-time leading scorer with 2,626 career points while there. Loyd ranks seventh on the list with 1,909 points.
After leaving the Fighting Irish, Loyd became the WNBA No. 1 pick by the Seattle Storm in 2015. She won two WNBA titles with the Storm. She requested a trade from the Storm this past December because of an investigation into the Storm's coaching staff. She was traded to the Aces late January.
Young was also selected No. 1 overall in 2019 by the Aces. She's won two WNBA titles with Las Vegas and is a three-time WNBA All-Star.
Ogunbowale was the fifth overall pick in 2019 by the Wings and has remained in Dallas since then. She is a four-time WNBA All-Star.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Notre Dame Stars to Return to South Bend for WNBA Preseason Showdown.
