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Irish Breakdown

Hannah Hidalgo’s NCAA Tournament Run Keeps Getting Better

Hannah Hidalgo is averaging historic numbers throughout the NCAA Tournament and has nearly recorded a quadruple-double twice.
Jared Shlensky|
Mar 27, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) dribbles the ball upcourt during the first half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Mar 27, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) dribbles the ball upcourt during the first half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame's Women's Basketball team exceeded expectations in the NCAA Tournament after beating Vanderbilt, 67-64, on Friday in the Sweet 16. But let's be honest -- none of this would be possible without Hannah Hidalgo.

She's the heart and soul of the Fighting Irish and has been arguably the best player in college basketball from day one. She leads the nation in steals per game (5.7), set the Division 1 record for most steals in a season, and is third in the nation in scoring (25.3 PPG).

But she's taken her game to a whole different level in the Tournament.

Breaking down Hidalgo's NCAA Tournament Run

Notre Dame opened the NCAA Tournament against Fairfield, and Hidalgo set the tone with her first of two near quadruple-doubles after finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and eight steals.

Those are insane numbers, but Hidalgo was only getting started. She finished with a double-double against the Buckeyes -- 26 points and 13 rebounds -- and was just two assists shy of a triple-double.

But she was even better in the Sweet 16 against Vanderbilt after recording a triple-double -- 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals -- and finished just three assists shy of a quadruple-double.

No one has ever recorded a quadruple-double in the NCAA Tournament, but give credit to Hidalgo; she came close, and not just once, but twice. I'm not sure anyone will ever do it -- record a quadruple-double in an NCAA Tournament game -- but there's no denying how great Hidalgo has been in the Tourney.

Not only does she have a double-double and a triple-double, but she's also averaging 27.7 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and 8.7 steals through three tournament contests. Those are video game stats, and may never be replicated again.

So, how exactly does Hidalgo compare to others in the history of the NCAA Tournament?

Where Hidalgo Stands in NCAA Tournament History

Caitlin Clark didn't win an NCAA Title, but there's no denying the fact that she's done more for women's basketball than anyone. Clark's sharp-shooting days at Iowa boosted women's college basketball ratings like never before. So, to no surprise, she's at the top of the list.

Candace Parker (Tennessee), Breanna Stewart (UConn), and Diana Taurasi (UConn) deserve to be ahead of Hidalgo, too, but this run by Hidalgo puts her somewhere next to other NCAA Tournament legends like Brittney Griner (Baylor), Angel Reese (LSU), A'ja Wilson (South Carolina), and Sheryl Swoopes (Texas Tech).

However, if Notre Dame beats UConn and Hidalgo records a quadruple-double, she might just be in the same tier as Parker, Stewart, and Taurasi.

Notre Dame's Next Game

Notre Dame's (25-10) Elite Eight matchup against top-overall seed UConn (37-0) is on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET) and will be televised on ABC.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster

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