SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Sophomore guard Kelsey Wicks has left the Notre Dame basketball team for personal reasons, the school announced Monday.

Wicks' playing time had fell from averaging 16.5 minutes a game through Notre Dame's first 11 games, to 7.1 minutes a game the past eight games. She did not play at all the last three games.

Wicks, who is from Gillette, Wyo., was averaging 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds a game this season.

As a freshman last season, Wicks averaged 4.7 points and 3.3 rebounds a game.

Wicks told The Gillette News-Record that it was a long and difficult decision to make.

"I wish the best of luck to the Lady Irish and my teammates,'' Wicks said. "For my own happiness, I felt it was something I had to do. ... It's just time to move on.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to play at Notre Dame. I'm so thankful for the opportunities I've had.''

Wicks has had a recurring soft tissue foot injury this season, which affected her early in the season and forced her to sit out the last three Irish games.

However, that didn't play a role in her choosing to leave the team, she said.

"We're disappointed that she will not be with us any longer, but we all certainly wish her the best,'' Irish coach Muffet McGraw said. "She has a bright and promising future ahead of her.''

The Irish (12-7, 4-4 Big East) have struggled this season. After being ranked as high as No. 8 in mid-December, Notre Dame is 5-6 in its last 11 games -- a stretch that included losing a school-record four straight home games before beating West Virginia on Saturday.

Wicks is the second player from last year's heralded freshman class of six players to leave the Irish. Allison Bustamante left after the end of last season after averaging 4.6 points, 1.7 points and 11.4 minutes a game.

Center Amanda Barksdale, a junior, also left the team after last season, saying she wanted to move closer to home in Texas. She started 23 games and averaged 3.8 points a game last season.

Wicks is one of the most decorated prep players in Wyoming history. She helped Gillette to three Class 4A girls basketball championships in the late 1990s.

She was named Wyoming Miss Basketball, honored as the state's Gatorade Player of the Year and selected to the 4A all-state team three times.

Also in 2001, Wicks was recognized as the Millward Simpson Female High School Athlete of the Year.

At Gillette, she also competed in track and field and golf.

Wicks was the first Wyoming player to compete for the Irish. And now the theology major isn't sure if she'll play college basketball again.

"I'm not quite sure as of yet what I'm going to do,'' she added. "I'm going to look into financial aid to stay at Notre Dame. It's a great school academically.

"Basketball is still a big part of my life. ... I haven't decided if I'll transfer somewhere to play.''

She does plan to finish out the semester in South Bend, which will end in May.

If she goes on to play at another NCAA Division I school, she'd have to sit out for a year.

"I'm considering walking onto the track team and trying the high jump again,'' Wicks said.