Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 SEPT. 12, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY ERIC HANSEN M adison St. Rose hardly gives off the vibe of a newcomer, and her new Notre Dame women's basketball teammates have already saddled her with a nickname that reflects that. "I call her Mother Maddie," of- fered Jacy Abii, one of five freshmen who fill out a newbie-heavy Irish roster that over the summer worked on chemistry and a frenetic pace of play that head coach Niele Ivey plans to unleash on the college bas- ketball world starting in November. "She actually loves the nick- name. She calls us 'her kids.'" Mother Maddie, a fifth-year guard from Princeton, acts like they're her kids too, giving three- time All-American and senior-to- be Hannah Hidalgo a leadership partner and so much more. BACK TOGETHER AGAIN They have a history together as AAU teammates during their high school days back in New Jersey. They played against each other and even guarded each other on some big stages in the Jersey high school playoffs and now are twin souls when it comes to intensity and making defense a pronounced team priority. "I feel like, growing up, defense has always fueled my offense," St. Rose said after a summer practice session at Rolfs Athletic Hall. "Even if I felt like I wasn't getting a lot of touches, the best way to get touches is playing defense — trying to get steals, trying to get rebounds, just disrupting the offense. "And that nice steal will even set a transition point, an easy layup. That's what keeps me going, keeps me juiced up. I think my defense is going to help the team in a lot of ways. I'm very expe- rienced, and I know a lot of the defen- sive styles, principles. "I can make the next read before the offense even does it. I think defense is a huge thing in college." Not that the 5-foot-10 guard's of- fensive skills are lacking. The All-Ivy League selection led Princeton (26-4) into the NCAA Tournament last March, averaging 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. That after a grueling rehab from a torn left ACL suffered four games into her ju- nior season in which St. Rose even had to relearn to walk and recalibrate her shoot- ing motion. But that one year missed al- lowed her to recoup a season of eligibility and explore finishing her career some- where other than Princeton, with the Ivy League not allowing fifth-year players. Reuniting with Hidalgo was an easy choice. THE CHEMISTRY COMES NATURALLY "I know that Hannah's always going to bring her all on the court," St. Rose said. "And I think that's what I love about her the most. That's what really attracted me to also come here and fin- ish out my college career — playing with someone that I'm familiar with, some- one that loves the game as much as I do, someone that works hard. "That's all I can ask for in a teammate and a good leader. I just love what she's doing on the court trying to get her team better." At a practice open to the me- dia, St. Rose was left to handle the leadership solo, with Hidalgo and redshirt freshman Leah Macy away with other commitments. That left St. Rose to mother fellow transfer Anaya Hardy, a 6-3 junior from Louisville, and freshmen Abii, Jenica Lewis, Amari Byles and Isa- bella Sangha. A fifth freshman, Bella Ragone, was at practice — but as a spectator, while she continues her ACL rehab with a projected timeline to return by the start of the season. Also doing some mothering was guard Kelly Ratigan, a deep reserve and the only holdover from last offseason's transfer class. "Making sure all my kids are in check," St. Rose said of how she sees her own role with the Irish. "It's their first year here. A lot of mistakes will happen. A lot of new things you're going to have to learn. I'm here to help guide them. I make a lot of dinners for them. "It helps me learn different meals. It's been really fun. I love having that role on the team, just making everyone comfortable and making their transition very smooth." Her versatility, as someone who can play the point and off the ball, will also allow Hidalgo that same kind of versatil- ity offensively. And if Ivey has her way, they'll be doing it going 100 miles an hour. "They have a history. Their families know each other," Ivey said. "There's a comfort level, there's a trust level there and respect level. They've been awe- some and they fed off of each other. "Hannah's helped Maddie a lot just trying to bring her along with what we're doing and what we're running and con- cepts and things like that. They have a really good synergy amongst themselves." Notre Dame is coming off its deepest NCAA Tournament run since 2019 — reaching the Elite Eight — and finishing No. 9 on the final Associated Press poll with an overall record of 25-11 and win- ning 10 of its final 12 games. The Irish open the 2026-27 season on Nov. 1 in Rome, Italy, against Villanova. ✦ 'Mother Maddie' Already Nurturing Notre Dame's Next Generation WOMEN'S B A S K E T B A L L After arriving in South Bend as a graduate transfer following a stel- lar four years at Princeton, fifth-year guard Madison St. Rose (back row, far right) has taken on a leadership role for a Fighting Irish team that features five freshmen. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS