Is it time to panic about Notre Dame women’s basketball? (Yes.)

It’s time to say the quiet parts out loud: Notre Dame women’s basketball is in trouble.

For much of the season, the Fighting Irish have dominated matchups. Led by head coach Niele Ivey and star guard duo Hannah Hildago and Olivia Miles, Notre Dame is a powerhouse that beats you at your own game and then some. They have an unforgiving defense that often leads to punishing buckets that most opponents can’t overcome.

However, as the march towards the postseason arrives, Notre Dame is left with a cornucopia of questions and few answers after three ranked losses within the last five games. Their painful skid, which included an upset defeat against Duke during the ACC conference tournament, couldn’t have come at a worse possible time. It begs the already loud question: Is it time to panic?

The problem is that Notre Dame’s half-court offense is sputtering. If Hildaglo *and* Miles are both on, there’s no problem. However, if one isn’t hitting shots, there will be trouble. If they both aren’t hitting shots, FORGET ABOUT IT. The Fighting Irish haven’t figured out how to get out of that.

Unfortunately, little transition offense and horrid shot selection have hurt Ivey’s team. Forward Maddy Westbeld has been struggling during this stretch. Liatu King has also gone cold in spurts, and asking the usually surefire Sonia Citron to save the offense has only gotten Notre Dame so far.

Then, there’s the issue of the Notre Dame defense.

Hildago is a massive catalyst for much of what the Fighting Irish do on the floor. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year is a two-way menace, often imposing her will and effortlessly picking pockets. Still, her ability to create opportunities has lessened, which has a trickle-down effect on the team. They go as she goes.

The team’s defensive meltdown has resulted in giving up nearly 75 points over the last five games, and it’s allowed other schools to capitalize on small mistakes like turnovers, which are usually a hallmark of Notre Dame’s defense. (The Fighting Irish are averaging 14.4 giveaways to opponents during this skid.)

Sadly, that’s not a great place to be rolling into March Madness. If Notre Dame can’t get it together, they won’t be cutting down the nets in Tampa. Teams that succeed in the NCAA tournament have many offensive options, take smart shots, are disciplined on defense, and take advantage of chances.