While Notre Dame’s bench strength and fragile depth continue to raise concerns this season, junior Hannah Hidalgo keeps delivering for the side. She has shown her versatility on both sides of the court for the Fighting Irish, earning praise from notables like coach Niele Ivey, who called her 31-point outing against Notre Dame an “amazing performance.” Notably, Ivey wasn’t the only one who took notes of her performances as a veteran analyst too broke down a skillset that makes Hidalgo standout.

In a detailed analysis, Debbie Antonelli, who works for ESPN shed light on Hidalgo’s ability to cover for her team, both defensively and offensively. “Hannah Hidalgo is one of the top players, one of the best two-way players in women’s college basketball,” she said while also calling her a potential for Naismith Player of the Year. “I personally watched her demolish the University of North Carolina. Her impact as a two-way player is all over the game.”

Hidalgo has averaged 25 in points per game this season, the third highest in the country. All this while also maintaining a highest steals average of 5.6 in the court. Statistically, not a second player besides Hidalgo is among the top-five in these two metrics, validating Antonelli’s statement perfectly.

“When you’re looking at Hidalgo’s impact, she never takes a negative step on defense, Antonelli further added reflecting on the Notre Dame guard’s defensive output. “And you better not dribble the ball around her and you better know where she is on the defensive end of the floor because she’s coming.”

Hannah Hidalgo is one of the key factors that has kept Notre Dame’s position in the top25 rankings intact. Whenever the games go south for Ivey’s side, no. 3 steps in on her superhero shoes on most occasions. Her performance against North Carolina and a last-minute winning basket against USC are examples that dictate how she has clutched in the big moments.

While Hidalgo continues to rack up crucial performances, the lack of depth in Notre Dame’s roster has hit them hard. The side has faced crucial defeats against top-tier teams, including No. 9 Louisville in the latest faceoff on Friday. Even the Notre Dame guard’s 24 points and 8 assists couldn’t save Ivey’s side from a 66-79 defeat.

The team has slipped down to 23rd in the ranking after three defeats in last five games. However, their next challenge against the UConn Huskies will also not give Hidalgo’s side much space to relax.

Hannah Hidalgo Assures Her Team Is Ready for UConn’s Challenge

Following two defeats against top-ranked sides, Hannah Hidalgo’s Notre Dame will face their toughest challenge against UConn Huskies. Going into the match at Gampel Pavilion, the chances are not just a mere exaggeration of Notre Dame’s struggles with squad depth. But a reflection of the quality that the Huskies bring to the table.

Despite these challenges, Hidalgo is confident that her side is prepared to face the current No.1 ranked side. “I think we have done a great job of being able to bounce back. But I’ve been trying to tell the girls that UConn is a different beast,” she stated during her press conference after the Louisville defeat. “I think we’re ready for it. We kind of know what to expect.”

With a 18-0 record so far in the season, UConn is bagging wins for fun with Sarah Strong leading them. Strong, similar to Hidalgo has strived on two fronts for her team and is Huskies’ talisman this season. Additionally freshman Blanca Quinonez and Azzi Fudd have also complemented Strong pretty well with their performances.

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Thereby to tackle such a threat, it is unlikely that Hidalgo can counter it alone. She will need the other Notre Dame players to step up, especially guards Cassandre Prosper and Iyana Moore. Otherwise, Notre Dame can expect to see things going south very quickly against the Huskies and eventually the season.