TAMPA, Fla. — After Notre Dame defeated Connecticut in the Final Four on Friday, Coach Muffet McGraw, wearing a shirt as shiny as the university’s Golden Dome, did a jig of sorts on the court.

There were plenty of reasons to celebrate after the Irish advanced to their second straight N.C.A.A. women’s basketball title game.

[Read about Baylor’s win over the Oregon Ducks.]

Once again, they had upended the game’s longtime powerhouse in a national semifinal. In a Final Four classic last year, Notre Dame beat UConn on a last-second overtime shot by Arike Ogunbowale. Friday’s 81-76 win for the Irish was a fitting encore, with similar back-and-forth drama.