Notre Dame women's basketball adds Fordham standout Anna DeWolfe from transfer portal

SOUTH BEND — Anna DeWolfe started her college basketball career against Notre Dame women's basketball. Now she’s poised to finish it with the Fighting Irish.

The four-year Fordham standout will play her graduate season at ND, the school announced Monday afternoon.

A 5-foot-8 guard from Cumberland, Maine, DeWolfe averaged 18.4 points, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals for the 19-13 Rams this past season on her way to earning All-Atlantic 10 first-team honors for the third consecutive year.

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“She will bring experience and a dynamic skill set that will translate well into our system,” Irish coach Niele Ivey said in a statement announcing DeWolfe’s transfer. “She is a competitive combo guard with an incredible motor.

“What I love most about Anna is her work ethic, toughness and passion for the game,” Ivey continued. “She matches our team’s identity perfectly.”

DeWolfe adds to what’s already a rich stable of guards for ND, which went 27-6 this past season, won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season crown and advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

Second-team All-American point guard Olivia Miles will be entering her junior year, though a definitive timeline for Miles’ return to the court after postseason knee injury last week has not been set.

Fellow All-Atlantic Coast Conference junior Sonia Citron is among other guards slated to return, along with KK Bransford and Cass Prosper, who each played prominent roles as freshmen this past season.

Further, the Irish have added a pair of high school All-American guards in Hannah Hidalgo, rated No. 1 by ESPN among point guards, and Emma Risch.

The lone guard slated to depart is Dara Mabrey, who suffered a season-ending injury in late January.

Much like Mabrey — who started 135 straight games before her injury — DeWolfe has been among college basketball’s most durable players and is a 3-point threat.

She started every one of Fordham’s 111 games over the last four seasons, averaging a hearty 36.9 minutes over those contests to go with her 17.0 career scoring average.

DeWolfe converted 79-of-223 on triples this past winter for 35.4% and stands at 33.7% outside the arc for her career. She’s also a premier free throw shooter with four-year numbers of 167-of-199 for 83.9%.

DeWolfe’s best season statistically was her pandemic-shortened sophomore one in 2020-21, when she average 20.8 points, 38.3% on 3s and 2.8 assists on her way to garnering Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Year honors while leading the Rams to a 12-6 mark, 8-2 in the league.

Over her career, Fordham has gone 70-41, including 37-19 in conference play.

DeWolfe debuted collegiately on Nov. 5, 2019 when Notre Dame visited the Bronx in New York and held on for a 60-55 win.

Ironically, DeWolfe’s nine assists in that first game remains her career high and her nine rebounds remain tied for a career best. She also scored 10 points, barely missing a triple-double.

In high school, DeWolfe led Greely to back-to-back state titles and was named Maine Miss Basketball in 2019.

Ivey said last week that she was hopeful of adding “at least one” individual through the transfer portal this offseason and possibly more. Mabrey’s joined by starting center Lauren Ebo as ND players who have exhausted their eligibility.