Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey spent much of the spring filling gaps in her 2025-26 lineup with four graduate transfers, all of whom are one-year additions.
However, on Thursday, the program secured a longer-term commitment for the 2026-27 season: Bella Ragone, a four-star wing, became the first member of Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class. The 6-foot-2 senior from Braselton, Georgia, ranks No. 25 in the class according to ESPNw and is eligible to sign in November.
Ragone, who attends Mill Creek High School, visited campus in April and chose Notre Dame over other finalists including Louisville, Duke, North Carolina, and UCLA. Currently, the Irish have eight scholarship players set for 2025-26, though more additions may come. Notably, four of those players will graduate before Ragone arrives.
By the 2026-27 season, veterans like Hannah Hidalgo, Cass Prosper, and KK Bransford will be entering their final year of eligibility. Freshman Leah Macy is the only player on the 2025-26 roster projected to have multiple years remaining.
Recently, Notre Dame has leaned on the transfer portal for immediate help, adding Vanderbilt guard Iyana Moore, and in April, bringing in Wake Forest forward Milaya Cowles, Kansas State forward Gisela Sanchez, and Duke guard Vanessa de Jesus.
Pat Garrity, the new general manager of Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, emphasized the importance of prioritizing high school recruiting, development, and retention, using the portal selectively.
“At a place like this, development is the foundation,” Garrity said. “We want to bring in freshmen and grow them into their roles physically and mentally. The transfer portal has its place, but we don’t rely on it heavily. That gives us an edge when we talk to recruits and their families about their growth here, they can trust our plan if they’re willing to put in the work.”
So grateful for this team and this school!! https://t.co/6pR4OyhEHu
— Bella Ragone (@Bella_Ragone07) May 22, 2025
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