I agree in spirit, but not in this instance

The case you make is simple and very easy to agree with - the Irish have starters already, so anybody transferring is going to be a bench player and ought to be a really capable one who is looking to showcase themselves better. That's a much easier sell than asking a former superstar to come in and sit on the bench, at least.

Still, these transfers are different. The Oregon State team isn't all transferring just because; they clearly want to remain in power conferences. Likewise, Kiki Iriafen is leaving because her hall-of-famer coach is gone and there's no telling what the future will look like with Stanford in the ACC. It's a far cry from a transfer like Hailey Van Lith to LSU who was doing it for reasons not borne of necessity.

I don't think that ND needs to apply pressure on Kate Koval to perform right out the gate. Notre Dame has had a ton of success with freshmen in the past but there is no guarantee that they are always going to be elite from day one. I have faith in Kate, but would it be so bad if she wasn't thrust into a starting role immediately?

This is why I think ND should pursue Iriafen or Beers (yes I know there is speculation Beers is on her way to Storrs), or even Gardiner. Someone 6'3" or taller who can be in the starting lineup.

As for the 200 minutes conundrum, all three players had about 27 minutes per game this past season and that would still be incredibly possible next year if one were to enroll at ND. A rotation of 8 players can all go for 25 minutes a night, and then you have fresh legs at the end of the season, can navigate foul trouble with aplomb, lower the risk of injury from wear-and-tear. Yes, the minutes from the Big 4 may drop, but if there isn't such a dependency on them to be the Big 4, then isn't that a good thing? I'd much rather have that kind of depth than assume a baseline of the starters playing 33+ minutes each and getting a mid-major star to come in for 10.

I guess it's just a difference of perspective and I won't be disappointed with either outcome but I do think both perspectives are valid.