Notre lady women’s basketball, which carries out green nail polish tradition

Birmingham, Ala.-before the NCAA tournament from 2001 2001, Notre Dame Basketball players, including a security guard, came for a team bonding activity with the fifth year called Niele Ivey: painting her nails. They chose the same green nail polish that led to the tournament.

At the end of the tournament, the Fighting Irish were in the history of the Champion program for the first time, and they had a new tradition.

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Ivey is now in her fifth season as a coach of Notre Dame and prepares her team for her Sweet 16 Matchup on Saturday compared to TCU.

And what was an entertaining way of spending time with teammates has become an unspoken rule for the selection on Sunday.

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“I just came on board when they said I had to paint my nails,” said Junior Guard Olivia Miles. “When they did it for the first time, they won the national championship so that tradition has just been continued.”

Tradition is not kept secret from recruits. In fact, newcomers to this year’s team knew about it before he committed himself to Notre Dame.

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“I would ever get green nails? Probably not,” said newcomer Kate Koval. “… it was a bit outside of my comfort zone for me, but it’s fun.”

Usually the fighting Irish players leave the campus to do their nails. This year they had to stay in one place that they know: Purcell Pavilion.

“I turned to Coach Ivey’s nail technology and she came and made all of our nails,” said Graduate Maddy Westbeld’s Guard. “She had two assistants, so it was a fun experience for all of us.”

Although the tradition as a green tone began, the team’s shadow selection is now widespread: everything from Neon to Forest Green. The Irish consider it a way to express their individuality, which can be difficult to do in a sport where everyone has the same uniform.

“It was fun to see how everyone would represent their personalities,” said Koval. “Some girls get easier and others have brought them some ideas (the nail technicians) and they did everything they could.”

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With everything, from glitter to chrome manicures, the fighting Irish plan to keep tradition alive for all players that they achieve the same thing as their coach did when she started.

Abby Halpin is a student at the University of Georgia Sports media certificate Program.

This article originally appeared in USA Today: Notre lady women’s basketball carries the green nail polish tradition