While Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Niele Ivey was scouring the transfer portal this spring looking for size, she found an experienced guard to her liking.
On Monday, the school announced the addition of Fordham guard Anna DeWolfe as a grad transfer to the 2023-24 roster. The 5-foot-8 former Maine Miss Basketball made her college debut against the Irish Nov. 6, 2019, and almost pulled off a triple-double in a narrow 60-55 Irish victory in the Bronx — with 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists — in the 2019-20 season opener for both teams.
DeWolfe started that game and every game the rest of her Fordham career, averaging 37 minutes per contest for her career, and earning All-Atlantic 10 honors three times and Player of the Year recognition in 2021. In 2023, she averaged 18.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists for the Rams (19-13), a WNIT participant.
"We are so excited to welcome Anna to our Notre Dame family!” Ivey said in a statement. “She will bring experience and a dynamic skill set that will translate well into our system.
“She is a competitive combo guard with an incredible motor. What I love most about Anna is her work ethic, toughness and passion for the game. She matches our team’s identity perfectly!”
Including incoming freshman five-star prospects Hannah Hidalgo (5-6) and Emma Risch (6-2), Notre Dame is on a trajectory to start next season with eight guards.
The Irish do need 3-point shooting, though, and DeWolfe made 79 3s last season and shot .354 from the arc, .415 from the field overall and .855 from the free-throw line. Notre Dame (27-6) was 188th out of 350 Division I teams last season in 3-point-shooting percentage (.307) and 298th in 3-pointers made per game (4.4).
One of ND’s many guards, All-American Olivia Miles, suffered a season-ending injury in the regular-season finale at Louisville on Feb. 26. She finally underwent surgery for a still-undisclosed left knee injury last week.
Ivey, after ND’s 76-59 NCAA Sweet 16 loss to Maryland on March 25, estimated Miles might be back to playing in June, when Hidalgo and Risch — and now DeWolfe — arrive. But in an interview with the South Bend Tribune last week, Ivey now says she’s unsure if Miles will be available when Notre Dame opens the 2023-24 season Nov. 6 in Paris against South Carolina.
Meanwhile, the search for size continues, with last year’s portal post player pickup, 6-4 Lauren Ebo, having exhausted her eligibility.
Some intriguing players with size have opted to transfer since the portal opened March 13, including 6-7 Stanford freshman center Lauren Betts, but it appears Betts wants to stay out west.
The transfer portal remains open for basketball through May 11.
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