An 18th banner now hangs in the rafters of Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion.
On Sunday, former Irish women’s basketball standout Katryna Gaither was inducted into the Ring of Honor. She joins the likes of Skylar Diggins-Smith and Hall of Fame head coach Muffet McGraw.
Born in the Bronx and raised in Mount Vernon, N.Y., the 6-3 center arrived at Notre Dame in 1993 and blossomed into one of the premier players to ever don the blue and gold. During her sophomore season, Gaither made 252 field goals, which still ranks ninth in program history. Her name peppers the record books from those initial years in South Bend; Gaither still holds the No. 4 spot in the highest field goal percentage category from her 1995-96 campaign (.633) and the No. 1 spot in single-season field goals (324) from that same year.
When Gaither returned for her last season with the Irish, there was unfinished business from the 1996 NCAA Tournament when Notre Dame fell in the Round of 32. She was determined to right that wrong.
Gaither started off the 1996-97 campaign with a bang. Against Ohio University on Nov. 29, 1996, she registered a career-high 40-point performance. She ultimately led the team with a school-record 20.4 points per contest, setting the single-season scoring record along the way with 776 points. Gaither averaged 9.7 rebounds during the year as well, which led the Irish squad.
With Gaither’s help, the Notre Dame team reached new heights. For the first time in program history, the women reached the Final Four before falling to Tennessee by a score of 80-66. Gaither was named the East Regional’s Most Outstanding Player. The Muffet McGraw-led team posted a final record of 31-7 and 17-1 in the Big East. For the second time, Gaither was named first-team All-Big East.
By the time she left South Bend, Gaither had set 22 school records and posted 2,126 total points. Her additional list of accolades is immense, including hitting the double-figure mark in a school-record 76 games. She also posted 40 double-doubles during her career.
In terms of national recognition, Gaither garnered Associated Press and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) honorable mention All-America honors as both a junior and senior. She was the first ever recipient of the Philadelphia On-Line National Player of the Week Award.
Following Notre Dame, Gaither was drafted in the third round by the American Basketball League’s San Jose Lasers. The center started 15 games and played in 44 in her rookie season, averaging 6.3 points per game and totaling 31 steals and 14 blocks.
That same year, Gaither was a member of the 1997 USA World Championship Qualifying team alongside fellow Irish star Beth Morgan. Gaither was the second-youngest member of the team, one which ultimately won a silver medal.
Next, Gaither headed to the WNBA and played for five different teams over three seasons. She played in 17 games at the next level. Gaither enjoyed a successful professional career overseas in Europe before retiring in 2012.
The Purcell Pavilion Ring of Honor was established in 2010 by the University of Notre Dame Athletics Department to honor former or current men’s and women’s basketball coaches and student-athletes who have made distinguished and noteworthy contributions during their careers at Notre Dame.