November 12th might just be Hannah Hidalgo’s personal lucky day at this point.

Two years ago, she set a program record with 12 steals. And this year, when she walked in on the same date, the Player of the Year candidate casually swiped the ball from Akron 16 times, breaking the NCAA single-game steals record for a Division I player. But Hidalgo’s hype train might have to hit the brakes a little sooner than fans expected.

We all kinda knew coming into the season that Hidalgo was THE hope for Notre Dame. She was the lone starter returning after all those high-profile departures, and she walked right into the spotlight and owned it. The guard stunned everyone with 44 points in the program’s 85–58 win over Akron, breaking the program’s single-game scoring record like it was nothing. But then came Saturday. That’s when things got a little real.

The No. 18 Fighting Irish headed to Detroit to take on No. 14 Michigan in what was their biggest test yet and another nationally-televised chance for Hidalgo to shine. Except… she didn’t. Michigan handed Notre Dame a rough 93–54 loss, the program’s largest since the 2002 NCAA tournament and the worst ever against a ranked team. 

Hidalgo struggled badly, finishing with 12 points on 4-for-21 shooting, 0-for-8 from deep, and seven turnovers. It was one of those off nights.

But, if we have to be honest, it was kinda expected. Both squads were undersized, but Michigan had way more versatility on offense. The Wolverines were locked in on stopping Hidalgo. Every time she drove to the lane, she’d run straight into three defenders. By halftime, she had only three points and Notre Dame was already playing catch-up.

However, now the big question is: how will Notre Dame fare against ranked opponents? And can they depend on Hannah Hidalgo when the lights get bright? 

See, we all know she’s got the talent, no debate there. She dragged this team to the Sweet 16 as a freshman when Olivia Miles was sidelined. But she also has a pattern in big moments. She shot them out of the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons (4-for-14 vs. Oregon, 3-for-19 vs. TCU).  The talent’s never the issue. What she needs – like really needs – is a supporting cast that can lift things when she’s off.

And against Michigan, they tried. Cassandre Prosper had 17, KK Bransford added 15… but the bench had just two points. Meanwhile, Michigan’s bench dropped 38, and seven Wolverines scored in the fourth quarter alone. That’s the kind of depth that wins games.

For now, the good news, though, is that after going from record-breaker to reality check in 72 hours, the Irish get six whole days to regroup before their next game. 

Hannah Hidalgo’s bounce-back test vs USC

When USC and Notre Dame meet next, it’s gonna be a little scary for both sides. For the Irish, it’s the bounce-back game they desperately need. And for USC, it will be their first ranked matchup since a double-digit loss to South Carolina, 69–52, on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in LA. 

But don’t let that score fool you. USC is legit. Like, very legit.

The first half against South Carolina was basically a coin flip. The Trojans went into the locker room trailing just 32–30, and it felt like anybody’s game. But the Gamecocks came out after halftime and just locked everything down defensively, outscoring USC 37–22 in the second half to take that top-10 matchup. 

Still, the Trojans showed enough to prove they belong in that conversation. And let’s not forget, they beat No. 9 NC State. This team has real talent everywhere, so Notre Dame better bring its A-game if it wants to bounce back from the Michigan mess. Good thing for the Irish? Hannah Hidalgo has cooked the Trojans before. In their last meeting, both she and JuJu Watkins, the Player of the Year contenders, dropped 24 points, but Hidalgo totally controlled the first half. She had 16 before the break, while JuJu had just five. So yes, it was pretty clear who the better player was that day.

This year, Hidalgo doesn’t have the same crew riding with her, but… the Trojans come in without JuJu, too. So let’s just see what happens. Saturday’s matchup is at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN.