The 2018 NCAA women’s basketball national champions will have three more chances to take home a trophy this year after its nominations for the 2018 ESPY Awards.
ESPN released its list of nominees Wednesday, with the Irish receiving nominations in three categories.
Irish senior guard Arike Ogunbowale’s 3-point buzzer beater to defeat Mississippi State for the national championship is the No. 1 seed in the bracket-style round of 16 for the Best Play category. The shot begins the bracket by going up against another 3-pointer at the buzzer — Michigan sophomore guard Jordan Poole’s shot to advance his team to the Sweet Sixteen in the men’s NCAA tournament.
Notre Dame’s victory in the national championship is also nominated for Best Moment. Other nominees in this category include the Minnesota Vikings’ win over the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs with a last-second touchdown; the Las Vegas Golden Knights defeating the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL playoffs to become the only expansion team in its first season to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals; and the 16th-seeded University of Maryland-Baltimore County upsetting top-seeded Virginia in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament.
The Irish were also nominated for Best Team along with six others. They will take on the World Series champion Houston Astros, the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the Olympic gold medal-winning USA women’s ice hockey team, Villanova’s NCAA men’s basketball national championship team, the back-to-back NBA champion Golden State Warriors and the Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals.
In addition to Notre Dame’s nominations, former Irish guard and current member of the Dallas Wings Skylar Diggins-Smith was nominated for Best WNBA Player. She faces forward Maya Moore and center Sylvia Fowles, both of the Minnesota Lynx, and Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker.
The ESPY Awards will take place Wednesday, July 18, at 8 p.m. and air on ABC. Voting for these awards is available at ESPN.com.
