SOUTH BEND ― Big game, big surprise lineup return for the No. 9 Notre Dame women’s basketball team.
Liza Karlen, a 6-foot-2 Marquette graduate transfer, was dressed in an Irish uniform (green, no less) for the first time during the regular season for Thursday’s nationally televised showdown against No. 2 Connecticut.
Karlen, a first-team, all-Big East selection last season, missed the first nine games with a left ankle/foot injury suffered during Notre Dame’s exhibition game against Davenport on Oct. 30.
Karlen, who often sported a boot during recovery, was considered week to week for her return. Thursday marked 43 days (just over six weeks) since she was injured. Karlen scored six points with five rebounds and one assist in 14 minutes in that exhibition before limping off.
After starting that game, Karlen was not listed among the five starters for the UConn game. It didn’t take her long to get in. Karlen was at the scorer’s table less than three minutes into the first quarter. By the 6:16 mark, she was in the game. At 5:36, she was in the box score with her first bucket.
In her final season at Marquette, Karlen averaged 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds. She earned Big East player of the week honors three times. In two games against Connecticut, both Marquette losses, Karlen had 21 points and six rebounds in 31 minutes and 12 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes.
Having Karlen in uniform meant the Irish dressed a season-high nine players for their third matchup against a top-10 team.
Notre Dame remains without KK Bransford (leg), Kyle Watson (knee) and Maddy Westbeld (foot/ankle).
Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at tnoie@sbtinfo.com
