Notre Dame women’s basketball loses key veteran to transfer portal

Notre Dame's women’s basketball team lost a key veteran on Friday afternoon.

KK Bransford, a 3-year player for the Notre Dame women's basketball team has entered the transfer portal according to Talia Goodman.

Her Notre Dame career was both consistent and productive. In her freshman season, she debuted averaging 8.2 points in a little over 24 minutes per game. As a sophomore, she appeared in 33 games and averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game. During the season, she shot 39 percent from the field as well as breaking out with 46.7 percent in the postseason. She took a medical redshirt the following year and then bounced back and averaged 7.4 points and 4 rebounds in 24 games played during this past season.

For Notre Dame, the loss is more than statistical. Bransford was a very versatile player who could guard multiple positions, rebound from the perimeter and create offense without necessarily having the ball in her hands. Those traits are even more important when it can help balance the lineup around the superstar Hannah Hidalgo. Her departure also will thin the backcourt next season and deplete some key veteran leadership for head coach Niele Ivey.

Even despite the loss, the outlook for next season is quite bright for Irish fans. Hannah Hidalgo announced she would be returning for her senior season, and Notre Dame is bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in the country to replenish the talent in South Bend. Even so, Bransford's loss will be felt by the Irish and coach Ivey will have even more pressure to find a way to make up for what she brought on and off the court.