Niele Ivey is not finished shaping the 2024-25 Notre Dame women’s basketball roster. Blue & Gold asked her Tuesday what her strategy is this offseason in terms of filling scholarships from the transfer portal, and she said additions will be made based on needs. Not on numbers.
Notre Dame needs another post player. So the Fighting Irish are showing interest in one.
Per a source, Boston University’s Caitlin Weimar is expected to visit South Bend soon. The Patriot League Player of the Year and two-time Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year averaged 18.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the Terriers last season. She’s averaging 13.8 points and 9.4. rebounds per game in a career that started at Marist in 2020-21.
Weimar’s averages as a senior were both career highs. She also added 2.8 blocks per game, which was also a personal best. The 6-4 Cortlandt Manor, N.Y., native is a post player in its purest form. She’s attempted one 3-pointer in 105 games. She has a career shooting percentage of 54.3, always feasting on opportunities around the basket.
In the only game BU played against a ranked opponent last season, Weimar scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against No. 7 Colorado. She scored a season-high 33 points in the season-opener against UMass Lowell. Weimar had 18 double-doubles as a senior, including a stretch of seven in a row from December into January.
Brining in a post player from the transfer portal has been customary for Ivey in her four years in charge of the Irish. Notre Dame has welcomed Maya Dodson of Stanford (2021-22), Lauren Ebo of Texas (2022-23), Kylee Watson of Oregon (2023-present) and Becky Obinma of Pepperdine (2023-24) during Ivey’s tenure.
Ivey needs a front-court contributor with Watson out for an indefinite amount of time rehabbing the ACL she tore in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in early March. She will not be ready for the start of the season, and the best-case scenario is probably sometime in 2025 either at the start of ACC play, in the middle of it or closer to tournament time.
Without Watson, Notre Dame only has incoming freshman Kate Koval to play the five. Koval is the No. 5 recruit in the country per ESPN. She’s expected to hit the ground running and is slotted as a starter as it stands. Even if Notre Dame secures a commitment from Weimar, the 6-5 Koval will likely get the starting nod. But Weimar played 35.6 minutes per game last season and would be ready to give Ivey everything she needs in a reserve capacity. And if Koval needs time to learn the ropes, Weimar would be a viable starting option at center herself.
Weimar’s recruitment is a fluid situation. She recently visited NC State. The Irish have also recently reportedly showed interest in Marquette forward Liza Karlen and Villanova guard Lucy Olsen .
The post Transfer portal intel: Conference player of the year to visit Notre Dame appeared first on On3 .
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