Why Notre Dame women's basketball is in trouble after TCU, Utah upset defeats

Notre Dame women's basketball was upset for the second day in a row on Saturday, losing 78-67 against Utah. Notre Dame was also defeated by TCU on Friday by a final score of 76-68. TCU played especially well to upset Notre Dame, and the same can be said for Utah. Notre Dame is now 5-2 in the 2024-25 season.

Sonia Citron led the way for Notre Dame on Saturday, scoring 22 points to go along with five rebounds. Liatu King added 16 points and 11 rebounds while Hannah Hidalgo scored 16 points.

Notre Dame entered the weekend ranked No. 3 overall. They looked like not just a contender, but a potential championship favorite. Their play on Friday and Saturday suggests otherwise, though.

Is there serious reason for concern, or is this just a slump? After all, every team struggles at times. So should Notre Dame women's basketball fans be worried about the team?

Why Notre Dame women's basketball may be in trouble

Turnovers could be looked at as a problem for Notre Dame. After all, teams with championship aspirations need to take care of the basketball. On Saturday, despite playing a Utah team they were expected to defeat, Notre Dame turned the ball over 22 times. However, they committed only 12 turnovers on Friday and still found a way to lose.

Notre Dame's depth has question marks, however. Yes, only seven players played against Utah, but that isn't even the primary concern. Rather, it is the lack of production from the entire team. Notre Dame cannot just rely on a few players. They need a complete team effort.

Hidalgo, Citron and King combined for 54 points on Saturday. The rest of the team added 13 points. The bench added five total points, all of which came from Casandre Prosper.

It was a similar result against TCU. Hidalgo scored 27 points. Hidalgo, Citron and Olivia Miles combined for 57 points, while the rest of the team added a total of 11 points. The bench provided only three points on Friday, which were again all from one player in Prosper.

Utah's bench out-scored Notre Dame's bench 19-5, while TCU held an 8-3 bench scoring advantage. Depth is a legitimate concern for Notre Dame. They need all-around more production.

Sure, there will be games where the stars will lead them to victories. In fact, Notre Dame made both of these upset defeats quite competitive considering the lack of scoring production outside of a few players.

No, Notre Dame fans should not give up on the season. The team certainly has the potential to make a serious run. There is some reason for concern, though.