In a year’s time, Eve Long looks to take the first step toward being the next in a long line of highly-touted high school recruits who live up to the hype with Notre Dame women’s basketball.
In the modern age of college sports, where a player can seemingly “commit” to a new program each offseason, Long’s mentality is a throwback.
“When I commit to a school, I plan to stay there all four years,” Long said in a Zoom interview June 12. “Loyalty is really important [so] that I trust my coaches are going to invest in me like they told me, and in turn, I’m going to invest in the program … When I’m loyal with a school, I’ll play better because I want to be great for that school and that program.”
As if Notre Dame women’s basketball’s Class of 2026 was not enough of an indicator, Class of 2027 No. 5 Long’s commitment to the Irish further cements that South Bend is home to one of the brightest futures in college hoops. It’s also home to one of the most effective head coaches in the sport when it comes to building personal relationships with players, whether it’s alumni, current Irish or recruits.
Ahead of her seventh season as head coach, Niele Ivey has brought in WNBA standouts like Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles, the 2025-26 Naismith College Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo, the fifth-ranked recruiting group in the Class of 2026 and most recently, Long. The 6-foot, 3-inch, five-star standout from Olathe, Kansas, committed to Notre Dame May 20 over defending NCAA national champion UCLA, UConn and Duke.
Long said South Bend felt like her future home from the moment she arrived for her official visit. Much of that had to do with the “beautiful” campus, but even more had to do with the conversations had with Ivey and her coaching staff.
“When you have a great relationship with your coach, you want to play for them and you know they’re trying to coach for you,” Long said. “She really made me feel like she wanted me at her school. It didn’t really feel like she was recruiting me as hard as some other schools in the way she was trying to sell the school. It was more like, ‘We want you here because we want you here as a person.’”
Although Long will miss out on playing alongside Hidalgo by just one season, she did admit that Hidalgo made an impact on her decision to commit to the Irish as well. Hidalgo was one of three players – also including Leah Macy and Kelly Ratigan – joining the Notre Dame coaching staff on Long’s visit, and Long noticed the bond Hidalgo has with people like Ivey or assistant coach Sharel Allen.
That relationship was different from those she had seen on other official visits between players and coaches, and it was one she immediately wanted for her future. Long also said seeing how Cassandre Prosper went from a player averaging less than six points per game to the ACC Most Improved Player and a WNBA second-round draft pick in just one season showed her the type of investment the Notre Dame staff makes in its players.
“On every single visit, I was trying to force myself to see the good in each school,” Long said. “When I went on my Notre Dame visit – I don’t even know how to explain it – it just felt right.”
Long said she has known incoming freshman Jacy Abii since she was in seventh grade, has gotten to know fellow Class of 2026 commit Jenica Lewis and was also teammates at one time with new Irish Amari Byles. She said the prospect of playing with that strong recruiting core after her senior season next year was part of the reason why she chose Notre Dame, feeling like that group of five – also including Bella Ragone and Isabella Sangha – plus herself has national championship potential.
During the summer before her senior high school season, Long has been playing with the USA Basketball U17 national team and in the Overtime Select league. She said she would describe her game as “versatile,” backed up by some eye-popping stats in her junior season at Olathe South, where she averaged 32.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
When asked what she wants to improve ahead of her senior season, Long mentioned her jump shot, ball-handling, defense and finishing strong in the post with either hand. Even someone who already has 1,518 high school points wants to fine-tune every aspect of her game.
“I think a lot of coaches would say that you can’t really put a box around me, because I’m always trying to learn,” Long said.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Class of 2027 commit Eve Long on why she chose Notre Dame women’s basketball
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
