Notre Dame vs UConn: Elite Eight Preview
- Erich Pilcher
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
For the first time since 2019, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Women’s Basketball team has advanced to the Elite Eight.
All that stands in the way of the Fighting Irish and a trip to the Final Four in Phoenix is the juggernaut University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies. The two former Big East rivals played this season on January 19, 2026. In that game, UConn outclassed the Irish, beating them 85-47 (the largest in the series). This is also the eighth time they have squared off in the NCAA Tournament (the Irish hold a 5-2 record in the tournament).
Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
Notre Dame faced one of the best offensive teams and top scores in the country in the Sweet Sixteen, the Vanderbilt Commodores, and Sophomore Guard Mikayla Blakes. The Irish held the Commodores to 35 percent shooting for the game and Blakes to one of her worst shooting performances of the season (7-26 from the field). Since KK Bransford returned from injury, Notre Dame has been better defensively. Of course, this is spurred on by Junior Guard Hannah Hidalgo. Hidalgo was a superstar against Vanderbilt, dropping a triple-double, scoring 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals.
UConn Huskies:
What can be said about the defending National Champions that isn’t known? They are on a 53-game winning streak, with an average margin of victory of nearly 38 points. As dominant as that sounds, they have been even more dominant in the tournament. They are by far the most complete team in the nation, led by Senior Guard Azzi Fudd, who scores 17.6 Points Per Game (PPG), and Sophomore Forward Sarah Strong, who leads the team with 18.4 PPG. She also leads the team in Rebounds (7.5 per game), Steals (3.3 per game), and blocks (1.6 per game). Depth is a major asset for them as well; they have 10 players who have played in at least 30 games this season.
Notre Dame Keys to Victory:
If UConn has a weakness, it is that they tend to start slowly. They did so against North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen, except North Carolina could not capitalize fully on it. Notre Dame can provide defensive pressure on guards Fudd and KK Arnold. If they can do that and force UConn to rely on their frontcourt, where they lack some depth, the Irish would be able to make this a game played to their strengths. They will need contributions from everyone, but Hidalgo must have a game like the one against Vanderbilt. Simply put, she must take over and do it throughout most of the game.
UConn Keys to Victory:
As great as the Huskies are offensively, they are that much better defensively. They hold opponents to a paltry 50.1 PPG. They force mistakes (forcing 15.7 steals per game), crash the glass (averaging 37.8 rebounds per game), and they take away what you want to do. First and foremost, UConn is taking away Hidalgo. They will more than likely utilize a game plan to neutralize her. They will do this by doubling her at half court and trapping her. They will also try to force Notre Dame to be a jump shooting team to avoid their frontcourt getting into foul trouble (a spot where they do not have depth).
Prediction:
Can Hidalgo deliver one of the greatest performances of her career, and in turn, Notre Dame pull off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history? ESPN Predictor gives the Irish a minuscule 5.7 percent chance of victory. I do think Notre Dame can force a slow start out of UConn; the issue is, can they maintain it for 40 minutes? The Irish have vastly improved since the last meeting; I just feel this is too steep a hill to climb. I suspect Hidalgo will have a good game, but not the legendary performance Notre Dame would need to pull off this upset. UConn is too deep and has too many ways to win this game.
Final Score: Notre Dame 51, UConn 68
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