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Notre Dame fighting the Irish Women’s basketball star Hannah Hidalgo is arguably one of the best players in the country and her record-breaking performance on Wednesday underscored that notion.
Hidalgo was in his bag, as they say. She set an NCAA mark with 16 steals and a Fighting Irish record with 44 points in the team’s 85-58 victory over the Akron Zippers. She also added nine rebounds.
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Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo dribbles with the ball after recording her 15th of 16 steals during an NCAA women’s college basketball game between Notre Dame and Akron on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. (Austin Hough/South Bend Tribune/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
She played 28 minutes and finished 16 of 25 from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point range to help lead the No. 18-ranked team to the dominant victory. Akron committed 38 turnovers despite shooting 51.1 percent from the floor.
Hidalgo said after the game that she knew what her teammates demanded from her nights and outings and tried to do it to the best of her ability.
LOUISVILLE MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH SUFFERS BIZARRE INJURIES WHILE TRYING TO AVOID CELEBRATION
Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo (3) steals the ball from Akron’s Keiryn McGuff during an NCAA women’s college basketball game between Notre Dame and Akron on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. (Austin Hough/South Bend Tribune/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“My teammates, I know that’s what they need from me,” she said via On3 Sports. “And I want to be able to be consistent in doing it.”
Cassandre Prosper was the only other Notre Dame player to post double-digit scoring. She scored 14 points.
Akron’s Ni’Rah Clark led the Zips with 13 points.
The junior New Jersey native averages 34.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Notre Dame is 3-0 this season, but in their first three matchups, they have looked dominant. The Fighting Irish toppled Farleigh Dickinson in the opener, 98-52, then beat Chicago State, 116-58.
Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo hugs a fan after a 44-point, 16-steal performance during an NCAA women’s college basketball game between Notre Dame and Akron on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. (Austin Hough/South Bend Tribune/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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Notre Dame’s first big test will come against No. 14 Michigan Saturday, then No. 8 USC next week.
