Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey hoped to give five-star forward Leah Macy some company on Wednesday, the first day of the eight-day early signing period for women’s college basketball.
And she still hopes to … eventually. But it won’t be this month and it won’t be a high school guard.
Macy is hardly merely a consolation prize. In the 6-3 recruit from Elizabethtown, Ky., who signed with the Irish on Wednesday, Ivey gets an act-alike to outgoing forward Maddy Westbeld, the latter of whom runs out of college eligibility after this season.
Also exiting the roster will be grad transfer forwards Liatu King and Liza Karlen as well All-ACC guard Sonia Citron and former walk-on Sarah Cernugel.
And then there’s some gray area.
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Center Kylee Watson could apply to return in 2025-26 should her ACL rehab from last March’s injury linger through the balance of this season. Also, 2023 All-America guard Olivia Miles — back this season after a one-year, injury-driven hiatus of her own — has a year of eligibility after this one.
But it’s unclear if she’ll exercise it.
What is clear is Macy has the skill set and maturity to be an early contributor next season. The No. 19 player overall in the 2025 class, per ESPNw, averaged 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds while shooting 67.7% from the field for Bethlehem High (27-9) last season. She has international experience, including playing in the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup this past summer in Columbia, with Ivey serving as her head coach.
“She's been on campus multiple times, so she's really family," Ivey said of Macy on Wednesday night after the Irish moved to 3-0 on the season with a 92-46 victory over James Madison. "But she brings an IQ, her versatility, and a motor, and she'll fulfill that forward position. But she's a glue-type player, so we're really excited to actually officially welcome her to the family today.”
Notre Dame had hoped to pair Canada native Deniya Prawl with Macy in this class, but the 6-2 wing, playing in the U.S. now at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., verbally committed to Tennessee over ND and Baylor on Monday.
ND’s core next season would include All-America point guard Hannah Hidalgo, guard Cass Prosper, guard Emma Risch, guard KK Bransford returning from a redshirt year, center Kate Koval and possibly Watson and Miles.
The Irish would likely fill the existing roster holes with players from the transfer portal in the spring.
Notre Dame (3-0) is currently ranked sixth nationally in the AP poll and visits Lafayette (1-2) on Sunday with a 2 p.m. EST tipoff.
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