South Bend, In- Ahead of Thursday’s highly anticipated matchup, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma praised the Notre Dame backcourt, led by Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, calling it the best in the country. His assessment proved accurate, as the duo led the No. 8 Irish to a dominant 79-68 victory over No. 2 UConn, handing the Huskies their first loss of the season.
Notre Dame controlled the game almost from start to finish, maintaining a lead for most of the contest.
“This is a huge win for us,” said Irish head coach Niele Ivey. “It’s just one game, but I’m incredibly proud of our effort. The toughness and discipline we showed today were remarkable.”
Hidalgo, who continues to make her case as one of the nation’s top players, posted a near triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. The sophomore was a standout throughout the game, directly contributing to 48 of Notre Dame’s 79 points. With this performance, Hidalgo became the first player in the last 25 years to record multiple games with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Huskies—her first such game coming during her freshman year in Storrs, Connecticut.
UConn had no answer for her sharp shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, where Hidalgo hit a career-best six 3-pointers on 11 attempts. In contrast, the Huskies struggled from distance, shooting just 3-for-16 from deep.
The Huskies, who trailed by as much as 13 points in the second quarter—their largest deficit of the season—rallied in the third to cut the gap to one. However, Hidalgo’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter shifted the momentum back to the Irish. Notre Dame quickly built a double-digit lead in the fourth, effectively sealing the game.
Auriemma praised Hidalgo’s all-around talent, noting, “Her ability is evident, but it’s how she approaches everything—attacking on offense and defense, leading her team in multiple ways—that makes her so tough to stop. There’s no easy way to defend her.”
Miles, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury, had a strong showing after an early scare. She limped off the court after rolling her ankle in the first quarter but returned to score 16 points, including 9 in the decisive fourth quarter.
Auriemma remarked, “There’s no better guard combination than these two. They keep attacking for the entire 40 minutes, and I don’t think I’ve seen a pair that can do that as effectively.”
Thursday’s win marked Notre Dame’s third consecutive victory over UConn, a streak not seen since the 2012-13 season. Ivey became the fifth head coach to achieve that feat against Auriemma in the past three decades, joining legends like Muffet McGraw, Dawn Staley, Pat Summitt, and Sylvia Hatchell.
After back-to-back losses to then-No. 17 TCU and unranked Utah in the Cayman Islands, the Irish have now secured three top-five wins, including last week’s overtime victory against then-No. 4 Texas.
Notre Dame is just the third team in the past 25 years to notch three top-five wins before January, joining 2021-22 South Carolina, which went on to win the national title, and 2016-17 UConn.
“We faced some adversity early on, but we came back stronger,” Ivey said. “They didn’t hang their heads. Everyone stepped up, and we were focused and prepared. I’m thrilled with the grit they showed.”
Ivey hopes her team’s resilience is a valuable lesson moving forward. “When we play with heart, discipline, and focus, we can compete with anyone.”
While the Irish were led by Hidalgo and Miles, other players made key contributions. Pitt transfer Liatu King had a standout performance, posting a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Sonia Citron may not have scored much but played an important defensive role, particularly in limiting 2021 National Player of the Year Paige Bueckers. Despite finishing with 25 points, Bueckers struggled early, scoring just two in the first quarter and going 0-for-4 from three.
Looking ahead, Notre Dame, which is chasing its first Final Four appearance since 2019 and its first under Ivey, is poised to get even stronger. Liza Karlen, who transferred from Marquette, made her debut for the Irish after recovering from a preseason injury, and Maddy Westbeld is expected to return later in the season.
Auriemma acknowledged the Irish’s talent, saying, “No team is unbeatable. If you pit Notre Dame against anyone else, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won.”
