Notre Dame has responded to the departure of Olivia Miles by securing a transfer commitment from forward Gisela Sanchez. Despite being considered a WNBA lottery pick, Miles opted to remain in college and transferred to TCU through the portal. She retains an extra year of eligibility after missing the 2023–24 season due to an ACL injury suffered late the previous year.
Miles’ exit was a significant setback. The junior had started 34 games in her last active season, averaging a personal-best 15.4 points on 48.3% shooting. Notably, her three-point percentage soared from 22.8% to 40.6%. However, Notre Dame received a major boost when standout guard Hannah Hidalgo chose to return.
Following a busy offseason that saw three players enter the WNBA Draft and four more leave via the portal, Notre Dame is reloading its frontcourt. The Fighting Irish landed Kansas State’s Gisela Sanchez, who brings two years of college experience and began her career at Arizona.
During the 2024–25 season, Sanchez averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.4 minutes across 27 games for the 28–8 Wildcats, who reached the NCAA Tournament. She’s a 28% career shooter from beyond the arc and hits 66% of her free throws. As a sophomore, she started six of 33 games, and as a freshman at Arizona, she came off the bench in all 20 appearances.
Sanchez is Notre Dame’s second frontcourt addition in a week, joining Malaya Cowles from Wake Forest. With these two transfers, head coach Niele Ivey has bolstered her forward depth ahead of a pivotal season.
They’ll team up with returning guards Cassandre Prosper, KK Bransford, and Hidalgo, as the Irish prepare for a significantly reshaped roster entering the 2025–26 season.
The portal success brings some reassurance, especially as incoming freshman Leah Macy’s status remains uncertain following a knee injury suffered in the Kentucky state tournament. Ultimately, Notre Dame’s fortunes may rest on how well the team can fill the void left by Miles, who now joins a TCU squad fresh off its deepest NCAA Tournament run, led by stars Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince.
Last season, Notre Dame rode the duo of Miles and Hidalgo to the top of the AP rankings in February, before faltering late. The team lost to Duke in the ACC tournament semifinals and exited in the Sweet 16 at the hands of TCU.
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