Notre Dame women's basketball bolsters roster with this All-Big East forward

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SOUTH BEND — It looks like Notre Dame women's basketball — if that's the route the Irish opt to go — will be able to place five all-conference veterans on the court at the same time this coming season.

Liza Karlen, an All-Big East first-team senior forward this past winter for Marquette, has announced her intention to transfer to ND, according to On3.com.

As it so happens, the 6-foot-2 Karlen's last game in a Golden Eagle uniform occurred at Notre Dame's Purcell Pavilion.

That was March 23, when she scored 19 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked four shots — all game or team highs — but couldn't prevent 10th-seeded Marquette from falling 67-55 to seventh seed Ole Miss in an NCAA Tournament first-round matchup.

The Rebels then lost to the host Irish 71-56 in the second round.

For the season, Karlen, from St. Paul, Minn., averaged 17.7 points, 7.9 boards and 1.2 blocks — all team-pacing figures — while starting all 32 games for the Eagles, who finished 23-9 overall, 11-7 in the Big East.

Karlen shot 49.7% from the field overall and 82.2% from the line, each of those figures leading the club, to go with 25-of-70 for 35.7% from 3-point land.

More:Notre Dame women's basketball plunges head first into national championship aspirations

ND returns first-team All-American Hannah Hidalgo from this past season's Sweet 16 club (28-7 overall, 13-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) and is expected to have back former second-team All-American Olivia Miles after she missed all of last season due to injury.

In addition to those two star guards, entering their sophomore and senior years, respectively, the Irish also return senior wing Sonia Citron and grad forward Maddy Westbeld, who are both multi-year All-ACC picks and former league Rookie of the Year winners.

ND is also adding 6-foot-4 forward Kate Koval, ranked the nation's No. 1 post and No. 5 high school Class of 2024 recruit overall by ESPN.

Others on the Irish roster include versatile junior KK Bransford, along with highly regarded underclassmen Cass Prosper and Emma Risch, both coming off injuries, and fifth-year post Kylee Watson, whose status is uncertain after she suffered a knee injury late this past season.

Karlen played for former Irish standout Megan Duffy at Marquette. Duffy left the Eagles just over a month ago to become head coach at Virginia Tech.

This past season, Karlen was named Big East Player of the Week three times. It's the same 11-team league that features perennial power Connecticut. The Huskies, No. 3 in postseason polls, won the 2023-24 conference title at 18-0, followed by No. 23 Creighton at 15-3, then Marquette in a three-way tie for third at 11-7.

More:Former Notre Dame player Megan Duffy returns to Purcell Pavilion as Marquette head coach

A three-year starter, Karlen averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks as a sophomore, then 11.7, 7.4 and 1.0 as a junior.

ESPN last week named Karlen the No. 15 player to enter the transfer portal this offseason. At least 13 of those players have now committed to new schools.

Not done:Maddy Westbeld announces her return to Notre Dame women's basketball

Based on its known roster count, ND may not be done making additions. Even if former walk-on Sarah Cernugel returns, which coach Niele Ivey recently indicated as a possibility, the Irish would be at 10 players upon picking up Karlen.

The Irish were ranked No. 3 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25 ratings four weeks ago.