Head coach Niele Ivey reacts as Kelly Ratigan signs for Notre Dame
Former Loyola Maryland Greyhounds guard Kelly Ratigan will play for Niele Ivey's Notre Dame next season. She also has family ties with the Fighting Irish program. Her father, Brian, and her brother, Conor, played football for the university.
Brian is currently working as a surgeon for ND's athletic department. The school updated the fans about Ratigan's incoming through an Instagram post on Tuesday.
"South Bend Bound☘️ Welcome to the Irish, Kelly," the caption read.
As fans reacted to the news in the comment section, coach Niele Ivey also joined in.
"☘️💚☘️💚🙏🏽," she commented.
Freshman Leah Macy and alum Dara Mabrey also followed suit.
"Yayyyy," Macy wrote.
"🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️," Mabrey added.
It is a homecoming for Kelly Ratigan, who played high school basketball at Saint Joseph, a mile away from the Fighting Irish campus. The guard began her athletic career by playing ICCL soccer, basketball and softball in middle school. She continued with the latter two in high school, garnering attention from scouts all over the nation.
She opened her college recruitment as an HS sophomore and committed to Loyola Maryland Greyhounds before her senior year.
"The coaches there have been really supportive, especially this summer and that start of my senior year and the teammates that I'll have there are a special group of girls," she said.
What will Kelly Ratigan add to Niele Ivey's roster?
Kelly Ratigan brings two years of college eligibility to Niele Ivey's program. The 5-foot-6 guard quickly secured a starting role in her freshman year at Loyola Maryland.
Ratigan averaged 8.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 31.4% shooting in her sophomore year. However, all that momentum was lost last season because of a season-ending injury (torn patella tendon).
Ratigan's team-first and selfless style of basketball will seamlessly fit into Notre Dame's culture. The guard is known for her hustle plays, motor, positional defense and smart decision-making. She will play a leadership role in the locker room, helping freshmen adjust to the demands of D-I.
Behind Kelly Ratigan's off-ball movement and confident touch, she is expected to create an immediate impact as a spot-up shooter in Niele Ivey's playbook.