Niele Ivey

Niele Ivey (born September 24, 1977) is a former Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) player for the Indiana Fever, Detroit Shock, and Phoenix Mercury basketball teams. She is now an assistant coach for the University of Notre Dame Women's basketball team, where she played her college ball. She was an All-American point guard and became the 17th player in school history to record over 1,000 career points. She received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award presented for the nation's top player under 5'8" in 2001. She would go on to lead the Irish women to their first ever NCAA Championship in 2001, in her hometown of St. Louis as a fifth year senior.

In the WNBA, she finished her career with 408 points, including over 100 in 2 separate seasons. She also had 90 3 point field goals, 228 assists, and 94 steals.

Niele Deirdre Jamillah Viveca Ivey was born September 24, 1977 in Saint Louis, Missouri, to Thomas and Theresa Ivey. She was the youngest of five children, and the only daughter. She attended Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis and played at the University of Notre Dame. She has one child, a son Jaden Edward Dhananjay Ivey, born on Feb. 13 2002, with former Notre Dame and NFL player Javin Hunter.

Ivey grew up playing many sports, but especially basketball. She learned the game from her older brothers, and was shooting from three point range by the time she was in fourth grade. She attracted attention for her long-range shooting from high school coaches, including Gary Glasscock of Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis. Ivey had attended Catholic grade school, so it was a natural fit to attend Cor Jesu. As a junior, Ivey scored 18 points per game to help her team to a 31–0 record and a Class 4A State Championship, the first in school history.

Ivey was a big fan of Michael Jordan, who attended college at the University of North Carolina, so she was determined to go there for college. She used her own money to attend a basketball camp on the campus of the North Carolina school, but the UNC head coach, Sylvia Hatchell, appeared only at the opening and closing of the camp, and did not get a chance to see Ivey play. Muffet McGraw of Notre Dame became interested in Ivey, and traveled to St. Louis a number of times to watch Ivey play pick-up game at the YMCA in St. Louis. McGraw was prohibited by NCAA rules from talking to recruits at this time, but Ivey was aware of her presence, and it convinced her that McGraw was seriously interested in her. Ivey decided to commit to attend Notre Dame.

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