Former star Kayla McBride inducted into Notre Dame Ring of Honor

Notre Dame women's basketball opened the season with a 121-65 win over Mount St. Mary's, the third highest scoring output in program history. Naturally, there was plenty of cheering for that performance. However, that was the case before the game even began, with a former star making her return.

Kayla McBride was welcomed back to Purcell Pavilion, and was inducted into the Ring of Honor.

She became the fifth women's basketball player to earn the honor, joining her former teammate Skylar Diggins with her name and number in the rafters.

"It means everything to know that my name is going to be up there forever, and at such a special place like Notre Dame. It's a prestigious place and a place I call home."

McBride was a two-time All-American and helped lead the Irish to four consecutive Final Fours, including three national title appearances.

"To come back and see my name up there, it's amazing," said McBride. "It just shows that when you work hard, no matter where you come from, you can do things like this. I'm just so appreciative that Coach McGraw gave me this chance to come play for her and be great. I'm just thankful."

While her time at Notre Dame catapulted McBride to a career in the WNBA, she says the lessons learned at the university were much larger than athletics.

"It was a big growth for me. It was a maturation. Every year I got a little bit better, whether it was as a person or a basketball player, and I carry that with me now. I carry that with me as a grown woman today playing professional basketball, I hear Coach McGraw in my head. It's both sides. It's not just how good you can be on the court, but how good you can be off the court. That's the biggest thing I learned that here at Notre Dame."

McBride was drafted third overall in the 2014 WNBA Draft and is currently playing with the San Antonio Silver Stars.