Fans of women’s college basketball were treated to an unforgettable Sweet 16 showdown in Fort Worth, Texas, as Notre Dame stunned No. 2 seed Vanderbilt 67-64, earning their first trip to the Elite Eight since 2019. The Irish, seeded sixth and considered underdogs after a turbulent season, delivered a performance that will be talked about for years—thanks in large part to the electrifying Hannah Hidalgo, whose historic triple-double and record-breaking defensive display powered Notre Dame past the Commodores in dramatic fashion.
Coming off an upset victory over Ohio State in the second round, the Irish entered the regional semifinal brimming with confidence but well aware of the daunting task ahead. Vanderbilt, led by the nation’s top scorer Mikayla Blakes, had the pedigree and the firepower to make life difficult. Yet, from the opening tip, Notre Dame’s defense set the tone, swarming the Commodores and forcing a season-high 20 turnovers. “We were feeding off Hannah’s energy and making sure that we were applying pressure as well and being aggressive, not letting them get easy shots, that was the biggest thing,” said Notre Dame’s Ponder, reflecting the team’s relentless mindset.
Hannah Hidalgo, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, was everywhere. She finished with an astonishing 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals—becoming just the second player in NCAA tournament history to record a triple-double with steals. Her tenacity not only rattled Vanderbilt’s offense but also etched her name into the NCAA record books. With her 10 steals, Hidalgo broke the tournament record for total steals, surpassing the previous mark of 23 held jointly by Ticha Penicheiro (Old Dominion, 1988) and Emily Engstler (Louisville, 2022). She also eclipsed the NCAA Division I single-season steals record, moving past Lamar’s Chastadie Barrs, who held the previous record with 192 steals in 2018-19.
Despite Hidalgo’s heroics, the game was anything but easy for Notre Dame. The Irish struggled mightily from beyond the arc, missing their first ten three-point attempts and finishing with a paltry percentage from deep. Cassandre Prosper and KK Bransford provided crucial support, converting key layups and free throws when it mattered most, but Vanderbilt refused to go away. The Commodores, powered by Blakes’ 26 points, erased a 12-point second-half deficit and tied the game in the waning minutes. Blakes, however, had to work for every bucket, shooting just 7-of-26 from the field as Notre Dame’s defense hounded her relentlessly.
With the score knotted late in the fourth quarter and the pressure mounting, Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey called a timeout with 25 seconds left. In the huddle, she challenged her team: “If we want to make it to the next round, everything has to be ours.” The Irish responded with poise and grit. On the ensuing inbound, Bransford lofted a pass toward Hidalgo, who soared above two Vanderbilt defenders to secure the ball. “Probably not the best pass, but honestly, I threw it up knowing that Hannah was going to get it,” Bransford admitted. Hidalgo, seemingly defying gravity, grabbed the ball and immediately spotted Prosper cutting to the basket. A quick bounce pass and Prosper’s layup gave the Irish a 66-64 lead, sending their bench and fans into a frenzy.
Vanderbilt had a chance to respond, but Blakes, trying to create a final scoring opportunity, dribbled the ball out of bounds—her crucial turnover all but sealing the victory for Notre Dame. “I can’t perform for my team like that in a moment as big as this,” Blakes said. “The last play with the ball, I guess just dribbled it off my foot. I saw an open lane, but I guess I moved too fast.” The Irish would add a free throw to extend their lead and, after a final defensive stand, celebrated a hard-fought win that sent them into the Elite Eight.
The victory was especially sweet for Ivey and her team. The Irish had reached the Sweet 16 in each of the previous two seasons but failed to advance further, often falling short despite higher tournament seeds. This year, with a squad that started the season 13-8 and faced doubts about their ability to compete at the highest level, Notre Dame found its rhythm at the perfect moment. Much of that transformation can be traced to Hidalgo’s leadership and the team’s renewed sense of unity. After last year’s disappointment, Hidalgo took advice from WNBA legend Maya Moore to heart, focusing on building stronger connections with her teammates off the court. “It really clicked for me that in order to make this game easier, I have to be able to connect with the girls outside of basketball,” Hidalgo explained. “Maya just talked about how on the bus rides, they put their phones away, and they would just talk to each other, and they would play games with each other, and it was really a family, and that made it so much easier for them, and that took them all the way to the (championship). Just hearing that, I was like, I know what I have to do in order for us to get to that next level.”
Assistant coach Charel Allen echoed this sentiment before the game, reminding the team, “What are you going to do to get over this hump? We’re not going to keep going to the Sweet 16 and dying on the same level. We have to be able to level up.” And level up they did—both emotionally and on the scoreboard.
For Hidalgo, the records and accolades seemed almost secondary to the team’s success. “When I go out, I’m just playing, and I want to do whatever I have to do for the team in order for us to win, whether that’s getting steals, rebounds, scoring, just dishing out whatever I need to do,” she said after the game, unaware she had set the NCAA steals record. Teammate Bransford, however, left no doubt about Hidalgo’s value: “Hannah is the player of the year.”
Looking ahead, coach Ivey knows the road only gets tougher. “We’re really going to enjoy this, but to get to the Final Four is really, really hard,” she said. “You have to be great defensively. It’s a level of toughness that you have to have. The stage is even bigger than it was today. You have to have a great game plan and be really tough. I think that’s the biggest thing. We’re going to celebrate and figure out what that matchup is going to look like.”
For now, Notre Dame can savor a victory that was equal parts grit, determination, and history-making brilliance. With Hidalgo leading the way, the Irish have proven they belong among the nation’s elite—and they’re not done yet. The Elite Eight awaits, and if this performance is any indication, Notre Dame is ready for whatever comes next.