Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo climbs record books with incredible performance

Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) celebrates during the NCAA women's basketball tournament second round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus on March 23, 2026. Notre Dame won 83-73. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo climbs record books with incredible performance in upset win over Ohio State

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Mar 23, 2026 8:09 PM ET

The legend grows.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish junior Hannah Hidalgo added another remarkable chapter to an already storied college career on Monday, guiding No. 6-seed Notre Dame (24-10) to an upset win over the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (27-8) in the Regional 1-Fort Worth Round of 32 game.

The three-time first-team All-ACC guard finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight steals in the 83-73 victory, with the Irish advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season. Per Stathead, it was Hidalgo's third March Madness game with at least 20 points and five steals, tied for the NCAA Division I women's basketball record. She also had eight steals — to go along with 23 points and nine rebounds — in an opening round win over the No. 11 seed Fairfield Stags.

Monster Hannah Hidalgo performance leads Notre Dame to fifth consecutive Sweet 16

Hannah Hidalgo's two NCAA Tournament games this year for @ndwbb

23 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 8 STL
26 PTS | 13 REB | 2 AST | 8 STL

2-0 @HannahHidalgo pic.twitter.com/wEn03bKWgA
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 23, 2026

In eight career tournament games, Hidalgo is averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and five steals per game. Her 40 steals are already the third-most in program history, only four shy of head coach Niele Ivey, who also started on Notre Dame's 2001 national champion team. Seven-time WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins (55 steals) holds the record. (h/t Stathead)

Hildalgo's defense was huge in Monday's win. The Buckeyes, who opened as a 5.5-point favorite, entered the second-round game averaging just 13.6 turnovers per game but committed 21 against the Irish, their second-most all season.

Earlier this month, Hidalgo set the ACC single-season steals record, surpassing the previous mark set by former Virginia Cavaliers guard Donna Holt in 1987. Following Monday, she's only five steals shy of surpassing Chastadie Barrs' Division I record (193) set with the Lamar Cardinals in 2018-19.

Hannah Hidalgo now has 167 steals this season

Hidalgo broke Donna Holt's ACC single-season record of 164 set back in 1987 at Virginia. pic.twitter.com/gf9GWhKkHg
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 6, 2026

For as much success as Hidalgo has experienced in her three seasons in South Bend, she'll look to do something she hasn't when Notre Dame plays either the No. 2 seed Vanderbilt Commodores or No. 7 seed Illinois Fighting Illini in the Sweet 16. Hidalgo has never advanced past the regional semifinals. In fact, Notre Dame has lost four consecutive Sweet 16s after going 8-1 in the round from 2011-19. It's never lost five consecutive, and it will need Hidalgo at her best to snap the losing streak.

She has been so far in the 2026 tournament. But the record-setting star may have to climb even higher to get to where she's never been before.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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