KK Bransford opted to stay at Notre Dame in April following a brief entry into the transfer portal. However, the junior guard won't be taking the court for the Irish this season.
Bransford announced Monday that she will sit out the 2024-25 season to recover from a lower leg injury she's been dealing with throughout her Notre Dame career. Bransford intends to use a redshirt season in her third year with the program.
"Over the last couple of years, I have been dealing with a lower leg injury that has hindered my play at Notre Dame," Bransford shared in a statement on social media. "I want to thank the coaches, the medical staff and the fans who have stuck with me while I've tried to play through it, but I have decided it is in my best interest to red shirt this season to get back to full strength.
"While I will be watching from the bench this year, I know that it is best that I take the time to fully heal so I can reach my full potential and help my team in the long run. I can't wait to continue to grow as a player and teammate in the program. Even though I won't be on the floor physically, I will be with my teammates every step of the way!"
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Bransford did not provide further details on the injury she's been dealing with at Notre Dame. Bransford was wearing a protective boot on her left foot and using crutches earlier this year following Notre Dame's 2023-24 season. She also missed the first two games of last season with an undisclosed injury. The program's local media day is scheduled for Thursday.
The 5-foot-11 Bransford played in 33 of Notre Dame's 35 games last season while starting seven of them. She finished sixth on the team in scoring with 6.8 points per game on 39.0% shooting from the field and played the fifth-most minutes (849:06). Bransford averaged 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals while playing four different positions during her sophomore season.
Bransford came to Notre Dame as a 2022 McDonald's and Naismith High School All-America selection out of Cincinnati's Mount Notre Dame. Bransford, who espnW ranked No. 29 overall in the 2022 recruiting class, won back-to-back Ms. Ohio Basketball honors in 2021-22.
Bransford averaged 8.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.2 minutes per game in 33 games as a freshman at Notre Dame.
The Irish will start the 2024-25 season without three of its top five returners from last season in terms of scoring and minutes played. Senior forward Kylee Watson is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the ACC Tournament in March. Graduate senior forward Maddy Westbeld will miss the start of the season while recovering from an offseason foot surgery. The program has not provided timelines for when Watson and Westbeld may return this season.
The 6-3 Westbeld finished last season third on the team in scoring average (14.4 points) and second in total minutes played (1,118:21). The 6-4 Watson averaged 6.2 points per game
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Only two other players who returned to Notre Dame this season played in at least 25 games last season for the Irish: sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo (22.6 points per game) and senior guard Sonia Citron (17.3). Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey will need to rely on healthy returns from junior guards Olivia Miles (knee) and Cassandre Prosper (leg) and sophomore guard Emma Risch (hip). All three missed time last season with Miles not playing at all, Prosper playing in five games and Risch playing in seven.
Notre Dame's front court will turn to newcomers for production: Pittsburgh grad transfer Liatu King, Marquette grad transfer Liza Karlen and five-star freshman Kate Koval.
Notre Dame will host Davenport for an exhibition on Oct. 30 before opening the season against Mercyhurst on Nov. 4. The Irish are scheduled to play three highly ranked teams before Christmas: USC on Nov. 23, Texas on Dec. 5 and UConn on Dec. 12.
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