Notre Dame Women's Basketball Lands 5-Star Forward Eve Long

Notre Dame's 2026 recruiting class is already stacked with four four-star recruits, but the 2027 class has a chance to be just as good or maybe even better after landing five-star forward Eve Long on Thursday.

Olathe South (KS) 5-star forward Eve Long has committed to Notre Dame. The 6-3 junior is the MaxPreps Kansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year, and 2025-26 All-American. 🏀

See Long's MaxPreps Profile ⬇️https://t.co/k7tZmqdruS pic.twitter.com/63F3dI1WBz
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) May 20, 2026

Long announced her commitment to Notre Dame on Thursday and ultimately chose the Irish over UConn and the reigning champs in UCLA.

About Eve Long

The 6-foot-3 junior out of Olathe South High School in Kansas is the No. 5 recruit in her class, per the 2027 SC Next Super 60, and the top overall forward.

Long averaged 32.7 points and 9.8 points per game as a junior this past season and was named the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and the MaxPreps Kansas Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Long led the Olathe South Falcons to a 19-5 record, an undefeated record in district play, and to the quarterfinal round of the high school playoffs.

Analyzing Long's game

No pun intended, but Long's length is one of her biggest strengths and has the potential to be an All-American forward and a future WNBA first-round draft choice. Long's at her best around the rim as a scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker, but also possesses some range on the perimeter.

Long will need to bulk up some more before she gets to college, but there's no denying her talent. She's the real deal and a great pickup for ND.

How Long fits in at ND?

It's not that uncommon to see freshmen starting in college basketball, and I wouldn't be surprised if Long starts right away for the blue and gold.

ND lacks veteran depth in its frontcourt, meaning Long will probably have to compete with a couple of other underclassmen for a starting spot, unless ND adds someone via the transfer portal.

But in terms of utilizing her skill set, expect the Irish to run a lot of pick and roll and pick and pop with her. Long's jumper keeps improving, and as long as it stays that way, ND will have plenty of options offensively with her.

Recruiting Class Update

Long is currently the only 2027 commitment for Notre Dame, but despite that, 247 Sports has ND ranked third overall in the 2027 recruiting class rankings.

As for the next season, ND has five total commits and the fourth-ranked class in the nation, per 247 Sports, behind Texas, South Carolina, and Duke.

The Fighting Irish are definitely trending in the right direction and should be in the mix again for another deep NCAA Tournament run.

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