Niele Ivey reflects on what Notre Dame senior class meant to her

The season ended earlier than Notre Dame and head coach Niele Ivey would have wanted, falling in the Sweet Sixteen to TCU. With that, an incredibly talented class of seniors at Notre Dame have seen their time in college come to an end.

Following the game, Ivey reflected on what this Notre Dame class of seniors and graduate players mean to her. It’s a group that for all their talent and success, has also proved to be a great group of people and teammates to play under Ivey.

“Absolutely,” Niele Ivey said. “Special group, so talented coming into the season. Sonia [Citron] and Liv [Olivia Miles] are generational talents that I have had a chance to foster and help to develop and grow the last four or five years. So, it’s been a blessing from the beginning knowing — and Maddy Westbeld super versatile.”

This senior class was one of the very early ones to commit to playing for Neile Ivey after she took over the program from Muffet McGraw. They did so and, in the process, helped her to maintain the Notre Dame program at the top of the sport. This group often also signified changes in the program. Olivia Miles, for her part, was the first early enrollee in Notre Dame history, a major shift in recent seasons.

“It’s just been amazing. They’re amazing humans and I feel like you got a chance to listen to who they are as people. They’re very caring, nurturing, they understand at some point it’s bigger than basketball. They love each other, they love this group, they love this university,” Ivey said. “And I wouldn’t want to coach anyone else that didn’t recognize the beauty that is Notre Dame. They understand it. They understand that it’s bigger than the basketball piece, but talent-wise they’re just so gifted. I’m excited to be able to watch them in their professional careers, but, again, they’re just special. They’re special young women outside of basketball.”

Sonia Citron, who was a First Team All-ACC selection in the 2024-25 season, and Olivia Miles, who was an All-America Second Team to go along with a First Team All-ACC selection in 2024-25, headlined the senior class. However, they were far from alone. Maddy Westbeld started 138 games in her Notre Dame career. Then, Liza Karlen, Sarah Cernugel, Liatu King, and Kylee Watson would all transfer into the program as well.

In the last four years, Notre Dame has been to the Sweet Sixteen four different times. However, they have failed to advance beyond that point. That run has included winning the ACC Tournament once and the ACC regular season championship twice.

Now, Niele Ivey and Notre Dame will need to find a way to get over that hump without this class of senior stars. Those stars, meanwhile, are onto their next step, either looking to move up and play at the WNBA level or their post-playing life.