The lost shots of a star of Notre Dame give Baylor the title.

Last year, Arike Ogunbowale was the hero. The Notre Dame guard hit a 3 pointer leaning against the state of Mississippi to root in the tournament's history and win the NCAA title. It was an absurdly difficult move, the kind you'd remember for years if you did it in an empty gym, not to mention the biggest match of your life. Thus, when Ogunbowale arrived on the sidelines Sunday against Baylor, the task at hand seemed quite simple: hit the two free throws and send the game to the title in overtime.

After missing his first attempt, Ogunbowale seemed quieter than anyone in the arena. She told the bench that she was going to intentionally miss the second goal and give the Irish a chance to bounce back and score. There was a solution to this problem, just like last year against the state of Mississippi. But this pragmatic thought was canceled by an accident: at the worst moment, Ogunbowale could not fail. His swish put the score at 82-81 with 2 seconds remaining, and Baylor completed a single indoor game to win his first NCAA title since 2012.

After the final whistle, Ogunbowale left the court in tears.

The fact that someone who has already achieved the fame that defines his career can still feel this kind of pain testifies to the fact that, in sport, everything is ephemeral. It is also a reminder to us, normal people, that even though we can not console ourselves with new memories of heroic buzzing, losing is always terrible no matter the outcome.

Notre Dame would have liked his chances in overtime. The Irish have overcome a deficit of 17 points to take a late lead, and the momentum has been favorable. Star Baylor forward Lauren Cox had left the game after a serious leg injury in the third quarter, and the title was there. "When you lose a great player in the middle of a national championship game, you're not supposed to win," Baylor's head coach Kim Mulkey said later. Without Chloe Jackson, she would have been right. Baylor guards have scored two huge baskets in the last 35 seconds, including getting started.

Jackson scored 26 points and was named the most outstanding player in the title game. She had never even played as leader before transferring to Baylor this off season, but Jackson still manages to learn the most difficult position of the game in time to be a hero on the biggest stage possible. A lot can happen in a year.