Hannah Hidalgo scores 32 in season opening win for Notre Dame women's basketball
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Hannah Hidalgo scores 32 in season opening win for Notre Dame women's basketball
Mitchell Northam, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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2 min read
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To say Hannah Hidalgo started the season off on the right foot would be an understatement.
The two-time ACC Player of the Year scored 32 points in Rome, Italy on Sunday, Nov. 1 to power the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a season-opening 99-75 win over Villanova.
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Hidalgo, the National Defensive Player of the Year last season, also logged eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals for the Irish, who begin the year ranked No. 13 inUSA TODAY Sports' preseason Coaches Poll. The win over the Wildcats marked the 20th time in her career that she scored at least 30 points in a single game.
Notre Dame also got a boost from sophomore forward Leah Macy, who scored 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds in her collegiate debut. Macy, a 6-foot-2 forward from Elizabethtown, Kentucky, didn't play last season as a freshman while she recovered from an injury she suffered in high school. She was ranked as the 26th-best recruit in the nation by ESPN for the 2025 class.
The Irish also got 17 points from Princeton transfer Madison St. Rose, 11 points from Jenica Lewis and 10 points and eight boards from Jacy Abii.
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Villanova was paced by Jasmine Bascoe's 26 points and nine assists. Elise Bender chipped in 14 points for the Wildcats.
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
1/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2026: UCLA Bruins
(Joe Rondone, The Republic)
2/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2025: Connecticut Huskies
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
3/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2024: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Ken Blaze, USA TODAY Sports)
4/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2023: LSU Lady Tigers
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
5/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2022: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
6/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2021: Stanford Cardinal
(Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)
7/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2019: Baylor Lady Bears
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
8/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2018: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Joseph Maiorana, USA TODAY Sports)
9/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2017: South Carolina Gamecocks
(Matthew Emmons, USA TODAY Sports)
10/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2016: Connecticut Huskies
(Joe Robbins, Getty Images)
11/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2015: Connecticut Huskies
(Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports)
12/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2014: Connecticut Huskies
(Don McPeak, USA TODAY Sports)
13/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2013: Connecticut Huskies
(Crystal LoGiudice, USA TODAY Sports)
14/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2012: Baylor Bears
(Chris Humphreys, US PRESSWIRE)
15/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2011: Texas A&M Aggies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
16/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2010: Connecticut Huskies
(Brendan Maloney, US PRESSWIRE)
17/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2009: Connecticut Huskies
(Scott Rovak, US PRESSWIRE)
18/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2008: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(David Butler II, US PRESSWIRE)
19/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2007: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
20/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2006: Maryland Terrapins
(Jim McIsaac, Getty Images)
21/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2005: Baylor Lady Bears
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
22/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2004: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
23/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2003: Connecticut Huskies
(Elsa, Getty Images)
24/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2002: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
25/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2001: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
(Elsa, Getty Images)
26/26
NCAA women's basketball tournament champions since 2000
2000: Connecticut Huskies
(Andy Lyons, Getty Images)
Notre Dame nearly led wire-to-wire, taking the lead with an 18-5 run after Bascoe knocked down the first two baskets of the game. The Irish shot 56% from the floor, 43% from 3-point land and outscored the Wildcats 50-32 in the paint. Notre Dame also scored 21 points off 13 Villanova turnovers.
The game between Notre Dame and Villanova marked the first time a regular-season women's college basketball game had been played in Italy, and it was part of a doubleheader with the men's teams from both schools in an event called "the Eternal City Classic." The basketball programs of two iconic Catholic institutions will play as part of a celebration for Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope elected to the papacy in 2025.
Who does Notre Dame women's basketball play next?
Notre Dame will host Stonehill in South Bend, Indiana on Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed on ACCNX.
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Who does Villanova women's basketball play next?
Villanova will visit Princeton on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. ET. That game will air on SNY and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
