End of the Line: A Look Back and a Look Ahead at Notre Dame Women's Basketball
- Erich Pilcher
- 14 minutes ago
- 4 min read
The season ended for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Women’s Basketball Team this past Sunday with a loss to the number one team in the country and presumptive favorite to win the National Title, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies, by the score of 70-52 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
Photo via Notre Dame Athletics
Notre Dame Season Review
One month into 2026, it looked as if the Irish might not make the NCAA tournament, let alone their first Elite Eight since 2019. A 3-6 record in January prompted this belief. Entering the turn of the new year, the Irish were 10-2 overall with an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record of 2-0; the Irish had reasonable expectations to compete for a conference championship.
However, a Knee injury suffered by Senior Guard KK Bransford on December 14th against Moorhead State exacerbated a team lacking depth. Losses to Duke (regular season and conference tournament champions) and Georgia Tech kicked off the New Year, then an 85-47 home loss to UConn on January 19 put the season's hopes on life support.
The return of Bransford in February, along with contributions from transfer players Vanessa de Jesus and Iyana Moore, began a surge for the Irish, as they finished the season on a 9-2 run (only losing to Virginia and Duke in the ACC Tournament semi-finals). This included a signature victory coming on the road against then 10th-ranked Louisville 65-62 on March 10th.
Notre Dame was powered all season by a do-everything, perennial National Player of the Year contender, Junior Guard Hannah Hidalgo. Hidalgo finished the season with a stellar stat line of 25.3 Points Per Game (PPG), 6.9 Rebounds Per Game (RPG), 5.2 Assists Per Game (APG), and shot 47.5 percent from the field. She also won her second consecutive ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Awards.
Key Departures:
PLEASE NOTE-THIS ONLY INDICATES PLAYERS THAT ARE GRADUATING, NOT POSSIBLE TRANSFER PORTAL DEPARTURES.
Iyana Moore (12.2 PPG)
Vanessa de Jesus (8.6 PPG)
Malaya Cowles (8.0 PPG)
Gisela Sanchez (6.0 PPG)
All of Coach Niele Ivey's transfer portal recruits from the end of last season will depart this offseason. These losses will be twofold. First, they had experience and offered a great deal of leadership for the team. Secondly, during the Irish late-season surge, their contributions allowed Hidalgo to operate more freely and opened the offense. Forward Iyana Moore was especially key as she gave the Irish some size for rim protection and rebounding (averaging 5.3 RPG). Moore's 11.8 PPG will be heavily missed as well. One thing to keep an eye on is ACC Most Improved Player Cassandre Prosper and Bransford, both of whom have one year of eligibility remaining. If they decide to return to South Bend, that would be two veterans to provide suitable help for Hidalgo next season.
Recruiting Class:
PF Jacy Abii *****
SF Bella Ragone ****
PF Amari Byles ****
SG Jenica Lewis ****
PF Isabella Sangha
This is arguably the best recruiting class under Coach Ivey, with it being ranked as one of the best in the country by many recruiting experts, with two McDonald's All-Americans. It is led by Jacy Abii, a 6’2" forward with great range and length. Another top get for the Irish is Guard Jenica Lewis. Lewis led Johnston to 3 consecutive state championships and was named Iowa Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year. This season's size was a concern for the Irish; this class solves that. Four out of the five players are 6’2" or taller.
Notre Dame will also welcome 2025 McDonald's All-American Leah Macy into the fold. She missed all of this past season with a knee injury suffered during her senior year of high school.
2026-27 Outlook:
Notre Dame should be a force to be reckoned with next season, if for no other reason than the return of Hidalgo (she will not be draft eligible). If Bransford and Prosper return, then that will be a solid foundation for Ivey to build upon. Having that core would allow this stellar recruiting class to ease into the rotation and be experienced come tournament time. It should also be expected that the Irish will hit the transfer portal for additional experience to make up for what will be leaving.
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