The Fighting Irish are on the lookout for fresh talent to help keep them on an upwards trajectory under Niele Ivey, but have suffered a blow after losing out on one top star
Notre Dame women’s basketball has suffered a major setback in its recruitment for its 2026 class after missing out on elite prospect Savvy Swords.
The Fighting Irish are keen to continue adding to their squad in years to come as part of efforts to land them a first national championship since 2018, yet head coach Niele Ivey and co. will have to do so without the 5-star wing after she committed to Kentucky on Saturday.
It comes as Notre Dame added a fifth player to combat the departure of Olivia Miles after Kelly Ratigan decided to join via the transfer portal last month. The Fighting Irish had already acquired the services of Gisela Sanchez, Malaya Cowles, and Vanessa de Jesus, and more could still follow.
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With regards to next year’s roster, however, Notre Dame will have to keep searching for the next best thing after losing out on the services of Swords, who also had offers from South Carolina, UCLA and Michigan, according to On3.
The 6-foot-1 star from Brookville (NY) Long Island Luthera is currently ranked No. 9 in On3’s top 2026 recruits in the nation, perhaps most notably averaging 16.3 points and six rebounds per game for Canada at last year’s U17 FIBA World Cup.
Swords achieved those stats while shooting 50 per cent from deep and 88 per cent from the free throw line, highlighting her versatility and strong ability to shoot from deep and rebound the ball at a high level.
The teenager is the younger sister of current Michigan women’s basketball player Syla Swords, who earned freshman All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2025. The 19-year-old is also a member of the Canadian national team and was an Olympian in 2024.
Swords took to Instagram on Saturday to announce her commitment to Kentucky, uploading a series of images from her signing shoot alongside the caption: “Big blue business. Let’s workk #committed.”
Her older sister, Syla, commented “so proud” followed by four love heart emojis, while premier point guard Maddyn Greenway, who was Kentucky’s first commitment in the 2026 class, wrote: “TEAMMIEEE.”
Notre Dame has already obtained the commitment of four-star college basketball prospect Bella Ragone to its 2026 class, who announced her decision with a TikTok video last month.
In Ragone, the Fighting Irish have landed themselves a top-25 2026 wing, beating over 35 schools including Iowa, UCLA, and UNC to her signature. The 6-foot-2 wing from Georgia became the first commit in Notre Dame’s 2026 class.
Ranked No. 25 overall in the ESPNW 2026 rankings, Ragone used her brand of humor to announce her commitment, posting a short skit joking about telling a boy she’d be playing in Indiana. When he guessed Purdue, the clip cut to Ragone in a Notre Dame No. 5 jersey, flashing the camera with a smile and the caption, “Holy Airball.”
On Instagram, she reposted the announcement with a simple “Go Irish,” followed by clovers and her social media exploded with congratulatory messages from coaches, teammates, national recruits, and some of the most influential names in the game on her level.
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