Notre Dame HC Niele Ivey remains optimistic about new season despite losing Olivia Miles to transfer portal: "It’s a blank canvas"

Niele Ivey's Notre Dame will look a lot different in the upcoming season following the departure of star player Olivia Miles, who joined TCU via the transfer portal. The Fighting Irish also lost starters Maddy Westbeld, Sonia Citron and Liatu King to the WNBA draft.

Freshman forward Kate Koval and sophomore guard Emma Risch also followed Miles into the portal. Koval committed to LSU, while Risch will play her junior year at Florida State.

However, Coach Ivey is not losing any sleep because of the huge turnover in personnel. On Tuesday, she discussed the team's outlook for next season with Christine Williamson on SportsCenter.

"I am really fortunate with the core that we returned," Niele Ivey said. "We've returned KK Bransford, Cassandre Prosper, obviously the biggest name, Hannah Hidalgo, and all three of them are just really excited. They got back to work. They're super motivated.

"And then I got a chance to bring in three grad transfers that I think are really going to make a big impact for us with experience, fulfilling certain voids that I have. But no, I'm looking forward, it's a blank canvas. I'm looking forward to the picture that we're going to create. I'm looking forward to the new energy, the new identity."

To counter the roster upheaval, Ivey added four new players: Vanessa de Jesus from Duke, Malaya Cowles from Wake Forest, Gisela Sanchez from Kansas State, and Kelly Ratigan from Colgate.

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Niele Ivey believes Hannah Hidalgo will be the face of women's basketball next season

Now that UConn star Paige Bueckers has been drafted into the WNBA, hoops fans are looking for the next face of women's college basketball.

Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey has no doubt that her junior-to-be guard Hannah Hidalgo is up to the task.

On the latest episode of ESPN's Full Court Press, Ivey told Hidalgo to her face that she would be the next big thing. She doubled down on her high praise during an appearance on SportsCenter.

"She’s going to be the best player in the game," Niele Ivey said. "She's ready for it, rising junior, somebody that has exploded on the stage, she's ready for it. And I'm excited that she’s going to be the face of women’s basketball. But she has earned it and deserves it."

Hidalgo was the fifth leading scorer in the nation last season, averaging 23.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.