Reports: Due to Nika Mühl and Paige Bueckers’ difficult nights, the Huskies were unable to overcome Notre Dame. Could that be a sign for March?…

Pursuing Perfection: The Notre Dame defeat highlights how narrow UConn’s margins are.

Notre Dame defeated UConn women’s basketball on Saturday, ending the team’s 13-game winning streak. Paige Bueckers wasn’t her normal self, and Nika Mühl was in foul trouble for the most of the night. The Huskies lacked the resources to stay competitive without those two players. We analyze the defeat and talk about how much to believe in UConn’s performance in this week’s edition. We also look ahead to South Carolina and give a preview of the forthcoming games against Villanova and St. John’s.

Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame closes in on UConn,.

 

The one where she can feel her opponents uneasy. They realize all of a sudden that Hidalgo has his predatory eyes fixed on the ball. They realize there is no chance when they witness her stealing hands and shuffling feet.

Hidalgo knows she has won the fight when she gets that defeated face.

“When they’re dribbling and you can pick their pocket, it definitely touches their heart,” wryly smiled Hidalgo. “It breaks my heart.”

And Hidalgo lives for that on the court.

 

 

The freshman from Notre Dame has always played lockdown defense. Hidalgo was still honing her offensive skills when she was younger. Though she was a guard that relied on passing rather than shooting, she was able to prevent her opponent from scoring as well.

Her offensive output has now equaled her defensive output. In addition to her NCAA-high 5.1 steals per game, Hidalgo averages 24.4 points and 5.6 assists per game. She still has a little bit more vigor when it comes to defense.