Niele Ivey Issues Apology After Notre Dame's Struggles Against Florida State

It was Notre Dame's second ACC loss of the year, but also in as many games

Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey calls a play during a NCAA women's basketball game between No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 24 Florida State at Purcell Pavilion on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Notre Dame women's basketball team looked the part of a national championship contender almost all winter, but the last week has been extremely disappointing. Last Sunday was a tough, double-overtime loss to longtime ACC foe North Carolina State, but this past Thursday was another level of frustrating in a home loss to Florida State.

Notre Dame did it's senior night activities on Thursday despite it having one more regular season home game on Sunday against Louisville. Needless to say, blowing a 15-point lead to Florida State wasn't how the seniors wanted their special night to go.

Following the game, Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey took over an hour to make it to her press conference, as there was a team meeting following the upset loss. In that press conference Ivey apologized to the faithful Notre Dame fans for the team's showing.

Feb 27, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Niele Ivey signals to her players in the first half against the Florida State Seminoles at the Purcell Pavilion. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

“My apologies to the fans,” Ivey said on Thursday night. “I thought the fans were as they’ve always been, extremely supportive. I’m grateful for them being out here. A senior night, it’s hard having a game like this. I always feel like senior nights are supposed to be an opportunity to honor our seniors. I talked about that right when I walked into the locker room.

“… I’m Just grateful for the fans to come out. Was a very disappointing performance. We got to get back to work. We’re fortunate we have another opportunity Sunday to have Louisville at home.”

Notre Dame has one more regular season game to get right as it hosts Louisville on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Irish need a victory coupled with a North Carolina State upset loss to SMU this weekend in order to earn the ACC Tournament No. 1 seed.

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