Hannah Hidalgo, HC Niele Ivey and more in awe of Liza Karlen as Notre Dame forward pens heartfelt message

Notre Dame forward Liza Karlen ran out of eligibility after five years of playing college basketball, and she celebrated her retirement with an emotional message on social media, sparking reactions from some of her former teammates and coach.

Karlen created lifelong friendships and an everlasting bond during her stay with Notre Dame. In her post, she shared pictures from her time with Notre Dame. She wrote:

“Incredible place with incredible people, and will forever feel blessed to be a part of it. Thank you for everything ND Nation- I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. Love thee, always.”

Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey, All-American teammate Hannah Hidalgo and several others reacted to the emotional message.

“Love you,” coach Ivey wrote in the comments

Hidalgo also commented: “Awwww, my Liz.”

Fighting Irish sophomore guard Cassandre Prosper wrote: “Lizzzzz.”

Karlen was a key reserve player for Notre Dame in the 2024-25 season, where they won the ACC Conference with a 16-2 record and reached the Sweet 16 stage of the NCAA Tournament.

The forward played 25 games (seven starts), averaging 18.1 minutes of action. She recorded 5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.

Karlen’s best seasons did not come at Notre Dame, but rather at Marquette, where she spent four seasons before transferring.

The Saint Paul, Minnesota native was a key starter for the Golden Eagles from her sophomore to senior year. She improved every season, going from 4.0 ppg to 10.2 ppg, 11.4 ppg, and then peaking at 17.7 ppg before leaving the team.

Karlen had 140 appearances across her college career, scoring 1,427 points, which resulted in a 10.2 average. Despite declaring for the WNBA draft, the forward went undrafted and will now have to seek a new career path.

Liza Karlen named to All-ACC Academic Team

Six Notre Dame players were named to the All-ACC Academic Team, an honor reserved for student-athletes who excel both on the field and in the classroom.

One of the selections was Liza Karlen, a graduate student pursuing a degree in management. She had previously been a two-time member of the Big East All-Academic Team during her time at Marquette.