Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547512
48 NOV. 14, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY ERIC HANSEN T he intrigue wasn't so much what Hannah Hidalgo would look like in her senior-season debut for the No. 13 Notre Dame women's basketball team. It was all about the new pieces around the three-time All-American point guard. On Nov. 1 at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome, Italy, those pieces looked im- pressive at first glance in a 99-75 romp over a Villanova team that won 25 games last season, made the NCAA Tourna- ment and was picked to finish second in the Big East behind only Associated Press No. 2 Connecticut. And Hidalgo herself? The whispers have been about her lev- eling up as well this offseason, particularly where her strength and shooting range are concerned. Her stat line did nothing to dispute that while the Irish women's team completed a Notre Dame sweep of the Wildcats in the Eternal City Tip-Off men's and women's doubleheader. Hidalgo, the nation's leader among active players in career scoring (2,460 points) and steals (481) coming into the game, led the Irish with 32 points — in- cluding 2-of-4 accuracy from three- point range. She filled out her season debut numbers with 8 assists, 7 re- bounds and 3 steals. She was one of five Irish players to score in double figures in a game where Notre Dame shot 55.9 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range, and outrebounded the Wildcats 40-36. Her statistical sidekick was sopho- more Leah Macy, who missed all of last season rehabbing from an ACL tear. A day after reading petitions at Mass and meeting Pope Leo XIV, the 6-foot-2 forward delivered a double-double against the pope's alma mater, posting 27 points and 14 rebounds. The former McDonald's All-Ameri- can was 11 of 14 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. She commit- ted just 1 turnover in 35 minutes of court time and made 2 steals. Her family made the trip to Italy, including father, Brian, who celebrated his 51st birthday Nov. 1. P r i n ce to n t ra n s fe r M a d i so n S t . Rose added 17 points, 2 rebounds and 2 steals. Freshman Jenica Lewis came off the bench to contribute 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Freshman start- ing guard Jacy Abii added 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists and a team-leading 3 blocked shots. The numbers were a reminder that Notre Dame's newcomers bring more than just additional scoring options. Notre Dame's season opener didn't conclusively answer anything, but it did lend itself to some strong first impres- sions. And remember, this is a fresh- man-heavy team with room to grow and a schedule that will test how real the growth is. Notre Dame plays seven games against teams ranked in the top eight of the AP poll this season, including four of those matchups — with No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 UConn, No. 3 Southern Cal and No. 8 Vanderbilt — all in an 18-day stretch in December and all but the UConn game away from Purcell Pavilion. Here are some takeaways from the game Nov. 1. ROTATION GOES SEVEN DEEP Until the final 90 seconds, Notre Dame went with a seven-player rota- tion, with center Anaya Hardy, Macy, Abii, St. Rose and Hidalgo in the starting lineup, and Lewis and freshman Amari Byles getting key minutes off the bench. Could that eventually go deeper? It likely won't expand beyond seven in the big games, though there's potential for freshmen Bella Ragone and Isabella Sangha to carve out roles. Both saw ac- tion in the final minute. Ragone is a big guard (6-2) and an elite shooter who was fully cleared from a No- vember 2025 ACL tear less than a month ago. So, easing her in slowly makes sense. The 6-3 Sangha could help with defen- sive rotations in the post once she's back to playing one sport in December. A member of the Irish volleyball team, Sangha is believed to be the only Divi- sion I women's basketball player par- ticipating in two sports this school year. HARDY MAKES DEBUT Louisville junior transfer Anaya Hardy made her Irish debut after sitting out the Oct. 26 exhibition game for precaution- ary reasons, per head coach Niele Ivey. Hardy's presence was more impres- sive than her stat line, especially on de- fense. Villanova didn't have a lot of size to throw at Notre Dame, and starting post Anna Foley had a modest 6 points and 4 rebounds. Hardy looked very comfortable de- fending and was great on some double teams at the top of the key. On offense, she's a work in progress, which was ex- pected. She finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds with 3 fouls in 21 minutes. Macy and Byles also defended some in the post. THE IRISH PLAYED AT THEIR PREFERRED SPEED That's what Ivey hopes to dictate over the course of the season, and Notre Dame is built for it. The byproduct, she hopes, is mitigating the lack of elite size in the post. Villanova wasn't equipped to test that theory. Some opponents will be able to force Notre Dame to play more in the half court, but the shooting range of Hidalgo, Lewis and St. Rose, in particular, could make that a strength of the Irish as well. ✦ Hannah Hidalgo Has Plenty Of Help In Statement Win WOMEN'S B A S K E T B A L L Sophomore forward Leah Macy delivered 27 points and 14 rebounds in her Notre Dame debut, helping the No. 13 Irish defeat Villanova 99-75 in Rome Nov. 1. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS