Notre Dame guard KK Bransford enters NCAA transfer portal
The Notre Dame women’s basketball transfer portal cycle is here. The Fighting Irish’s roster rearrangement begins with the entrance of rising junior guard KK Bransford into the NCAA transfer portal.
Bransford, a 2022 McDonald’s All-American, averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 66 games and 19 starts in a Notre Dame uniform. When healthy, she was a key energizer on both ends of the floor coming off the bench for head coach Niele Ivey.
Bransford penned a letter to “Irish nation” on Instagram.
“I want to begin by expressed how grateful I am for my time wearing the blue and gold,” she wrote. “The last two years have changed me for the better, and I’m so lucky to have had these experiences. I want to thank Notre Dame, my coaches, my teammates and the staff for always having my back. I’m especially thankful for coach Ivey who believed in me and gave me a chance at the highest level. I also want to give a shoutout to all of our fans who show up and cheer us on through all of the ups and downs. It has truly been a blessing, and I will never forget my time in South Bend.
“With that being said, after consulting with my family and leaning on prayer, I’ve decided it is in my best interest to explore my options and enter the transfer portal. Notre dame will forever hold a special place in my heart.”
Bransford joins graduate students Anna DeWolfe, Becky Obinma and Jenna Brown as players from last season’s roster who are definitely not returning in 2024-25. Maddy Westbeld and Kylee Watson were seniors last year but have the option to use their COVID-19 waivers to come back for one more collegiate season. Neither of them have announced a decision as of Sunday.
If Westbeld and Watson return, Notre Dame is looking at 10 scholarship players, nine (Westbeld, Watson, Hannah Hidalgo, Sonia Citron, Cass Prosper, Emma Risch, Nat Marshall, Olivia Miles and Sarah Cernugel) returning from last year’s roster plus the addition of McDonald’s All-American center Kate Koval.
The Fighting Irish are expected to bolster the roster with transfer portal additions of their own. Ivey has brought in at least one transfer every year she’s been the Notre Dame head coach. Brown (Stanford), DeWolfe (Fordham), Obinma (TCU/Pepperdine) and Watson (Oregon) all began their careers at different programs before getting to South Bend.
