And then there were three.
With grad senior center Kylee Watson joining the outgoing transfer portal brigade on Wednesday, Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey has gone from having the No. 1 women’s basketball team in the nation in 2024-25 to a massive roster rebuild for 2025-26 in the span of six weeks.
Watson joins point guard Olivia Miles, reserve center Kate Koval and injured reserve guard Emma Risch as outgoing transfers, all announcing their intentions in the past three days and all within a week of the Irish (28-6) being ousted in the NCAA Tourney’s Sweet 16 by TCU, 71-62, Saturday in Birmingham, Ala.
All four players were McDonald’s All-Americans as high school seniors.
More Content
► Sweet 16 goes sour again for Notre Dame WBB as TCU ends another ND NCAA run
► Report: Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles opts for transfer portal, not WNBA
► Kate Koval, Emma Risch join the Notre Dame WBB outgoing portal parade
► Notre Dame LB Drayk Bowen finds best use of extra time without baseball
► Question Everything needs to be Notre Dame WBB coach Ivey's mantra, too
The latest imminent departure leaves All-America guard Hannah Hidalgo, key reserve guard Cass Prosper and 2025 redshirt guard KK Bransford as the only scholarship returnees for next season. That is if there’s no further roster hemorrhaging.
The 6-foot-4 Watson came through the transfer portal two seasons ago after spending her first two seasons at Oregon.
The Linwood, N.J., product was a two-year starter for the Irish, averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 33 games in 2023 and 6,2/5.0 in 2024 in 31 games before suffering an ACL tear during the ACC Tournament. Watson didn’t play in 2025 while still rehabbing from that injury.
The women’s college basketball transfer portal opened for business on March 25 and remains open until the end of the day on April 23. The Irish signed just one high school prospect in the 2025 class, McDonald’s All-American Leah Macy, but the 6-3 forward’s availability for next season is in doubt because of a knee injury she suffered late in her senior season.
• Talk with Notre Dame fans on The Insider Lounge.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Podbean or Pocket Casts.
• Subscribe to the Inside ND Sports channel on YouTube.
• Follow us on Twitter: @insideNDsports, @EHansenND and @TJamesND.
• Like us on Facebook: Inside ND Sports
• Follow us on Instagram: @insideNDsports
