Former Notre Dame women's basketball guard KK Bransford commits to UCLA

UCLA’s national championship team had six 2026 WNBA draftees on the roster. The Bruins need reinforcements for the upcoming season in the worst way, and they added some help in the form of a former Notre Dame guard.

KK Bransford is heading to Los Angeles.

She signaled her commitment to UCLA with a social media post with the caption, “I’m da bruin” with blue and gold hearts.

Of course, Bransford was a staple for another team that wears blue and gold for the better part of four seasons. She played in 90 games with 28 starts for Notre Dame from 2022 through the end of this past season. She missed an entire year rehabbing a foot injury, and she missed a dozen games with a knee injury in her final year with the Fighting Irish, but when she was available, Bransford played an important role for head coach Niele Ivey.

Bransford averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game throughout her Notre Dame career. She was a constant contributor of hustle plays in addition to those numbers. The Irish looked lost and like they wouldn’t amount to much, if anything, in the postseason while Bransford was out last season. When she came back, Notre Dame went on a run with a 12-3 record and ended up advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.

Bransford was one of just three players who appeared on the floor for the Irish against UConn in the Elite Eight who had the choice to return to Notre Dame for the 2026-27 season. Instead, she chose to transfer. Cassandre Prosper went to the WNBA Draft. They left rising senior Hannah Hidalgo as the only returnee who was on the court for the Elite Eight.

Notre Dame is bringing in a top-five 2026 recruiting class that consists of five high-level talents, and the Irish also went to the transfer portal to sign Louisville transfer Anaya Hardy and Princeton guard Madison St. Rose. Redshirt freshman forward Leah Macy, a McDonald’s All American in 2025, will make her Notre Dame debut this fall after missing her entire true freshman year rehabbing a knee injury she suffered in her final high school game just over a year ago.

There is a vision for what Notre Dame’s 2026-27 roster can accomplish, and Bransford was a part of that vision until she wasn’t. She was an 11th-hour transfer portal entry, and now she’ll finish her career with the defending national champion Bruins.