In a somewhat surprising move, Notre Dame’s KK Bransford announced that she has committed to the UCLA Bruins via the transfer portal.
UCLA is the reigning national champion, but just sent all of its starters to the WNBA. So, I think it’s safe to presume that the Bruins have some NIL money to spend as they look to quickly reload its roster to compete again in the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament.
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There’s no denying that this is a big blow to Notre Dame. The hopes for next season were that Hannah Hidalgo would have Cassandre Prosper and KK Bransford back for a title run, but that hope was dashed when Prosper entered the WNBA Draft and was selected 19th overall by the Washington Mystics.
Notre Dame did pick up two very important players from the transfer portal in Princeton’s Madison St. Rose and Louisville’s Anaya Hardy, and has some very talented freshmen coming in such as 5-Star Jacy Abii — but a veteran defection like this wasn’t part of the known plan.
