While I agree with much of what you said I think we need to pump the brakes. You've answered most of your own questions in your post however I don't think Coach is sarcastic with her players. Demanding, high expectations on and off floor and honest in excess, absolutely.

She, like many coaches, hate excuses, won't tolerate lack of effort especially at practice. She admits that she can be difficult to play for and has said numerous times that her level of expectations for her point guard are through the roof. Some wilt but many thrive on this.

Look at the other side of her. She, and her staff, will do anything for their players that give their all to them, their teammates and the university.

Playing time is earned. Minutes are not handed out like candy. In today's world to many kids want instant gratification. That's not how the real world works but there are many coaches out there who have sold their soul to be that new hip "player's coach". Most of them come and go.

Coach has softened her approach over the years. The staff and former players will tell you that but she will never sell out her values and what she thinks her players should be. She has said that Notre Dame isn't for everyone and that if a player has to think to long about coming, it may not be for them.

In a recent article she gave us many of the answers you are looking for. Parents won't let their kids fail. To many of them blame the coaches at the first sign of difficulties. Transfer is the big answer instead of telling them they made a commitment and it's going to be difficult. Your coach isn't going to be your best friend most of the time.

I would never want another person leading this program or these young ladies. Trust the process.

...and trying to come up with some answers, not accusations.

As I think most would know, I'm (more than) generally supportive of Muffet's program. How can you not be?

I think one should pump the brakes as well, in part because this issue seems to be gaining speed with top programs. The analysis I recommend is more for "how do we deal with this process/business model" that is being "disrupted" to use a current terminology.

I'll fall back on my profession: can never over-communicate, so that's a good place to start. Communicating is both listening and talking, so that's a two-way start. Heck, you hate to see all this time and effort put into getting a person to enter the program, then leave.

Stay tuned...thanks again for feedback.

where folks can express somewhat differing views /challenge a certain position and civility reigns. Kudos to all of you!

We are not alone. I think this is a Women's college basketball problem (maybe Men's too).
I think it is way too easy to simply transfer if the littlest thing doesn't go your way. I think a lot of these players are coddled and haven't yet learned the life lessons of sticking things out and working harder.

This should be especially true in Women's college basketball where education should be the highest priority because it is less likely that you will make a career out of basketball

Fallout from the AAU/Lebron/NBA mentality seen now in basketball at different levels. Players, and their sometimes overbearing parents and "advisors", focus on what is in their own self interest. They want immediate playing time and a clear runway. I do not totally blame them for not wanting to be recruited over. But now it seems like any possible (and maybe even imaginery) roadblock and they are off to another place. Roster management has become nightmarish.

My sense is the change started to pick up in the women's game with Diamond Deshields and her dream team at UNC. Maybe one of the five or so who signed there finished there. Lots more movement recently especially among the top teams. UConn, Oregon, Louisville, Maryland, and South Carolina have also been revolving doors.

Muffet is in a tough spot. What do you do? Have a roster of seven players? You need depth in case of injuries. As soon as you bring in one good player, one leaves. FWIW, I don't think Ali Patberg or Jordan Nixon made the best long term move for their development, but we live in a democracy and top players have plenty of choices -- and increasingly are taking advantage of them.

I think the NCAA needs to rethink the transfer portal as well. IMO, too much back channel communcations going on and no way to stop it. Also, there needs to be a limited time period when a player can enter their names. What happens next? They wait until the first game and if they are not in the starting lineup, they are out the door and you play them a month later?

We won a national championship because Jessica received a waiver to play immediately; so it's somewhat hypocritical to criticize the process. I wonder how many players enter the transfer portal expecting that they'll be able to play the next year.

You can hate the transfer/waiver process but realize that you have to play this game to compete.

Yes, I realize we benefited greatly with Jessica, but I still hate what is happening to the game.

FWIW since her announcement of transferring, I expected Prince to wind up at ND and try for a waiver. My sense is the transfers use backchannel avenues to gauge potential landing spots, so, they have at least one pretty good option before they enter the portal. They may visit a few spots before an ulitimate decision, but they have a pretty good idea where they are going beforehand.

The NCAA is inept and wants to avoid potential lawsuits. A cottage industry is now emerging of third parties who know the rules, the quirks of the systems, and help position players, so they get an immediate transfer.

A mess. I am not sure how one can recruit ethically nowadays.

Ironically, I think ND may have helped to tighten the bond between Walker and Westbrook when they visited here, which ultimately led her to UConn, with her amiga.