Anaya Hardy Commits to Notre Dame; Ivey Secures Athletic Interior Threat
- Brenden Duffy
- 17 hours ago
- 2 min read
Notre Dame and Head Coach Niele Ivey have received their first transfer portal commitment of the cycle from former Louisville Cardinal, Anaya Hardy.
Photo via University of Louisville Athletics
Hardy, a 6-3 Sophomore Forward, enters Notre Dame with two years of eligibility remaining.
Hardy hails from Detroit where she played at Renaissance HS and for Michigan Storm Elite AAU. After winning three straight Detroit Public School Championships, the forward committed to Louisville over Michigan and Syracuse.
After seeing limited playing time as a freshman (2.5 mpg), Hardy saw an increased role this past season as a sophomore. In 11.3 mpg across 35 games played, including 27 starts, she averaged 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as the Cardinals reached the Sweet 16. Hardy’s best performance came against Pitt in a January regular-season matchup, where the forward tallied a career-high 16 points (7-9 from the field) and three steals, while also adding nine rebounds in just 17 minutes played as the Cardinals dominated the Panthers.
While Hardy will not be stretching out any defenses, she has flashed as a potent inside threat. Offensively, she shot 67% from the field (no threes attempted) and added 2.1 offensive rebounds per game. Defensively, she averaged 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks per game this past season. This is probably where the most untapped potential lies. Hardy’s athleticism is one of her biggest draws, being hailed as an elite shot-blocker coming out of high school where she averaged four per game. With increased minutes in a more prominent role, expect Hardy’s steals and blocks numbers to steadily rise. Perhaps the most impressive part of her athletic lore is the fact that she has been able to dunk since high school, with some more recent evidence below.Â
 Hardy blocks former Notre Dame F/C Liatu King as a freshman
Following Hardy’s commitment to Notre Dame, expect Ivey and the Irish to now target an experienced guard to complement Hannah Hidalgo.
Want the latest intel on Notre Dame football? Subscribe to Tribune+ and get access to recruiting and team intel from The Irish Tribune team, as well as access to our intel community, exclusive app, and more Notre Dame content: Subscribe here to support our independent journalism.
Follow The Irish Tribune on social media:
Follow @Brenden_Duffy on X
Liked this story? Subscribe to our mailing list and get every story in your inbox.
Check out our Irish partners:
TMPR Sports - Use code "IrishTribune20"Â to get $20Â off your officially-licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle here!
