Notre Dame spent last season as arguably the most talented team in women’s college basketball.

The Irish boasted six players with high-major all-conference credentials, beat four of the teams that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, including national champion Connecticut, and reached the No. 1 ranking in the country in February after 19 consecutive victories.

Then, however, coach Niele Ivey’s team seemed to hit a wall. After a 24-3 start, the Irish went just 4-4 down the stretch and fell to Texas Christian in the Sweet 16, losing in that round for the fourth consecutive season.

It was a disappointing end to what had looked for much of season like a potential breakthrough campaign in Year 5 for Ivey. Instead, the bumpy finish left the ceiling on her tenure intact and presaged a tumultuous offseason that left only three players returning to the roster for 2025-26.

Here’s an examination of the new-look Irish as they try to rebuild on the fly.

Additions

Guards: Vanessa De Jesus (transfer, Duke), Iyana Moore (transfer, Vanderbilt), Kelly Ratigan (transfer, Loyola Maryland)

Posts: Malaya Cowles (transfer, Wake Forest), Gisela Sanchez (transfer, Kansas State), Leah Macy (freshman)

Departures

Guards: Olivia Miles (transfer, Texas Christian), Sonia Citron (out of eligibility), Sarah Cernugel (out of eligibility)

Forwards: Maddy Westbeld (out of eligibility), Liatu King (out of eligibility), Liza Karlen (out of eligibility)

Centers: Kate Koval (transfer, LSU), Kylee Watson (transfer, Villanova)

Overview

Notre Dame was always going to be something of a win-now team in 2024-25 with Citron, Westbeld, King and Karlen headed out the door after the season. Three of those went on to get chosen among the first 28 selections in the WNBA draft and Citron was the No. 3 overall pick. The Irish were expecting to need reinforcements for the next campaign.

But having All-Americans Hannah Hidalgo and potentially Miles back could have been a decent foundation upon which to build, especially if five-star freshman Koval built on the flashes of dominance she had as a freshman.

Then, an earthquake. Miles, who could also have been a top-five WNBA draft pick had she wanted, transferred to TCU. Less than 24 hours later, Koval was out the door as well.

That left Hidalgo as the only returning starter and meant Notre Dame would need to replace 66.4% of its offensive production.

The Irish reloaded with a high-scoring guard in Moore and have veteran options in the frontcourt if the five-star Macy (No. 26 in her class, per ESPN) is not quite ready for a lead role.

Still, this year’s additions from the portal were not the type of premium transfers that King and Karlen were and they fill holes more than they elevate the roster.

“It’s the new normal in college athletics,” Ivey said of her team’s roster turnover. “I’m really fortunate with the core that we returned. We returned KK Bransford, Cassandre Prosper, obviously the biggest name, Hannah Hidalgo.

“I’m looking forward to it. It’s a blank canvas, I’m looking forward to the picture we’re going to create. I’m looking forward to the new energy, the new identity. Ultimately, we want to win.”

Top transfer: Moore

The 5-foot-8 senior has one season of eligibility left after starting for three years for the Commodores. She averaged 12.4 points and shot 34.4% from 3-point range last season, crossing the 20-point threshold three times, including in a Southeastern Conference tournament win over Tennessee.

Perhaps most importantly, the former All-SEC pick is used to playing alongside a superstar after sharing the court last season with all-universe freshman Mikayla Blakes. That experience should have prepared her to maximize her impact next to Hidalgo.

Potential breakout returnee: Prosper

The 6-3 wing was the No. 16 overall recruit in the country in the 2023 recruiting class and has been solidly – if not overwhelmingly – productive in limited minutes over parts of three seasons in the program.

Possessed of outstanding size, length, and athleticism, she has yet to put it all together, but is likely to have her opportunity this season with a starting spot at small forward up for grabs.

Away from the spotlight, the Montreal native took a big step in the right direction last season, raising her effective field goal percentage from 37.2% in 2023-24 to 50%.

Overall outlook

There is really no escaping the idea that this team will be built in large part on the singular talent of Hidalgo and her ability to raise the play of everyone around her. The junior-to-be is already a two-time All-American and last season averaged 23.8 points and shot 40% from 3-point range.

With Miles gone, she’ll be expected to resume her duties as the team’s No. 1 facilitator, a role she held as a freshman in 2023-24. Ivey’s expectations for her star are the highest imaginable.

“She’s going to be the best player in the game,” Ivey said of Hidalgo’s place in college basketball. “She’s ready for it. Someone who has exploded on to the stage since her freshman year, coming off an incredible sophomore year.

“I’m excited to see that she’s going to be the face of women’s basketball because she’s earned it and she deserves it.”

It’s certainly possible that a team with Hidalgo as the unquestioned centerpiece and everyone else filling a defined role could eventually function better than the Dream Team that came up short last season. It mostly depends on just how high the spectacular guard can fly.