After what has been a somewhat disappointing first half to the 2020s by Notre Dame women’s basketball’s prestigious standards – having not advanced past the Sweet Sixteen since a national championship appearance in 2019 – the Irish look poised for greatness in the second half of the decade.
Head coach Niele Ivey and her team have been busy both gearing up for the grind of a 2025-26 season and recruiting the next wave of potential Notre Dame greats.
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Within the past six months, the Irish have landed commitments from five ESPN Top 100 recruits in the Class of 2026. Not only will Hannah Hidalgo – one of the best players in the nation – likely return to Notre Dame next season, she’ll be joined by at least four 4-star recruits and one 5-star prospect.
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Here’s a breakdown of the Irish’s 2026 recruiting class so far:
Jacy Abii, Legion Prep Academy (Texas)
Abii, the No. 9 prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to Notre Dame on October 4. She chose the Irish over other prestigious programs like UCLA, LSU, Tennessee and Texas.
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She’s a 6-foot, 2-inch, 5-star recruit who was a key factor in back-to-back high school state championship teams in Texas, as well as capturing two gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
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Her senior season is about to begin after missing last season with a torn ACL. In her sophomore year, Abii averaged 20.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
Jenica Lewis, Johnston High School (Iowa)
Lewis, the No. 24 prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to Notre Dame on November 6. The most recent recruit Ivey and company have landed chose the Irish over in-state competitor Iowa, TCU and Oregon.
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She is a 5-foot-10-inch, 4-star recruit who was named the Iowa Player of the Year in her junior campaign. Lewis averaged 18 points and 3.5 steals per game en route to winning a second straight state title.
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Her 3-point prowess may just be Lewis’ biggest strength, shooting 42% from beyond the arc as a freshman and 35% as a junior.
Isabella Ragone, Mill Creek High School (Georgia)
Ragone, the No. 30 prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to Notre Dame on May 22. She was the first of Ivey’s all-time best cycle to do so, picking the Irish over UCLA, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina and more.
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Like Lewis, Ragone was named her state’s girls basketball player of the year last season. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 4-star recruit has averaged more than 20 points per game in all three years of high school play.
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In her junior campaign, Ragone put up 23.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. Her mother, Marju Ragone, is a former standout for the Miami (Ohio) and Louisville women’s basketball teams.
Amari Byles, Kingdom Collegiate Academy (Texas)
Byles, No. 37 prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to Notre Dame on October 25. Also hailing from Texas, like fellow 2026 recruit Abii, Byles joining the Irish means they landed two of the top three players in the Lone Star State.
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Byles chose Notre Dame over in-state Baylor and Oregon. The 6-foot, 2-inch, 4-star recruit even got former Notre Dame football Heisman winner Tim Brown – a Texas native – to attend her commitment party.
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Isabella Sangha, Pine Crest High School (Florida)
Sangha, the No. 81 prospect in the class of 2026, announced her commitment to Notre Dame on September 1. She chose the Irish over Iowa State and Kansas State.
The 6-foot, 3-inch, 4-star recruit also committed to play for Notre Dame’s volleyball team. As a junior, Sangha averaged 27.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
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Her 4.4 GPA also attracted offers from Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth. She’ll fit right in at Notre Dame.
Kyle Smedley is a high school sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email atksmedley@gannett.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: A look at Notre Dame women’s basketball’s class of 2026 recruiting prospects
