SOUTH BEND – Kayla McBride is carrying on a tradition.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball star was named today as one of four finalists for the prestigious Naismith Trophy, which goes to the top player in the country.

McBride, a senior guard, is the third finalist over the past three years from the Notre Dame program. Skylar Diggins, a native of South Bend, was a finalist in both 2012 and 2013.

McBride, who hails from Erie, Pa., earned ACC Player of the Year honors already this season. The tri-captain is averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebonds and 3.8 assists per game for the No. 2 ranked Irish.

McBride is also one of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award. Her teammate, sophomore guard Jewell Lloyd, is also a finalist for that honor.

Ruth Riley, who led Notre Dame to its only national championship in 2001, is the lone Irish player to win the Naismith Trophy.

The other finalists for the Naismith are Odyssey Sims of Baylor, Breanna Stewart of UConn and Chiney Ogwumike of Stanford.

The Naismith Trophy will be presented April 7 in Nashville, site of this year’s Final Four.

Notre Dame takes a 32-0 mark into first-round action in the NCAA Tournament Saturday. The top-seeded Irish face Robert Morris at 1:30 p.m. in Toledo. The game will be televised by ESPN.