Hannah Hidalgo Clears Paige Bueckers and UConn in Statement Notre Dame Win

Hannah Hidalgo has now gotten the best of both Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins this season, and looked like the best player in the country in the process.

Dec 12, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) celebrates after a basket in the first half against the Connecticut Huskies at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Hannah Hidalgo has now clearly outplayed both Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins this season. And in the process is proving to be the best player in the country. It may not even be that close.

The latest statement win for Notre Dame came against Bueckers and UConn by a score of 79-68. It was yet another contest where Hidalgo's frenetic energy could not be matched by any of her peers.

When combined with her speed, said energy makes up a hooping cocktail that has mixed up every marquee opponent. The Irish already have three victories over top-five teams. With Hidalgo's electrifying play leading the charge in each.

HANNAH IS SPECIAL MAN pic.twitter.com/UZecv6j22e

— correlation (@nosyone4) December 13, 2024

Hidalgo had the edge versus Bueckers head-to-head (though they didn't guard each other directly often) in putting up 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. The presumptive first pick in the WNBA Draft produced 25 points of her own, but her impact on the game was nowhere near as significant.

This of course comes after Hidalgo similarly bested Watkins and USC earlier this season. Not to mention the victory the Irish had over 4th ranked Texas, one that saw her top all scorers. So in every hyped showdown, Hidalgo has been the best player on the court.

It's not as if these performances are cherrypicked either. Hidalgo is averaging more points than every player in the nation but Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson. That's to go with all around impact on both ends, including unrivaled defensive intensity. Which is shown through her registering more than four steals per contest.

Hannah Hidalgo is the most competitive player in women’s college hoops, and that’s on BOTH ends!

— Chiney Ogwumike (@chiney) December 13, 2024

But it's impossible to overstate how impressive her performances have been when facing off against the biggest names in the NCAA game. Because while Bueckers and Watkins have certainly been celebrated more, when it comes to actual play on the floor, Hidalgo has cleared them thus far.

Making Notre Dame a scary sight for anyone who will oppose them come March.