The same theme that helped spark a recent recruiting visit from the nation’s premier interior prospect in the 2025 women’s basketball recruiting cycle, is driving Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey and her staff in prioritizing players in the current 2024 cycle.
Not to mention possible transfer portal perusing in the spring.
Adding size.
Notre Dame’s struggles during 6-foot-4 center Lauren’s Ebo’s absence due to a right leg injury underscores why. And Ebo and injury guard Dara Mabrey are the only two players with expiring eligibility from a team that will add an elite point guard (Hannah Hidalgo) and one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters (Emma Risch).
Here are the four interior prospects Notre Dame is honing in on in the 2024 class”
• Sarah Strong, 6-2 F; Sanford (N.C.) Grace Christian: Ranked No. 4 overall in the 2024 ESPNw playing ratings.
• Blanca Thomas, 6-5, C; Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic: Ranked No. 9 overall in the 2024 ESPNw player ratings.
• Kate Koval, 6-4, C; Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran: Ranked No. 17 overall in the 2024 ESPNw playing ratings.
• Kennedy Umeh, 6-3, F; Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh: Ranked No. 27 overall in the 2024 ESPNw player ratings.
A few things to keep in mind on the 2024 bigs:
1) It’s a very thin class in terms of elite interior players, so the competition will be even more fierce than usual.
2) All but Koval have visited unofficially. The ND coaching staff hopes to get the Ukraine native on campus in April.
3) Very few 2024s are in decision mode at this time of year. Only two of the top 60 in the ESPNw rankings have verbally committed. Fall is the most realistic timeline for these four.
That’s something to keep in mind when trying to size up ND’s chances with Sienna Betts, the younger sister of 6-7 Stanford freshman Lauren Betts. The top 2025s that are taking visits at this point are largely trying to put together a list of their top schools, not pare a list. The younger Betts visited ND last weekend.
Sienna is 6-3 and plays at Grandview High in Aurora, Colo. She’s the top interior prospect and No. 5 overall in the 2025 ESPNw playing rankings.
The NCAA revised recruiting calendar has shrunk the number of days coaches can get out on the road and see and be seen by prospects. So there’s more strategy in who to go see and when and how often.
According to a source, the Irish staff will hit the road in the one-week break between ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
Another big important window comes April 21-23 at the Boo Williams Girls Nike Invitational in Hampton, Va.
As far as the transfer portal and a possible addition to the 2023-24 Irish, the next window in women’s basketball opens right after Selection Sunday (March 12). Keep in mind, the path of least resistance when it comes to incoming transfers to ND are grad transfers and players who just completed their freshman seasons.
The Irish took three transfers last offseason — in Ebo, forward Kylee Watson and guard Jenna Brown — but had a lot of more interest and received a lot of hard ‘nos’ from admissions.
As far as Ebo returning to action, the coaching staff wanted to make sure she is 100 percent and playing confidently before doing so rather than risk a setback that might keep her sidelined in March.
Not to mention possible transfer portal perusing in the spring.
Adding size.
Notre Dame’s struggles during 6-foot-4 center Lauren’s Ebo’s absence due to a right leg injury underscores why. And Ebo and injury guard Dara Mabrey are the only two players with expiring eligibility from a team that will add an elite point guard (Hannah Hidalgo) and one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters (Emma Risch).
Here are the four interior prospects Notre Dame is honing in on in the 2024 class”
• Sarah Strong, 6-2 F; Sanford (N.C.) Grace Christian: Ranked No. 4 overall in the 2024 ESPNw playing ratings.
• Blanca Thomas, 6-5, C; Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic: Ranked No. 9 overall in the 2024 ESPNw player ratings.
• Kate Koval, 6-4, C; Glen Head (N.Y.) Long Island Lutheran: Ranked No. 17 overall in the 2024 ESPNw playing ratings.
• Kennedy Umeh, 6-3, F; Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh: Ranked No. 27 overall in the 2024 ESPNw player ratings.
A few things to keep in mind on the 2024 bigs:
1) It’s a very thin class in terms of elite interior players, so the competition will be even more fierce than usual.
2) All but Koval have visited unofficially. The ND coaching staff hopes to get the Ukraine native on campus in April.
3) Very few 2024s are in decision mode at this time of year. Only two of the top 60 in the ESPNw rankings have verbally committed. Fall is the most realistic timeline for these four.
That’s something to keep in mind when trying to size up ND’s chances with Sienna Betts, the younger sister of 6-7 Stanford freshman Lauren Betts. The top 2025s that are taking visits at this point are largely trying to put together a list of their top schools, not pare a list. The younger Betts visited ND last weekend.
Sienna is 6-3 and plays at Grandview High in Aurora, Colo. She’s the top interior prospect and No. 5 overall in the 2025 ESPNw playing rankings.
The NCAA revised recruiting calendar has shrunk the number of days coaches can get out on the road and see and be seen by prospects. So there’s more strategy in who to go see and when and how often.
According to a source, the Irish staff will hit the road in the one-week break between ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.
Another big important window comes April 21-23 at the Boo Williams Girls Nike Invitational in Hampton, Va.
As far as the transfer portal and a possible addition to the 2023-24 Irish, the next window in women’s basketball opens right after Selection Sunday (March 12). Keep in mind, the path of least resistance when it comes to incoming transfers to ND are grad transfers and players who just completed their freshman seasons.
The Irish took three transfers last offseason — in Ebo, forward Kylee Watson and guard Jenna Brown — but had a lot of more interest and received a lot of hard ‘nos’ from admissions.
As far as Ebo returning to action, the coaching staff wanted to make sure she is 100 percent and playing confidently before doing so rather than risk a setback that might keep her sidelined in March.
