Despite Olivia Miles leaving for TCU, Niele Ivey has high hopes for Notre Dame team next season: “They wanna be part of something special”

Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey has high hopes for the Fighting Irish in the 2025-26 NCAA season despite the shocking transfer of Olivia Miles. The Instagram page of NCAA Division I Women's Basketball shared a video on Tuesday where Ivey remained optimistic about her team's chances for the upcoming campaign.

Ivey shared her thoughts with host Tony Simeone in the final episode of the second season of "Wake Up the Echoes." The Notre Dame coach made a guest appearance in the show alongside longtime assistants Carol Owens and Carlos Knox.

"I feel like every year is kind of like it's a new team, it's a new energy and it's a blank canvas," Ivey said. "And I'm really excited to be able to create a masterpiece for next season."

"Just having new pieces, new additions and even the players that we're bringing in right now. They're so motivated. They wanna win. They wanna be part of something special and they know that's something we're going to build."

Notre Dame added Vanessa De Jesus, Gisela Sanchez and Malaya Cowles to its lineup from the transfer portal.

Niele Ivey also added that she's grateful for Notre Dame's returning core players, saying that she's excited to figure out how her team will operate next season.

Hannah Hidalgo, who posted spectacular numbers as a sophomore, is one of the three returning guards. She averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.6 assists through 32 games for the Fighting Irish in the 2024-25 season.

Who left Niele Ivey's Notre Dame after Olivia Miles transferred to TCU?

The transfer portal hasn't been kind to Niele Ivey and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish after the 2024-25 season ended. Olivia Miles sent shockwaves through the college basketball world when she announced she would be joining the TCU Horned Frogs next season instead of declaring for the 2025 WNBA Draft.

Notre Dame forward Kate Koval in action against Florida State at Purcell Pavilion on Feb. 27, 2025, in South Bend. Photo: Imagn

Several Notre Dame players followed Miles' example, moving to other teams through the portal. Kate Koval transferred to the LSU Tigers after averaging 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in her freshman season in South Bend.

Emma Risch, who averaged 5.7 points and 1.8 rebounds through 13 games in the 2024-25 season, moved to Florida State. Kylee Watson, who didn't play a single game under Niele Ivey last season due to a knee injury, transferred to Villanova.