The frustration is no longer subtle inside the Notre Dame locker room. After another uneven performance turned into an 81–70 loss to Virginia, the same concern surfaced again, and this time it came directly from the team’s star guard.

Following Sunday’s defeat, Hannah Hidalgo openly echoed what head coach Niele Ivey had already addressed with the team behind closed doors. Consistency is still missing, and with the ACC season nearing its final stretch, the margin for patience is shrinking fast. Notre Dame fell to the Virginia Cavaliers 81–70 on February 8, dropping the Irish to 7–6 in conference play. The loss followed a familiar script. Strong stretches were undone by prolonged lapses, leaving another missed opportunity in a tightly packed ACC race.

Hidalgo did not hide her disappointment after the game, but her tone reflected perspective rather than panic. Still, the underlying message aligned closely with Ivey’s postgame focus. “It’s always disappointing losing because I’m typically used to winning, but I give all glory to Christ just to be able to play the game of basketball,” Hidalgo said. “We always learn from every single game how to get better, so we just take it and go into practice and figure out what we can do better.”

That context matters. Notre Dame showed it could compete for long stretches, winning the first quarter 18–17 and the fourth quarter 24–16. However, the middle of the game told a different story, and it has become the defining issue of the season.

The Irish were outscored 22–13 in the second quarter and then surrendered 26 points in the third. That sequence erased their early momentum and created a deficit too large to overcome, even with a late push. Hidalgo acknowledged that pattern directly, pointing to Ivey’s message in the locker room.

“Coach Ivey just talked about it in the locker room, just being consistent,” Hidalgo said. “We constantly talk about consistency, and there’s really nothing else we can do except be consistent now. It’s really no more talking.”

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown Shows the Real Problem

The numbers underline why the frustration continues to build. Notre Dame scored 42 points across the first and fourth quarters combined. In contrast, Virginia controlled the second and third quarters with physical defense and efficient shot-making.

That imbalance has defined Notre Dame’s ACC season. The Irish have been able to string together strong halves, but sustaining four quarters has proven elusive. With only seven regular-season games remaining, the window to correct that trend is closing quickly.

Meanwhile, Virginia executed with purpose. Kymora Johnson delivered one of the most complete performances of the game, scoring 29 points and reaching the 1,500 career point milestone. Paris Clark added 15 points, while Tabitha Amanze contributed 14, but the third quarter belonged entirely to Johnson.

She scored 13 points in that frame alone, pushing the Cavaliers to a 65–46 lead entering the fourth. Notre Dame responded with a 15–3 run that briefly cut the margin to seven, yet Virginia steadied itself with timely buckets and six straight free throws in the final minute.

The Cavaliers now head west for upcoming road games against California and Stanford, while Notre Dame turns inward.

For the Irish, the message from both player and coach is clear. The issue is understood. The urgency is real. And with seven games left, consistency can no longer remain a talking point. It has to become the standard.