When the clock hits the five-minute mark with a margin of five points or less, stars made for the moment tend to raise the partition glass between them and other players. For Notre Dame women’s basketball, that star would be none other than Hannah Hidalgo, who connected on a midrange pull-up with 1.9 seconds left in regulation to serve the Fighting Irish an early-season statement win against USC. The junior guard tallied 22 points on 8-for-18 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists, and five steals.
“This is a big win for us; this is a big win for our confidence and what we’re building,” said Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey. “I would definitely rank it as a super-high, top 10 (win), but it’s important because it’s this group, and this group is special.”
After a stunning 39-point blowout loss to Michigan last week, a matchup against an upstart USC group was exactly what the doctor ordered, giving Notre Dame a perfect opportunity to reestablish itself after an early-season bout of disorder on the court, with Hidalgo being the sole returning starter from last year’s tourney team.
The 61-59 victory against the No.11 Trojans was Notre Dame’s first victory over a top-25 opponent so far this season. USC led for 27 out of 40 minutes with an 11-point lead in the second half to boot, but it wasn’t enough down the stretch. A two-pointer from guard Kara Dunn put USC up 59-57 with just over 90 seconds left. The Trojans went scoreless from that point forward.
Telenovela-like late-game drama didn’t stop there. The top-ranked UConn Huskies battled No. 9 Michigan to the last possession in the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, beating the Wolverines 72-69 to remain undefeated.
HUSKIES WIN pic.twitter.com/x0jOyv6kOy
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) November 22, 2025
UConn held Michigan to a mere five points in the opening frame and dominated the first half before taking a 45-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. Compared to the first few games of the season that saw the Huskies cruise to victory, this outing had the makings of another blowout. A mentor of mine once told me that the second halves of basketball games present a blank canvas. Every team has the power to create its own masterpiece.
That’s exactly what the Wolverines did behind a dynamic 18-2 run to end the third quarter down just two possessions.
The Huskies responded like a defending champion is expected to by stretching the lead back to double digits with under four minutes left in the fourth quarter. It seemed as if UConn was back on track to win, but Michigan sophomore guard Syla Swords netted three of her eight attempts from downtown in the final 50 seconds of the game, keeping Michigan within striking distance until the end. The Canadian star finished with 29 points on a stunning 8-of-14 shooting display from outside and nine rebounds.
Syla Swords against No. 1 UConn 🔥
9 PTS in the final minute 🥶
21 of Michigan’s 42 PTS second half 🥶
29 PTS 🥶
9 REB 🥶 pic.twitter.com/773eQzj8zm— espnW (@espnW) November 22, 2025
Her first shot narrowed the deficit to three with 49 seconds on the clock. After a layup from UConn’s Serah Williams, her team’s lead went up to five. Swords responded with another timely three-pointer, bringing the Wolverines within a single basket of tying the game with 22 seconds left. Huskies superstar Azzi Fudd, who led all scorers with 31 points on 7-of-12 shooting from deep, drained two free throws with 17 seconds remaining. Swords swished her third three-pointer with 13 seconds on the clock, which brought Michigan within a single point. The Wolverines played the foul game the rest of the way, putting Fudd back on the line for two. All was said and done practically after a turnover from Swords.
I’m no fan of “moral victories”, but Michigan should be proud of its fight in the second half. As one of the few top-10 matchups so far, this outing delivered just as many thought on paper. Holding UConn to four points in the third quarter and the resilience on display in the final frame are scenarios to build upon as the season progresses.
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Born and raised in Chicago, Christan Braswell is a women’s sports journalist with a focus on the WNBA and women’s college basketball. He’s an avid fan of elevator screens and stuffed-crust pizza. Outside of sports, he’s an avid cook and lover of the great outdoors.
Author’s Note: Hi dear readers. I apologize for the tardiness of this article. I love football, particularly women’s football (soccer) more than I love most things or people. However, there […]
