South Bend native Kelly Ratigan fulfills childhood dream at Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Kelly Ratigan’s journey began at Saint Joseph High School, where she starred as a three-sport athlete.

On the basketball court, she stood out, averaging more than 24 points per game her senior year, breaking the school’s all-time scoring record and finishing second in Indiana in three-pointers made in a single season.

Kelly isn’t the only athletic one in her family. Her father was a former Gatorade Player of the Year in Iowa and played football at Notre Dame before spending four seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. Her brother, Connor, followed in his footsteps, also suiting up for the Irish.

Ratigan initially carved her own path, spending two seasons at Loyola. There, she averaged more than seven points per game and posted a career-high 23-point performance. Her junior season was cut short by injury, but the dream of returning home never faded. This season, Ratigan transferred to Notre Dame. Head coach Niele Ivey said Ratigan fit exactly what the program needed.

“I was looking for a culture piece here, and I knew she was someone that would come in right away and understand the fabric of Notre Dame women’s basketball,” Ivey said. “She’s from the South Bend community, and I knew her family very well.”

While her role may not always show up in the box score, Ivey says her impact extends far beyond minutes played.

“This group of girls, I see how hard they work every single day, and I want to be there for them whatever that takes,” Ratigan said. “Obviously it was challenging, but with the group of girls we have this year, they made it so easy.”

Ivey said she was searching for a guard with a high basketball IQ — something Ratigan brings both on and off the court. She majors in applied computational mathematics and statistics and hopes to use those skills in her future career. Ratigan said her goal is to stay close to the game as long as possible, whether through technology, youth development or another path tied to basketball.