South Carolina, Notre Dame to open women's basketball season in Paris

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina and Notre Dame will open the next women's college basketball season in Paris, the schools announced Wednesday.

The Nov. 6 matchup will mark the first time an NCAA regular-season game has been played in the French capital.

Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said she didn't hesitate when invited to take part. “Playing Notre Dame in Paris is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our student-athletes,” she said.

South Carolina reached its third straight Final Four this past season and was undefeated until losing to Iowa 77-73 in the national semifinals.

Notre Dame advanced to the Sweet 16, where it lost to Maryland 76-59.

Fighting Irish coach Niele Ivey said the women's college game is on the rise and “having this exposure will help grow the game on an international level.”

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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25