NEW YORK – The Associated Press announced its picks for women’s basketball preseason All-Americans on Thursday as Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale was one of the five players honored. Joining Ogunbowale on the list were Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, Louisville’s Asia Durr, UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson and Baylor’s Kalani Brown.
Ogunbowale earned her first All-America honors last season as a junior. The Milwaukee native earned Second Team honors from the AP, USBWA, USA Today and espnW, while also being selected to WBCA’s 10-player All-American list.
“I think the biggest jump in Arike’s game this summer has been in her leadership,” Karen & Kevin Keyes Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw said. “She’s done a tremendous job with the freshmen. She’s encouraging; she’s really leading. She’s always led by example, now she’s doing it vocally.”
Ogunbowale, along with returning starters Marina Mabrey, Jackie Young, Jessica Shepard and Brianna Turner, are a major reason the Irish were ranked No. 1 in both the Preseason AP Poll and Coaches Poll. It marks the second time Notre Dame will begin the season ranked No. 1 (prior was 2016-17), but the first time in both polls.
The four returning starters from last season averaged a combined 65.3 points. Factor in Brianna Turner’s 2016-17 average of 15.3 and number shoots up to 80.6 – the most for a returning starting five over the last 15 years.
The Irish officially kick off the season on Friday, Nov. 9, when they host Harvard inside Purcell Pavilion at 4 p.m. ET. Notre Dame will then celebrate its 2018 national championship with the banner drop on Monday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., ahead of the matchup with Penn.
Fans can still purchase tickets by visiting und.com/buytickets, or by swinging by the Murnane Family Ticket Center inside the main entrance of Purcell Pavilion, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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