Hidalgo Leads No. 5 Notre Dame Past Duke, Sends Irish to ACC Women’s Basketball Championship

Seven straight victories have vaulted Notre Dame women’s basketball from ACC middle-of-the-pack to March headliner, and the Fighting Irish aim to extend that surge today against No. 13 Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Duluth, Georgia. How they got here: • Second-round rout – The Irish opened tournament play by dispatching Miami 69-54 behind freshman phenom Hannah Hidalgo’s 28-point, 8-rebound, 5-assist, 5-steal clinic, her sixth 25-plus outing in a row. • Quarterfinal statement – Graduate guard Iyana Moore poured in 20 while Hidalgo added 25 as Notre Dame throttled NC State 81-63, a win Moore credited to “wanting to run through a brick wall for Coach Niele Ivey”. The turnaround has been dramatic. Since a 5-7 January-early February skid, Ivey’s squad is 9-1, fueled by Hidalgo’s two-way dominance (ACC Player and Defensive Player of the Year repeat) and the return of senior wing KK Bransford that restored depth on the perimeter. Notre Dame now sits 22-9 and is tracking toward a single-digit NCAA seed if the momentum continues. Today’s matchup carries revenge undertones. Duke whipped the Irish 82-68 on Jan. 4 in Durham when Notre Dame was shorthanded. The Blue Devils’ physical front line, led by 6-4 rookie standout Toby Fournier, hammered the glass in that meeting—a theme Notre Dame must reverse after surrendering 16 offensive rebounds to Duke through three quarters of Friday’s quarterfinal, per live stats. Expect Ivey to lean on 6-3 sophomore Malaya Cowles and versatile forward Cass Prosper to neutralize second-chance points while Hidalgo pressures Duke’s backcourt in her trademark full-court attack. Beyond the paint battle, perimeter efficiency looms large. The Irish hit a combined 18 three-pointers in their first two tournament games; Moore (40 % from deep since Feb. 1) and veteran sharpshooter Vanessa de Jesus must stretch Duke’s pack-line defense to free Hidalgo’s downhill drives. A win would send Notre Dame to its first ACC title game since 2024 and virtually lock a top-five seed on Selection Sunday. A loss still leaves a résumé highlighted by signature wins over Louisville and NC State, but the Irish are chasing hardware—and search-traffic buzz—by staying hot at the perfect time.