Notre Dame Women's Basketball Falls to Cal, 80-69

Irish Drop Road Game Against Golden Bears

Jan. 30, 2026 at 2:15am

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The Notre Dame Women's Basketball team suffered a 80-69 loss to the Cal Bears on Thursday night in Berkeley, California. The Irish were led in scoring by Hannah Hidalgo with 22 points, while Iyana Moore added 20 points. Cassandre Prosper also scored 10 points and grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds. The loss drops Notre Dame's record to 13-8 on the season and 5-5 in ACC play.

Why it matters

This is another disappointing loss for the Notre Dame women's basketball team, which has struggled to find consistency this season. The team is now hovering around .500 in conference play, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy if they can't turn things around.

The details

Notre Dame fell behind early, trailing 24-20 after the first quarter. Cal extended their lead to 43-33 by halftime. The Irish made a push in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 60-52 heading into the fourth, but ultimately couldn't complete the comeback as Cal pulled away late to win by 11 points.

  • The game was played on Thursday, January 30, 2026.
  • Notre Dame next plays at Stanford on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at 4:00pm ET.

The players

Hannah Hidalgo

Led Notre Dame in scoring with 22 points, while also contributing 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.

Iyana Moore

Scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 5-for-10 from 3-point range.

Cassandre Prosper

Finished with 10 points and a team-high 9 rebounds.

Vanessa de Jesus

Scored 7 of Notre Dame's first 12 points in the game.

Gisela Sanchez

Scored a layup as part of an 8-0 run that pulled Notre Dame within 3 points in the fourth quarter.

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What they’re saying

“We have to find a way to be more consistent and put together a complete game. This was a tough loss, but we'll regroup and get ready for Stanford on Sunday.”

— Niele Ivey, Head Coach, Notre Dame Women's Basketball

What’s next

Notre Dame will look to bounce back on Sunday, February 1st when they travel to take on the Stanford Cardinal at 4:00pm ET.

The takeaway

This loss drops Notre Dame to 5-5 in ACC play, putting their postseason hopes in jeopardy if they can't turn things around. The team will need to find more consistency on both ends of the floor to have a chance at making the NCAA Tournament.