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Louisville transfer Anaya Hardy adds size, upside to Notre Dame women's basketball roster

Eric Hansenby: Eric Hansen04/17/26EHansenND

In explaining why she picked mechanical engineering as a college major, Anaya Hardy boils it down to the fact that she’s simply a fan of building things.

One of the former Louisville forward’s most intriguing construction projects these days is her own basketball journey, which will continue on in the 2026-27 season on the Notre Dame women’s hoops roster after announcing her commitment to the Irish on Friday afternoon.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore revealed her transfer destination four days after taking an official visit to the ND campus, and becomes the first portal addition of the offseason for an Irish team that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight last month and finished 25-11 overall and will build around three-time All-America guard Hannah Hidalgo.

And the Irish may only just be getting started. The transfer portal opened on April 6 and closes at the end of the day next Monday, April 20, for new submissions.

Notre Dame had its hopes set on adding two players to what it has returning, as well as a five-player recruiting class considered the No. 2 class in the 2026 cycle. But now it appears the Irish are open to taking as many as three transfers. 

How Hardy fits in

Notre Dame lost three players 6-3 or taller from its seven-player rotation — starting center Malaya Cowles and reserve forward Gisella Sanchez to expired eligibility, and starting wing Cass Prosper, who opted in for the WNBA Draft instead of taking a fifth year.

Prosper on Monday night was selected early in the second round, and No. 19 overall, by the Washington Mystics, after being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player this past season.

A raw, unranked prospect coming out of Detroit Renaissance High in the 2024 recruiting cycle, Hardy started to show this past season why Cardinals coach Jeff Walz rolled the dice with her.

A month into the 2025-26 season, Hardy cracked the Louisville starting lineup. And while she averaged a modest 4.9 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Cardinals (29-8), the fact that she did so while averaging just over 11 minutes a game points to the upside Irish coach Niele Ivey sees in her.

As does Hardy’s .667 shooting percentage from the field and her ability to dunk in practice, something she’s determined to do in a game next season.

Hardy is also determined to work on her flaws, including a .382 mark from the free-throw line and the tendency to pick up quick fouls. As a freshman, Hardy saw action in only 11 games as a reserve, and averaged 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds.

“We are so excited to welcome Anaya to our Notre Dame family!” Ivey said. “She brings great energy and presence to our front court, and her athleticism will light up the arena. Her ability to run the floor, rebound and defend at a high level will make an immediate impact.”

More to come?

The Irish portal pursuit continued on Thursday, when All-Ivy League combo guard Madison St. Rose made an official visit to ND. The Irish also remain in play for Iowa State forward Addy Brown, who took a visit to ND last Friday and is expected to make a decision after she takes visits to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

The 5-10 St. Rose helped Princeton to a 26-4 record and an NCAA Tournament berth this past season. She averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals for a Tigers team that knocked off Georgia Tech and NCAA Tourney participant Villanova to start their season.

She shot .479 from the field, .278 from the arc and .770 from the free-throw line. Per On3 women’s basketball national insider Talia Goodman, UCLA, Duke and Virginia Tech were also in the mix, but St. Rose has since narrowed those considerations to the Irish and Virginia Tech with ND well-positioned and a decision expected very soon.

Her potential value to Notre Dame heightened on Friday, when redshirt junior guard KK Bransford announced she was entering the transfer portal to play out her final college season elsewhere.

ESPN ranks St. Rose as the No. 15 portal prospect regardless of position in this cycle. The 6-2 Brown is No. 8 in the rankings of the more than 1,400 women’s basketball players who have submitted their names to transfer so far.

St. Rose and Brown each have one season of college eligibility remaining. Hardy has two.

Brown averaged 11.9 points, a team-leading 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists as a third-year starter for the Cyclones, a team that went 22-10, faded late after a 14-0 start and lost nine players to the transfer portal.

The Derby, Kan., product, shot .431 from the field, .338 from the 3-point arc and .776 from the free throw line this past season, missing 11 games in January and February due to what was described as a lower-body injury.

She was a McDonald’s All-American in 2023, playing for the West team against Hidalgo and since-transplanted guard Emma Risch representing Notre Dame on the East team.