Notre Dame women’s basketball senior KK Bransford is out indefinitely, but there is no timetable for her return following a knee injury sustained earlier this week. The injury will not require surgery and is not season ending.
The Irish’s head coach Niele Ivey announced this update Sunday, Dec. 14, following a 78-65 win over James Madison.
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Bransford was injured in the second quarter of a game against Morehead State this past Thursday, Dec. 11. She had to be helped off the court. While she did return to the bench area for the second half, it was the with the assistance of crutches and with a major wrap around her leg.
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Through the first eight games of the season, Bransford was averaging 10.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and the most minutes per game of anyone suiting up for Notre Dame women’s basketball. Then, while dribbling down the floor on a fast break against Morehead State, Bransford tweaked her leg and went crashing to the hardwood.
The Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center went silent. Bransford’s cries were the only sound reverberating off those hallowed walls.
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Bransford underwent an MRI soon thereafter, and it was determined that the injury was severe enough to sideline her for an extended period of time. It is unclear if or when Bransford will return this season.
Things now become tougher for an Irish team that already only had 11 available players ― only eight of which average more than 10 minutes per game ― with Bransford on the floor.
Notre Dame will likely turn to grad transfer Malaya Cowles, who averages 7.8 points per game in eight games played this season, to assume a starting spot moving forward. Cowles earned the first start of her Irish career in Bransford’s first game out against James Madison.
“Her presence,” Ivey said of the decision to start Cowles. “She’s extremely smart, and we wanted to start with our biggest lineup.”
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Another setback for KK Bransford
It felt like Bransford was finally putting together the season she had strived for since the moment she stepped on Notre Dame’s campus.
As a McDonald’s All-American her senior year of high school and having won back-to-back Ms. Ohio Basketball awards in her final two high school seasons, Bransford was expected to be a major player for even what was an experienced and stacked Notre Dame squad in 2022-23.
She started 12 games, played in 33 and averaged 8.2 points per game as a freshman. However, her minutes slipped her sophomore season, and so did her production.
Bransford then missed her entire junior season due to injury. She came into the 2025-26 season determined and full of life. After the Irish lost eight players from last season’s team due to graduation, the WNBA Draft or the transfer portal, Bransford decided to stay and was expected to assume a bigger role than ever.
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Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleSmedley03.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Latest injury update for Notre Dame women’s basketball KK Bransford
