Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey had to replenish nearly her entire roster in the offseason after her squad made an Elite 8 appearance last year. However, the one player she did not have to worry about replacing was guard Hannah Hidalgo.
Against Villanova on Sunday, Hidalgo showed why she is such a special player.
The Wildcats hung with the Fighting Irish through one quarter of play, trailing by just seven entering the second quarter. That's when Hidalgo took over. The senior guard scored 10 points and made all three of her field goal attempts in the second frame as she helped push Notre Dame's lead to 19 at halftime.
Led by Hidalgo, the Fighting Irish never looked back as they cruised to a 99-75 season-opening win in Rome, Italy.
Here are three key takeaways from Notre Dame's win.
HOT START FOR HIDALGO
Hidalgo's trophy case is about as full as it can be, but she is the preseason favorite for multiple awards, including what would be her third straight ACC Player of the Year. She began her senior season with the Fighting Irish with a bang.
She impacted the game in about every way imaginable. Hidalgo racked up 32 points on an efficient 11-for-19 shooting from the field. She also connected on 2-of-4 three-point attempts, an area she worked to improve after shooting 25.4% from deep last season.
She was active on the glass with seven rebounds and showed off her playmaking skills that have always made her extra dangerous, dishing out eight assists. Hidalgo also took care of the ball well, only committing one turnover while recording three steals.
Entering a season where expectations are higher than ever for Hidalgo, she got off to a great start in Rome.
MACY'S DEBUT
Forward Leah Macy was a highly touted class of 2025 recruit who missed all of last season with an injury. She was healthy to start this year and after the Fighting Irish said goodbye to their whole frontcourt from last season, Macy figured to have a big role.
That was exactly the case against Villanova and Macy did not disappoint.
Macy put up a double-double in her collegiate debut with 27 points and 14 rebounds in 35 minutes. She was incredibly consistent in the first three quarters with four points in each frame before exploding in the fourth quarter.
Notre Dame already led comfortably entering the fourth quarter, but Macy put any comeback hopes for the Wildcats to bed with an incredible final quarter. In eight minutes, she racked up 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the field while grabbing six rebounds.
HOW GOOD CAN THE OFFENSE BE?
Notre Dame's offense was on fire in Rome, shooting 55.9% from the field, 42.9% from three and having five players score in double figures. Hidalgo and Macy each put together incredible performances, while Princeton transfer guard Madison St. Rose scored an efficient 17 points.
Freshmen Jenica Lewis and Jacy Abii also put together solid debuts as Lewis had 11 points with three made three-pointers and Abii had 10 points. After those five, the only other scorer was forward Anaya Hardy with two points.
The balance was impressive from the Fighting Irish with each player showing how they can be effective and efficient on the offensive side of the ball. Notre Dame's offense put up 77.1 points per game last season, which was 21st in the country. It likely won't put up 99 points every game, but if Notre Dame's offense can be close to this effective and balanced all year, than it will give plenty of teams issues.
