Limerick's Malou-Mamel becomes first Irish woman to advance to NCAA final four

Former Limerick Celtic part of the all-conquering UConn Huskies roster who defeated Notre Dame Sunday to advance to Phoenix

BIG FUTURE: The Uviversity of Connecticut Huskies' Gandy Malou-Mamel against the Loyola Ramblers in the NCAA tourney.

Limerick's Gandy Malou-Mamel made basketball history Sunday, becoming the first Irish woman to advance the final four of the elite NCAA tournament.

The ex-Limerick Celtic is a freshman on the University of Connecticutt roster that saw off Notre Dame in the 'elite eight' 70-52, sending coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies to their 25th Final Four in the women’s NCAA tournament.

All-America forward Sarah Strong scored 21 points, Blanca Quiñonez added 20 as the Huskies (38-0) won their 54th game in a row, clinching the first spot for the Final Four in Phoenix. They will be going for their 13th national championship.

The ninth NCAA tourney meeting between the Huskies and the Irish was their first with a spot in the Final Four on the line. They had both made it that far the first eight times they met in March Madness, the last in 2019 when Notre Dame won a semifinal game over UConn and then lost to Baylor in the title game.

At 6' 7", Malou-Mamel is still making her way with the Huskies but the coaching team has articulated their excitement at the Irish prospect. She's the eldest of four children have already outgrown their parents who came to Ireland from the Congo before they were born.

“My dad is 6ft 1in and my mom is 5ft 10in but all of us are already much taller than them. My 16-year-old brother is 6’7” and my brother who is 14 is 6’4”," she told the Irish Examiner before here US collegiate adventure began. 

She was a burgeoning soccer goalkeeper before she even stepped on a hard-court and credits Michelle Aspell, the legendary Irish international who founded ‘Celtics with her husband Tony Hehir, with her development and tireless playing style.

She immediately took to it when a coach from ‘Celtics taught some basketball in her school and actually played her first club taster in her school uniform.

It is former Irish international Kieran Quinn she has to thank for her gateway to America.

The Cappawhite native took the US collegiate route himself and stayed. His kids Sidney and Kieran are already playing U16 for Ireland and when he saw some club video of Malou-Mamel in 2021 he got in touch with his Limerick mates to check her out.

“I think him and his son were checking my height and how fast it took me to get from one baseline to the other baseline. I’m not sure how fast I was but I was fast for my height,” she explained.