Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Season Ends in Sweet 16 Heartbreak

Commodores fall short against Notre Dame despite late comeback attempt

Mar. 28, 2026 at 8:54pm

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A cubist-style painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes in navy blue, gold, and crimson, conceptually representing the back-and-forth action and emotional intensity of a women's basketball tournament game.Vanderbilt's Sweet 16 heartbreak against Notre Dame exposes the raw emotion and fractured momentum of a tightly contested tournament game.Notre Dame Today

The Vanderbilt women's basketball team's season came to an end in the Sweet 16 with a 67-64 loss to Notre Dame. The Commodores struggled with turnovers in the first half, falling behind by as many as 12 points, before mounting a second-half comeback that fell just short. Vanderbilt star Cierra Blakes had an uncharacteristically poor shooting performance, going just 7-26 from the field, while Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo put on a dominant all-around display with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 10 steals.

Why it matters

The loss is a tough end to what was an otherwise successful season for the Vanderbilt women's basketball program, which had made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2015. The Commodores will look to build on this experience and come back even stronger next season.

The details

Vanderbilt fell behind early, committing 16 turnovers in the first half that led to 11 Notre Dame steals. The Commodores shot just 23% from the field in the opening half. However, they were able to keep the game close by dominating the boards and getting to the free throw line. In the second half, Vanderbilt fought back to take a late lead, but ultimately couldn't hold on as Notre Dame made a key basket in the final minute to seal the win.

  • The game was played on March 28, 2026.
  • Vanderbilt trailed by 12 points in the first half.

The players

Cierra Blakes

Vanderbilt's star player, who struggled with her shooting, going just 7-26 from the field.

Aubrey Galvan

Vanderbilt freshman who had 4 turnovers in the game.

Hannah Hidalgo

Notre Dame junior guard who had a dominant all-around performance with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 10 steals.

Cassandre Prosper

Notre Dame player who made a key basket in the final minute to put the Irish up for good.

Iyanna Moore

Former Vanderbilt player who now plays for Notre Dame, going 0-8 from 3-point range.

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What they’re saying

“'I guess I just dribbled it off my foot. I saw an open lane, but I guess I moved too fast.'”

— Cierra Blakes, Vanderbilt Player

“'I feel like this program is on the cusp of doing something really special, and this is just a step that we have to take in that direction. What I'm hearing from my players already is next year is going to be even more special.'”

— Shea Ralph, Vanderbilt Head Coach

What’s next

The Vanderbilt women's basketball team will look to build on this Sweet 16 appearance and come back even stronger next season, with coach Shea Ralph confident the program is on the cusp of something special.

The takeaway

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Vanderbilt women's basketball team can be proud of their accomplishments this season in reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in years. The experience will only motivate them to take the next step and compete for a national championship in the future.