Notre Dame 2025-2026 Regular-Season Thread.

[Dillon77]

Holy Crow. I suddenly realized the Irish have their first regular season game this Wednesday at 7 p.m. against FDU at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend.
Guess my attention was elsewhere (recruiting and ND Women's Soccer who are in the playoff mode now).

Get to see how Hannah Hidalgo and fellow returnees KK Bransford and Cass Prosper mesh with a mess of new comers, most of whom will only be there one year.

Stay tuned.

 

[cancontent]

I'm looking forward to seeing how Prosper does this season. She stepped away from Canada Basketball obligations this year. Did the time off from training with the national help? Personally, I think it might as she's been on quite a grind since high school.

 

[YoDore]

Holy Crow. I suddenly realized the Irish have their first regular season game this Wednesday at 7 p.m. against FDU at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend.
Guess my attention was elsewhere (recruiting and ND Women's Soccer who are in the playoff mode now).

Get to see how Hannah Hidalgo and fellow returnees KK Bransford and Cass Prosper mesh with a mess of new comers, most of whom will only be there one year.

Stay tuned.

Dillon, can you clarify Leah Macy's status for me? I'm under the impression she had a second knee surgery and will miss another season, but I can't remember where I got that information or if it's accurate.

 

[Dillon77]

Dillon, can you clarify Leah Macy's status for me? I'm under the impression she had a second knee surgery and will miss another season, but I can't remember where I got that information or if it's accurate.

As I understand it, Macy had two severe things happen to her during the initial injury. Both of these happened during her senior year in high school and she had them treated at Notre Dame during her senior spring in high school.
They injury(ies) were extensive but from what I hear, read, observe, she's making good progress. However, she's not practicing with the team (although she is a practices). I'm guessing she's not going to be available for months...if she's not ready by, say, early winter, I'd be they shut her down and preserve the year of eligibility. That, in turn, would give ND a five- or six-person frosh class in Fall 2026.

 

[Dillon77]

I'm looking forward to seeing how Prosper does this season. She stepped away from Canada Basketball obligations this year. Did the time off from training with the national help? Personally, I think it might as she's been on quite a grind since high school.

We'll see tonight with the first game against FDU at 7 p.m.

BTW, per head coach Niele Ivey, grad transfers Iyana Moore (Vanderbilt) and Malaya Cowles (Wake Forest) as well as freshman Leah Macy are out for Notre Dame women’s basketball’s season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Irish will have just 9 players available. As the noted NYC hoopster quartet, the Talking Heads, would sing: "same as it ever was." Both Moore and Cowles seem to be in the dreaded "nagging injury/week to week" status. As noted, Macy is in the midst of recovery from major knee surgery from the winter/early spring.

 

[Dillon77]

ND Wins Opener Against FDU, 98-52.

- Hannah Hidalgo led the way with 27 points, while Vanessa de Jesus followed with a career-high 22. Gisela Sanchez also had her first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

- ND shot 54% from the field. Now, 32 points came off turnovers and 42 were scored from the paint. Plus FDU is not a tall and/or physical squad, so you'd hope to see this. Still, the fact they did it is good, particularly since ...

- The Irish shot 53% (9-17) from three-point land and that takes in Hannah Hidalgo's 1-7 clunkfest (good, get it out of the way, HH). Vanessa DeJesus, by comparison, went 4-6 and Gisela Sanchez 2-2 for those that hit multiple treys.

- Interestingly, neither Cass Prosper or KK Bransford attempted a three. However, the two of them led the Irish in assists, with
5 and 4, respectively. Three players had 3 each: HH, DeJesus and Sanchez.

- Speaking of Sanchez, in addition to the passes and two treys, she scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Eleven of those grabs were on the defensive end and I liked the way she would then move the ball upcourt quickly with an outlet pass or a few dribbles and a pass. She's not a center but is active and has a nose for the 50-50.

- Hannah has a habit at the free throw line of taking her her first shot, then turning around to find a teammate, with whom she'll gently tap both hands with or even grip their fingers. During her first two years, the vast majority of those instances took place with Sonia Citron. My wife, a childhood psychology major, has long thought Hannah -- who runs high intensity -- was looking for a calming, chill partner. Can't get better than Soni.
Yesterday, the tradition continued and on two occasions I saw that she sought out Vanessa DeJesus.

- Along those lines, I was impressed with DeJesus's play. As time went on, she seemed to be assuming the field general role, particularly in the half court.

- Let's hope currently injured Cowles and Moore can come back soon to add depth. In the midst of a blowout, Coach Ivey didn't go deeper than Kelly Ratigan until the last few minutes, so when the competition ramps up, we'll have six players compiling a lot of minutes. Now, I'm sure Coach wanted to give her top 6 time to work out the kinks, but this game was done for a long time before we saw the walk-ons. Hope the "nagging" gets better soon, particularly with Cowles up front.

Linked boxscore:

StatMonitr Stat Feed

 

[cancontent]

ND Wins Opener Against FDU, 98-52.

- Hannah Hidalgo led the way with 27 points, while Vanessa de Jesus followed with a career-high 22. Gisela Sanchez also had her first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

- ND shot 54% from the field. Now, 32 points came off turnovers and 42 were scored from the paint. Plus FDU is not a tall and/or physical squad, so you'd hope to see this. Still, the fact they did it is good, particularly since ...

- The Irish shot 53% (9-17) from three-point land and that takes in Hannah Hidalgo's 1-7 clunkfest (good, get it out of the way, HH). Vanessa DeJesus, by comparison, went 4-6 and Gisela Sanchez 2-2 for those that hit multiple treys.

- Interestingly, neither Cass Prosper or KK Bransford attempted a three. However, the two of them led the Irish in assists, with
5 and 4, respectively. Three players had 3 each: HH, DeJesus and Sanchez.

- Speaking of Sanchez, in addition to the passes and two treys, she scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Eleven of those grabs were on the defensive end and I liked the way she would then move the ball upcourt quickly with an outlet pass or a few dribbles and a pass. She's not a center but is active and has a nose for the 50-50.

- Hannah has a habit at the free throw line of taking her her first shot, then turning around to find a teammate, with whom she'll gently tap both hands with or even grip their fingers. During her first two years, the vast majority of those instances took place with Sonia Citron. My wife, a childhood psychology major, has long thought Hannah -- who runs high intensity -- was looking for a calming, chill partner. Can't get better than Soni.
Yesterday, the tradition continued and on two occasions I saw that she sought out Vanessa DeJesus.

- Along those lines, I was impressed with DeJesus's play. As time went on, she seemed to be assuming the field general role, particularly in the half court.

- Let's hope Cowles and Moore can come back soon to add depth. In the midst of a blowout, Coach Ivey didn't go deeper than Ratigan until the last few minutes, so when the competition ramps up, we'll have six players compiling a lot of minutes. Now, I'm sure Coach wanted to give her top 6 time to work out the kinks, but this game was done for a long time before we saw the walk-ons. Hope the "nagging" gets better soon, particularly with Cowles up front.

Linked boxscore:

StatMonitr Stat Feed

What I do find interesting is Prosper's FG% for the game. Hoping this is a trend we'll see throughout the season. Whether she takes 3 point shots or not, I'm good either way. Seeing her being more efficient in her scoring would be an awesome step forward this season.

 

[Reypl21]

ND Wins Opener Against FDU, 98-52.

- Hannah Hidalgo led the way with 27 points, while Vanessa de Jesus followed with a career-high 22. Gisela Sanchez also had her first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

- ND shot 54% from the field. Now, 32 points came off turnovers and 42 were scored from the paint. Plus FDU is not a tall and/or physical squad, so you'd hope to see this. Still, the fact they did it is good, particularly since ...

- The Irish shot 53% (9-17) from three-point land and that takes in Hannah Hidalgo's 1-7 clunkfest (good, get it out of the way, HH). Vanessa DeJesus, by comparison, went 4-6 and Gisela Sanchez 2-2 for those that hit multiple treys.

- Interestingly, neither Cass Prosper or KK Bransford attempted a three. However, the two of them led the Irish in assists, with
5 and 4, respectively. Three players had 3 each: HH, DeJesus and Sanchez.

- Speaking of Sanchez, in addition to the passes and two treys, she scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Eleven of those grabs were on the defensive end and I liked the way she would then move the ball upcourt quickly with an outlet pass or a few dribbles and a pass. She's not a center but is active and has a nose for the 50-50.

- Hannah has a habit at the free throw line of taking her her first shot, then turning around to find a teammate, with whom she'll gently tap both hands with or even grip their fingers. During her first two years, the vast majority of those instances took place with Sonia Citron. My wife, a childhood psychology major, has long thought Hannah -- who runs high intensity -- was looking for a calming, chill partner. Can't get better than Soni.
Yesterday, the tradition continued and on two occasions I saw that she sought out Vanessa DeJesus.

- Along those lines, I was impressed with DeJesus's play. As time went on, she seemed to be assuming the field general role, particularly in the half court.

- Let's hope Cowles and Moore can come back soon to add depth. In the midst of a blowout, Coach Ivey didn't go deeper than Ratigan until the last few minutes, so when the competition ramps up, we'll have six players compiling a lot of minutes. Now, I'm sure Coach wanted to give her top 6 time to work out the kinks, but this game was done for a long time before we saw the walk-ons. Hope the "nagging" gets better soon, particularly with Cowles up front.

Linked boxscore:

StatMonitr Stat Feed

I don't get access to ACC Network Extra, so I'm relegated to highlights. How was the half court offense looking?

 

[Dillon77]

I don't get access to ACC Network Extra, so I'm relegated to highlights. How was the half court offense looking?

They had 20 assists, led by Prosper (?) and Bransford, so the team was passing. I didn't see a lot of recognizable sets per se (compared to ones for Westbeld or Citron last year), but they were looking for each other on drive and dishes or pick and pops/rolls. Will study again on Sunday.

 

[Dillon77]

Jenica Lewis' Method of Letting Irish Staff Know She was Committing to ND
Apparently, you don't pick up the phone anymore. Jacie Abii, Amari Byles and now Jenica Lewis have visited the Notre Dame offices and practice facilities earlier than their official posts to surprise ND coaches, staff and players. These rues have gotten increasingly more plotted, with this one seeing Lewis go in cognito as a film-crew member.
Any way she announces, we Irish fans are happy to have her aboard.

 

[Dillon77]

Interesting cut-and-pasted interview with Jenica Lewis which was released following committing to Notre Dame.
Some quick hitters:

• Compares her game to Marina Mabey
• Looking forward to playing with Hannah Hidalgo (exciting) and fellow commit Jacy Abii (knows her from AAU, U.S.A. National teams)

Once again, really good get for the Irish...

 

[YoDore]

Interesting cut-and-pasted interview with Jenica Lewis which was released following committing to Notre Dame.
Some quick hitters:

• Compares her game to Marina Mabey
• Looking forward to playing with Hannah Hidalgo (exciting) and fellow commit Jacy Abii (knows her from AAU, U.S.A. National teams)

Once again, really good get for the Irish...

Whatever coach Ivey's high school recruiting woes were, whether they were real or imagined, she certainly seems to have found the cure.

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm not at all surprised by Niele's bounce back in recruiting. The exodus last year merely meant she had a wide open roster at a major program. This had to look attractive to potential commits. I always assumed the Irish would be tough this season, and it looks like the program is on the ascendant.

And I'm surprised by the comment about locker room cancer. I realize folks not in the know have been trading in such rumors for a while. But it seems highly improbable that they reflect any reality about the team and the coaching staff, and they seem particularly unfair to Hannah. Even if she actually were difficult to get a long with, which I doubt very much, the fact is she is a tremendous talent and makes those around her better.

 

[Dillon77]

Whatever coach Ivey's high school recruiting woes were, whether they were real or imagined, she certainly seems to have found the cure.

It's hard to ascertain exacty what went into this year's success. Ivey and Mabrey (Ivey's recruiting coordinator) were getting onto finalists' lists in past years, but were falling short. The biggest thing that has happened is that former ND All-American and NBA exec Pat Garrity took over as general manager for both basketball teams. He's the conduit to relatively new AD Kurt Bevacqua.

Many have thought he's worked hard on NIL funding, but I'm also guessing that he's advised Ivey, Mabrey et al on how to finish these courtships.

Lastly, save for Isabella Sangha, all of these commits have been in contact with ND for quite some time and have stated they know the coaches very well. Combined with some new input, I'm guessing there was some continual hard work and outreach by all concerned, particularly Ivey.

ND fans and posters on McGraw's Bench are heartened and hope this continues into the Class of 2027, with an emphasis on bigs and a young point guard to take over for Hannah Hidalgo. If the results is even 2/3 of this years, ND will be well positioned.

 

[DefenseBB]

Isn’t recruiting really measured in Tournament success? Talent really hasn’t been a problem at ND but deep runs into the NCAAT have been. Teams of 8 wings and guards only gets you so far. Until Niele can bring in a stud post or front court player, they will underachieve in March… but hey keep whistling past the graveyard….

 

[Iluvacc2]

Isn’t recruiting really measured in Tournament success? Talent really hasn’t been a problem at ND but deep runs into the NCAAT have been. Teams of 8 wings and guards only gets you so far. Until Niele can bring in a stud post or front court player, they will underachieve in March… but hey keep whistling past the graveyard….

Last year was the first season where I’d say Ivey’s team really underachieved. Before that, she had some really talented squads, but they always seemed to get hit with injuries at the worst possible time. Depth was an issue too, which made it hard to recover when key players went down.

In 2023, they lost their entire starting backcourt right before the NCAA Tournament, so making it all the way to the Sweet 16 was actually pretty impressive. Then in 2024, the team really started clicking. They were one of the best in the country down the stretch, went on a big winning streak, and won the ACC Tournament. Unfortunately, they lost their starting center in the ACC semifinals, and without a solid backup, that injury really hurt them in the tournament.

Overall, Ivey’s teams have shown they can compete with anyone when healthy. The challenge has just been staying healthy and having enough depth to survive those big injuries.

 

[Dillon77]

Pretty straight-forward write-up on ND's blowout of Chicago State by a local writer, Tyler Horka.
He -- and anyone watching that game -- acknowledges that Chicago State was way over its head, but ND's disparate pieces got a chance to get in sync and develop a collective mindset, based on aggressive defense and pushing the ball relentlessly.

Vanessa DeJesus and Gisela Sanchez are getting more minutes to show what they've got in game situations than they probably ever have, DeJesus has a good stroke from three and I like her calmness on court. Sanchez also has a good mid-to-long range jumper but passes well, as well.

Irish fans will get a better chance to see how this will play out when they play Michigan next Saturday. It will also help with Mikayla Cowles (forward) and Iyanna Moore (guard) come back from game-to-game recoveries.

MSN

 

[YoDore]

Is Iyanna’s knee acting up? I was really hoping she would have a healthy final season.

 

[YKCornelius]

Last year was the first season where I’d say Ivey’s team really underachieved. Before that, she had some really talented squads, but they always seemed to get hit with injuries at the worst possible time. Depth was an issue too, which made it hard to recover when key players went down.

In 2023, they lost their entire starting backcourt right before the NCAA Tournament, so making it all the way to the Sweet 16 was actually pretty impressive. Then in 2024, the team really started clicking. They were one of the best in the country down the stretch, went on a big winning streak, and won the ACC Tournament. Unfortunately, they lost their starting center in the ACC semifinals, and without a solid backup, that injury really hurt them in the tournament.

Overall, Ivey’s teams have shown they can compete with anyone when healthy. The challenge has just been staying healthy and having enough depth to survive those big injuries.

Iluvacc2, it seems like you are a glass half-full person. Good for you.

I am not in agreement with your comment I highlighted in bold. "Making it all the way to the Sweet 16" when a team is a #3 seed playing at home for the first two rounds against a #14 and #11 seed (who, by the way, gave the Irish a tough fight despite playing three games in five days), is a far cry from being "impressive".

To be sure, any 1-4 seeded team - not just the Irish - that does not make the Sweet Sixteen playing on one's home court the first two rounds should be considered, shall we say, as not living up to expectations. Thankfully, Notre Dame has not suffered such indignity.

Last year, the Irish lost to a #2 seed in the SS. From a NCAA tournament seeding perspective, they didn't underachieve, but rather met expectations.

I do agree that the annual challenge for Notre Dame WBB program since COVID has been staying healthy, to go along with eyebrow-raising recruiting (or the lack thereof). Last year a team chemistry component emerged - hopefully just a single year blip on the radar. Time will tell. They certainly will have a lot of folks following their progress this year.

 

[Dillon77]

Is Iyanna’s knee acting up? I was really hoping she would have a healthy final season.

There's been no official pronouncement on what's wrong with either Moore or Cowles, save for "nagging injury" and "week to week," which is something of the kiss of nothingness at ND. These two were pretty much the most accomplished of he one-season transfers that Ivey recruited in the spring and we hope they get the chance to hit the court, both for themselves and the team.

Will keep you posted on both....

 

[Dillon77]

Iluvacc2, it seems like you are a glass half-full person. Good for you.

I am not in agreement with your comment I highlighted in bold. "Making it all the way to the Sweet 16" when a team is a #3 seed playing at home for the first two rounds against a #14 and #11 seed (who, by the way, gave the Irish a tough fight despite playing three games in five days), is a far cry from being "impressive".

To be sure, any 1-4 seeded team - not just the Irish - that does not make the Sweet Sixteen playing on one's home court the first two rounds should be considered, shall we say, as not living up to expectations. Thankfully, Notre Dame has not suffered such indignity.

Last year, the Irish lost to a #2 seed in the SS. From a NCAA tournament seeding perspective, they didn't underachieve, but rather met expectations.

I do agree that the annual challenge for Notre Dame WBB program since COVID has been staying healthy, to go along with eyebrow-raising recruiting (or the lack thereof). Last year a team chemistry component emerged - hopefully just a single year blip on the radar. Time will tell. They certainly will have a lot of folks following their progress this year.

Yukon:
I'm a bit perplexed. You do agree that ND has had challenges staying in healthy in the years following COVID.
I'll go one step further than that in terms of this give and take with @Iluvacc2. ND often has gone into the NCAA's with major injuries suffered just before post-season or during the post-season. They may have not been knocked in seeding precisely because of the lateness of the injuries.

• In 2023, they lost Olivia Miles to an ACL in the last regular season game and wing Sonia Citron switched over to point and carried them as far as she could, beating Southern Utah and Mississippi State at home before losing to a very talented (and hot that day) Maryland team.
• In 2024, a short-handed team all year lost Center Kylee Watson in the closing minutes of the ACC Championship game., beat Kent State and Mississippi before losing to Oregon State, who took advantage of Watson's absence in going to Raegen Beers early and often. Smart move.
• The NCAA finally tampered expectations on an ND team that fell into a late-season funk in 2025. Your reasoning says the seedings were right. ND observers and fans weren't so kind: the team could not pull out of the doldrums that set in for (probably) a variety of reasons.

Still, that was the most talented and deepest Irish team in a decade. It was a disappointment. That said, I thought the team with the most chemistry was the one with Citron, Hidalgo, Maddy Westbeld, Kylee Watson and Anna DeWolfe. Somewhat undersized but they clicked...everyone knew their roles

I've gone over recruiting ad infinitum and I'll leave it that this year has been a major bounce back with four forwards and one shooting guard. Yes, ND needs to address the post, but -- really -- most teams do. While three of these players are termed wings, there's probably going to be some "positionless" or wiggle room available to find chemistry (Amari Byles goes low, Jacy Abii anywhere and Bella Ragone outside?). We'll see.

 

[YKCornelius]

Yukon:
I'm a bit perplexed. You do agree that ND has had challenges staying in healthy in the years following COVID.
I'll go one step further than that in terms of this give and take with @Iluvacc2. ND often has gone into the NCAA's with major injuries suffered just before post-season or during the post-season. They may have not been knocked in seeding precisely because of the lateness of the injuries.

• In 2023, they lost Olivia Miles to an ACL in the last regular season game and wing Sonia Citron switched over to point and carried them as far as she could, beating Southern Utah and Mississippi State at home before losing to a very talented (and hot that day) Maryland team.
• In 2024, a short-handed team all year lost Center Kylee Watson in the closing minutes of the ACC Championship game., beat Kent State and Mississippi before losing to Oregon State, who took advantage of Watson's absence in going to Raegen Beers early and often. Smart move.
• The NCAA finally tampered expectations on an ND team that fell into a late-season funk in 2025. Your reasoning says the seedings were right. ND observers and fans weren't so kind: the team could not pull out of the doldrums that set in for (probably) a variety of reasons.

Still, that was the most talented and deepest Irish team in a decade. It was a disappointment. That said, I thought the team with the most chemistry was the one with Citron, Hidalgo, Maddy Westbeld, Kylee Watson and Anna DeWolfe. Somewhat undersized but they clicked...everyone knew their roles

I've gone over recruiting ad infinitum and I'll leave it that this year has been a major bounce back with four forwards and one shooting guard. Yes, ND needs to address the post, but -- really -- most teams do. While three of these players are termed wings, there's probably going to be some "positionless" or wiggle room available to find chemistry (Amari Byles goes low, Jacy Abii anywhere and Bella Ragone outside?). We'll see.

Dillon, thanks for your post. I think perhaps you have misread my post, or perhaps read more into it than what I conveyed.

My counter to Iluvacc2 does not imply that Notre Dame underachieved or even fell short of expectations in the NCAA tournament in any of the last three years. (That was the contention of DefenseBB, but not me. I think he is wrong in that stance.) Rather, I was refuting the notion that "making it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen" when playing the first two rounds against significantly lower seeds on one's home court should be considered "impressive".

No negative implications conveyed about their losses in any of the recent Sweet Sixteens either. After winning at Purcell all three years, I think losing on a neutral court against healthy/hot Top 16 teams should have been expected given the context and challenges the Irish were dealing with. Truth be told, if they had won ANY of those Sweet Sixteen games, now THAT would have been impressive.

So, in a nutshell, I guess it comes down to what you, the Irish faithful, and ACC fans consider "impressive". What are the standards and expectations for Notre Dame women's basketball?

Lastly, at the risk of nit-picking your third bullet, I don't consider last year's #3 seeding of the Irish to be "right". Whether or not it was, is a topic for a different rearview mirror thread. My simple point was that they didn't underachieve from a seeding perspective. Flip the scenario around: if Notre Dame was #2 and TCU was the #3, would an Irish loss in the Sweet Sixteen have been considered an underachievement? I daresay that everyone - including the NCAA seeding committee - would be inclined to say that it was.

I will end by saying I love the insight you bring to the Yard regarding your beloved Irish. Love it. It is a welcome counterweight to the sentiments of anti-Irish posters. In the words of INXS, don't change.

 

[Dillon77]

 

[Dillon77]

Coach Ivey has a message on signee Isabella Sangha that's interesting.
It seemingly confirms that Sangha was signed with an eye on development. Gives her props for athletic ability, as well as rebounding and defense, but very much acknowledges she's got a way to go.
This is a change from the past. As many have speculated, this development, so to speak, could be a staple of GM Pat Garrity, who likes to say he was a developmental case when he came to ND (before becoming an All-American and NBA player).

 

[cancontent]

Coach Ivey has a message on signee Isabella Sangha that's interesting.
It seemingly confirms that Sangha was signed with an eye on development. Gives her props for athletic ability, as well as rebounding and defense, but very much acknowledges she's got a way to go.
This is a change from the past. As many have speculated, this development, so to speak, could be a staple of GM Pat Garrity, who likes to say he was a developmental case when he came to ND (before becoming an All-American and NBA player).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this would make it two dual sport players on the team right?