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Notre Dame Fighting 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 win over Akron zippers. She also added nine rebounds.
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Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo dribbles 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 was 16-of-25 from the field, including 3-of-6 from three-point range to help lead the No. 18-ranked team to the dominating victory. Akron committed 38 turnovers despite shooting 51.1% from the floor.
Hidalgo said after the game that she knows what her teammates demand from her night in and night out and tries to deliver to the best of her ability.
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Notre Dame junior Hannah Hidalgo (3) goes to steal 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 that.”
Cassandre Prosper was the only other Notre Dame player to be in double figures. She got 14 points.
Akron’s Ni’Rah Clark led the Zips with 13 points.
The junior from New Jersey is averaging 34.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Notre Dame is 3-0 this season, but in all of their first three games they have looked dominant. The Fighting Irish knocked off Farleigh Dickinson in the opener, 98-52, then blanked 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 on Saturday and then No. 8 USC next week.
