UConn's Strong outduels Hidalgo in Elite Eight win over Notre Dame

UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong. David Butler II-Imagn Images

UConn's Sarah Strong outduels Hannah Hidalgo in Elite Eight win over Notre Dame

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 29, 2026 4:25 PM ET

Before the NCAA Tournament, Connecticut Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said this season's team lacks a successor to former guard Paige Bueckers. He must have forgotten about sophomore forward Sarah Strong.

Strong showed why she's UConn's next big star during the Elite Eight at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Sunday. She outdueled star Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo, helping the Huskies punch their ticket to their 25th Final Four.

Sarah Strong bested Hannah Hidalgo in Elite Eight matchup

Strong logged a team-leading 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field in a 70-52 win over Notre Dame (25-11). The forward is now tied with former forward Breanna Stewart for the most 20-point games (31) through two seasons in school history. She also had seven rebounds, one assist, five steals and three blocks.

Hidalgo, meanwhile, led both teams in scoring (22 points on 7-of-19 shooting from the field). However, she started cold, going scoreless in the first quarter. The guard also committed an NCAA Tournament-high five turnovers. Strong had none.

ELITE company for Sarah Strong pic.twitter.com/uE31mQVXhX
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2026

UConn has held Hannah Hidalgo scoreless in the first quarter of both of its matchups this season with Notre Dame pic.twitter.com/87iE1c1aEQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 29, 2026

UConn (38-0) will face the South Carolina Gamecocks (34-3) or TCU Horned Frogs (32-5) in the Final Four in Phoenix on Friday. TCU and South Carolina play Monday in their Elite Eight matchup at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The Huskies know they can count on Strong regardless of who they face. The sophomore now has seven straight games with 15 points or more during March Madness. If she hits that mark again in the Final Four, she will tie former UConn forward Napheesa Collier's eight-game streak between the 2018 and 2019 NCAA Tournaments (via ESPN Insights).

Auriemma may not be ready to praise Strong, but if she leads UConn to its 13th national championship, the coach will have to call her the next great Husky.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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