Hannah Hidalgo is one of the brightest talents in women's college basketball (and, honestly, in college basketball, period). She's proven her loyalty to Notre Dame and has played hard for the Fighting Irish; in fact, she's helped the team to a 2-0 win record against the UConn Huskies in her time with the program.
That's a record that might be upset later today when the two teams meet again for the third time in Hidalgo's collegiate career. Though Hidalgo is still performing tremendously well — she's averaging 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 5.6 steals so far this season — but what's less clear is whether or not this year's Fighting Irish roster has the stabilizing forces she has needed in the past to beat the Huskies back.
Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles were anchors for Hannah Hidalgo
One of the reasons Olivia Miles' decision to transfer from Notre Dame to TCU ahead of the 2025-26 season came as such as a surprise to many is that she and Hidalgo appeared to balance one another out in a way that's uncommon. There are plenty of college teams that manage to find a way to make team chemistry work for their best interest, but Miles and Hidalgo always seemed to gel organically on the court.
It's since become apparent Miles made the right call for herself and for TCU. She's averaging 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, and many are predicting she'll be a top-3 drat pick when the WNBA comes calling this year. TCU is also thriving in the program's second year under Mark Campbell, who proved last year he can take a true talent who hadn't yet found the best program fit (Hailey Van Lith) and turn them into a WNBA-ready player.
Notre Dame also lost Sonia Citron to the WNBA. Citron was drafted as the No. 3 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2025 and has since joined Team USA Basketball and made her debut during the second season of Unrivaled. Like Miles, Citron provided a balance to Hidalgo's game that propelled the young guard to a furious pace of play.
UConn is pushing for a repeat championship
Hidalgo's work will be cut out for her today when the Fighting Irish and the Huskies meet Monday afternoon. The Huskies are on track to be in an excellent position to defend their 2025 Championship, and are one of two undefeated teams left in NCAAW basketball. That's a lot for Hidalgo and Notre Dame to push through, and it may prove to be too much.