All offseason long, a lot of folks around women’s college basketball offered the same concern when it came to Notre Dame’s outlook this season. The common question was that, while the Irish seemed to be incredibly talented on-paper, could Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles coexist?
Miles, you might remember, led the way for Notre Dame at point guard in the 2022-23 season as it won the regular season ACC title. In the final game of that regular season, at Louisville, she suffered a right knee injury that required surgery to repair and sidelined her for all of last season. In her absence, Hidalgo, then a freshman, emerged and grabbed the reins for the Irish with both hands, earning an All-American nod, leading Notre Dame to an ACC Tournament crown and a Sweet 16 appearance, and established herself as one of the game’s rising stars.
Folks were asking the question about Miles and Hidalgo last March. Miles provided an answer back then. We should have listened to her.
“… No one is really ready for what’s about to happen. So, we’re kind of letting everyone talk, but it’s going to be really incredible when it actually happens.”
Against their toughest opponent so far of this season, Miles and Hidalgo gave fans the full experience of what their partnership can be and have quickly staked their claim as the best duo in women’s college basketball.
On Saturday, on the road against No. 3 USC in Los Angeles, Hidalgo and Miles were the best two players on the court as the Irish won 74-61. Hidalgo piled up 24 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals, while Miles stuffed the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Their performance was historic. And that’s not hyperbole.
Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles are the second pair of teammates in the last 25 years to each have 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists against a AP Top-10 opponent.
They join Tennessee’s Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle in 2007 https://t.co/KM3BcMYu3R
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) November 23, 2024
Miles swished 4-of-5 3-pointers, Hidalgo drew wild reactions, and Irish coach Niele Ivey danced in the locker room afterwards.
DAGGER @oliviamiles06 #NCAAWBB x NBC / @ndwbb pic.twitter.com/L6Ai3bbrxo
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 23, 2024
Can’t even lie, I was in aw both games we played like no way she be in so many places at 1 time https://t.co/GBARXI1h24
— Dyaisha Fair (@DyaishaFair) November 24, 2024
Victory dance 10/10 @IrishCoachIvey #NCAAWBB x @ndwbb pic.twitter.com/Kx6Zx8vFCg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 24, 2024
Hidalgo to Miles for 3
Miles to Hidalgo for 3 pic.twitter.com/IpACMIfecc
— Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) November 23, 2024
What Notre Dame proved on Saturday in its impressive win over a formidable opponent like USC is that Miles and Hidalgo have no problem playing together. Against the Trojans, they looked like the best backcourt in the country. Five games into the season, Miles is 10th nationally in assists (6.8) and is shooting a career-best 54.2 percent from 3-point land. Hidalgo meanwhile is sixth nationally in points per game (24.8) and second in steals (5.2).
The question for Notre Dame now is, can it get healthy and will it have enough depth to make a deeper run in March? Can the Irish get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2019, when it lost in Tampa in the final moments of the championship bout against Baylor?
Because what was wild about Saturday’s result is that Notre Dame beat USC by double-digits without All-ACC forward Maddy Westbeld and All-Big East transfer Liza Karlen. The Irish beat USC in their house comfortably without even being at full strength.
Getting Westbeld and Karlen back in the fold would raise the Irish’s ceiling. But even without them, it’s pretty high when the Miles-Hidalgo tandem is playing like this.
