You said one-woman show, I heard Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Like it has been multiple times this season, it was all up to Hannah Hidalgo against Clemson. Hidalgo did not disappoint, dropping 30 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals. However, that wasn’t enough to get the win as Notre Dame fell 65-58. Notre Dame has now dropped to 13-7 overall and 5-4 in the ACC. To Hidalgo, it has nothing to do with coach Niele Ivey, as she pointed out their major flaw. 

“I think we just have to have a different level of toughness that I don’t think that we’re having again consistently,” Hidalgo said after the game. “We do it in moments, but we haven’t been able to string it together for 40 minutes or string it together for games consistently in games.” Until the second half, Clemson had less than 15% chance of winning per ESPN Analytics, with the scoreline reading 30-25. But they collapsed in the third quarter, conceding a 25-9 quarter. 

They did win the 4th 19-15, but a short burst from the Tigers had flipped the result. Despite being capable of dominating, Notre Dame was just blocked out. The Irish were outrebounded 40-20. 

“To be clear, there’s nothing that Coach Ivey can do to bring the level of toughness to us,” Hidalgo told the media. “This is an individual thing that everybody has to bring consistently, and I think it’s up to us as players because this is supposed to be a player-led team to bring it out of each other.”

As the popular saying goes, you can carry a horse to the water, but you can’t force him to drink it. However much motivation Ivey gives, or whatever tactical changes she makes, it means little if the players don’t execute. Their hunger is what drives a team. Research has shown that intrinsic motivation can work wonders on a team. 

This also shows Hidalgo’s leadership, refusing to make excuses and taking responsibility. That is the first step in raising the bar for the entire team. While Hidalgo generously does not blame Ivey, the coach is ultimately the culture setter. It is Ivey who manages the team and sets the standards. She ought to discipline this side to regain that consistency over 40 minutes, and Ivey understands that. While we discuss the change in attitude needed for Notre Dame, they may need to pivot away from their strategy, simply due to a lack of depth. 

Hannah Hidalgo And Co. Need To Maneuver

This Notre Dame side has lost a lot of talent. Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld, among others either transferred, graduated, or were drafted. However, the replacements haven’t been enough. Owing to some unfortunate injuries, the team is currently playing in a tight 6-player rotation. The bench is almost non-existent. That ties into their lack of effort. The team might be physically too tired, playing more than 30 minutes a night consistently.  

That has led to the team grabbing only 30.8% of their offensive rebounds and conceding the same ratio. “Some of them were just missed boxouts or them making the extra effort to go get the ball,” Ivey said. “I think rebounding is a mindset. It’s an energy, it’s an effort. I felt like they were just tougher on the boards.”

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Sometimes, a change in mindset cannot change simple biology. They need to understand if it’s physically possible to play in such a thin rotation and still have players at 100% throughout the game. If not, a tactical maneuver is needed. They could limit their turnovers, improve rim pressure, and reduce outside shots. 

For example, against Clemson, they shot 42% while conceding at 52%. The Irish conceded 12 turnovers, just shy of their season-wide average coming into the game of 13.1. To convert such games into wins, those numbers should vastly improve as compensation for their rebounding disadvantage. Niele Ivey and Hannah Hidalgo need to find a way to win despite the situation. The answer is probably a blend of a change in attitude and a change in tactics.