Hannah Hidalgo Shines in Notre Dame's Narrow Loss to Unbeaten UConn

Legendary coach Geno Auriemma heaps praise on the junior point guard, calling her the best in the country.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 4:30am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a basketball game, with the player Hannah Hidalgo as the central focus, surrounded by overlapping planes of color and movement, conveying the energy and intensity of the matchup.A cubist interpretation of the intense regional final matchup between Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and the undefeated UConn Huskies.Fort Worth Today

Despite Notre Dame's 70-52 loss to undefeated UConn in the Fort Worth Regional Final, junior point guard Hannah Hidalgo continued to impress, scoring a game-high 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. After the game, UConn's Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma lavished Hidalgo with high praise, calling her the best point guard in the country and highlighting her two-way impact on both ends of the floor.

Why it matters

Hidalgo's standout performance against the powerhouse Huskies solidifies her status as one of the top players in women's college basketball, even in a losing effort. Her ability to dominate on both ends of the court has Notre Dame fans excited about the program's future under head coach Niele Ivey.

The details

Hidalgo scored a game-high 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in Notre Dame's 70-52 loss to unbeaten UConn in the Fort Worth Regional Final. Despite the lopsided final score, it was the closest any team had played UConn in over a month-and-a-half, with Villanova previously playing them within 14 points.

  • The game was played on March 29, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The players

Hannah Hidalgo

A junior point guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team, Hidalgo is considered one of the top players in the country.

Geno Auriemma

The legendary head coach of the UConn Huskies women's basketball team and a Basketball Hall of Famer.

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What they’re saying

“It's rare that you find a player that is involved in every single play to the point where, like you have to whoever she's guarding, you have to go hide them someplace, hoping that she's not involved in that play, and she still manages to be involved in the play somehow, some way. So not only offensively, can she get wherever she wants to go, get any shot she wants, but defensively, she probably causes more problems for your offense than any player in the country.”

— Geno Auriemma, Head Coach, UConn Huskies

What’s next

Hidalgo, who was old enough to turn pro, told Auriemma after the game that she wants 'one more shot' at UConn and the Huskies next season.

The takeaway

Hidalgo's dominant performance against the unbeaten Huskies, coupled with the high praise from the legendary Geno Auriemma, cements her status as one of the premier players in women's college basketball. With Hidalgo returning for her senior season, the future looks bright for the Notre Dame program under head coach Niele Ivey.