In their 12th game of the season against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish came out flying. Hannah Hidalgo set the tone with her nonstop energy on defense, and it carried through all night as Notre Dame cruised past Pitt 94–59. Along the way, Hidalgo also broke a long-standing record previously held by head coach Niele Ivey.

“YESSSSS! Love to see it!! Congrats Hannah!!! So proud of you,” Niele Ivey posted on X after Hannah Hidalgo passed her in the steals record book, moving up to second all-time in Notre Dame Fighting Irish history.

But Ivey had a much more detailed message for her superstar guard when she spoke to the media after the game.

“I was super excited. I knew it was coming, so I just forgot,” Niele Ivey said. “She’s just phenomenal to break that record as a junior. It just shows her dominance defensively, what she’s done for this program. Records are meant to be broken, so I’m grateful that I get a chance to be a part of it and watch it. But no, I’m super happy for her.”

Hannah Hidalgo shot 13-of-23 from the field and poured in 30 points, marking her second straight 30-point performance. She also added five rebounds, four assists, and four steals. With that, Hidalgo moved her career steals total to 350, two more than head coach Niele Ivey, who was a key member of Notre Dame’s 2001 team that delivered the first national championship in Notre Dame Fighting Irish history.

And Hidalgo may not be done climbing the record books. She is now just 31 steals shy of Skylar Diggins, who finished her Notre Dame career with 381. Reaching the very top, though, is a much taller task. To claim the program’s all-time steals crown, Hidalgo would need to surpass Chastadie Barrs’ staggering total of 649.

That said, turnovers decided the night. Notre Dame Fighting Irish capitalized again and again, pouring in 32 points off Pitt miscues while surrendering only seven, then stretching the gap with a dominant 32–14 performance in transition.

It was a performance to be proud of. Hannah Hidalgo and co improved to 38–4 all-time against the Pittsburgh Panthers, extended their winning streak in the series to nine, and continued a remarkable trend of winning at least 10 of their first 12 games for the fifth straight season.

It was the perfect way to end the year. Now, the focus shifts to the new year and the challenges and battles that come with it.

What’s next for Hannah Hidalgo and co?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are off to a 10–2 start and sit No. 18 in the national rankings. They’ve opened ACC play 2–0 and will look to keep that momentum rolling when they travel to McCamish Pavilion to face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

On paper, it’s a game the Fighting Irish should win comfortably. That’s usually the expectation when a ranked side faces an unranked opponent sitting at 5–9, and Georgia Tech hasn’t looked like a team capable of troubling players like Hannah Hidalgo or Cassandre Prosper. Even ESPN agrees, giving Notre Dame a 96.6 percent chance of coming away with the win.

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That said, the road ahead won’t be easy. Hannah Hidalgo and co are staring down a brutal stretch with games against Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels, Louisville Cardinals, and UConn Huskies in their next five. Having already dropped two of their three ranked matchups this season, that run is bound to worry Irish fans.

Can Niele Ivey’s side navigate it without taking more damage? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!