Four-star college basketball prospect Bella Ragone committed to Notre Dame with a TikTok video as the Fighting Irish land a top-25 2026 wing over 35 schools including Iowa, UCLA, and UNC
Bella Ragone has committed to Notre Dame(Image: Instagram [@Bella_Ragone])
Bella Ragone already had multiple offers to continue her high school basketball career into college, and now has the support of her class’s biggest clout wearers after the 6-foot-2 wing from Georgia became the first commit in Notre Dame women’s basketball’s 2026 class on Thursday night.
The four-star prospect, ranked No. 25 overall in the ESPNW 2026 rankings, chose the Fighting Irish over more than 35 schools, including Iowa, TCU, UCLA, and North Carolina. Ragone took to TikTok to make the news official using her brand of humor. She posted a short skit joking about telling a boy she’d be playing in Indiana. When he guessed Purdue, the clip cut to Ragone in a Notre Dame No. 5 jersey, flashing the camera with a smile and the caption, “Holy Airball.”
ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT posted a graphic confirming her commitment. On Instagram, Ragone reposted the announcement with a simple “Go Irish,” followed by clovers and her social media exploded with congratulatory messages from coaches, teammates, national recruits, and some of the most influential names in the game on her level.
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Lauren Hassell, the No. 12 ranked player in the class of 2027 and a top target for reigning champions UConn and Geno Auriemma, posted, “So proud of you, Bella,” with crying emojis. Myah Elise Epps, a Louisville commit and one of the most recognizable names in the 2026 class, also congratulated the new Fighting Irish star.
Two-time Adidas All-American Aubrey Galvan, who’s committed to Vanderbilt, also reposted the announcement. Her Mill Creek High School team in Georgia shared the news and wrote, “It’s official! We are so proud of you, Bella. The future is bright.” Ragone replied, ” I am so grateful for this team and this school.”
She entered the week with just 3,461 followers on Instagram and 58.1k likes on TikTok, but both platforms are expected to grow following comments and reposts since the announcement. Among those sending love were former teammates from both her Mill Creek squad and Southeast All-Stars roster, including Sammi Spees, Ellie Kava, Ayla Summers, Madilyn Ray, and Reese Crosby.
Olivia Miles left Notre Dame after last season(Image: Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
She also received support from her training camp circle. Her performance coach Brick Aldridge, who once competed in AEW Dark matches as a professional wrestler, now trains elite athletes at Parisi Speed School of Greater Atlanta. Fellow trainer Dwight “Coach DJ” Waters, co-owner and Sports Performance Specialist at the same school, also gave Ragone a public shoutout.
Ragone is represented by Brandon Clay Brand Marketing, the same group that represents Kate Harpring and Finley Parker. All three players are Naismith All-Americans who’ve competed alongside Ragone in national circuits like Girls 3Stripes Select Basketball.
Hannah Hidalgo and Niele Ivey speak(Image: Photo by Marcus Snowden/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The commitment adds a crucial building block to Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting pipeline, which already includes elite 2025 recruit Leah Macy. The Irish are also actively recruiting McKenna Woliczko, a FIBA gold medalist and top-10 national prospect in Ragone’s class who also congratulated Ragone on the move.
The Fighting Irish were ranked as high as No. 1 last season and finished the year with a 28-6 record. Under head coach Niele Ivey, they were eliminated from the NCAA tournament in the regional semifinal for the fourth straight season after losing 71-62 to TCU.