Notre Dame women’s basketball guard KK Bransford to red shirt this season

Notre Dame women’s basketball guard KK Bransford has announced that she will red shirt this season to deal with a lower leg injury.

Bransford announced her plans on X (formerly Twitter) Monday night. In September, teammate and four-year starter Maddy Westbeld announced that she would miss the beginning of the season with a lingering foot issue.

“Over the last couple of years, I have been dealing with a lower leg injury that has hindered my play at Notre Dame,” Bransford wrote. “I want to thank the coaches, the medical staff and the fans who have stuck with me while I’ve tried to play through it. But I have decided it is in my best interest to red shirt this season to get back to full strength.”

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Bransford, a 5-11 guard from Cincinnati, Ohio, will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The versatile guard appeared in 33 games last season with seven starts, averaging 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 25.7 mintues per game. The former Ms. Ohio Basketball and 2022 McDonald’s All-American shot 39 percent from floor and 78.4 percent from the free throw line. She posted double-figure points eight times.

After the completion of last season, when the Irish finished 28-7 overall and 13-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference before losing to Oregon State in the Sweet Sixteen, Bransford briefly entered the transfer portal, but eventually decided to return to the Irish.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame women’s basketball guard KK Bransford to miss season