The unranked Notre Dame women’s basketball team seeks to return to winning ways on Purcell Pavilion on Thursday night at 6 p.m. The Irish are fresh off a stinging 85-47 loss to No. 1 UConn. Head coach Niele Ivey’s team held tough for the first half, but the Huskies took complete control in the final 24 minutes of play.
Against the Huskies, superstar junior guard Hannah Hidalgo scored a tough 16 points, well below her season average. In the game prior, a 79-66 loss to No. 8 Louisville, Hidalgo razzle-dazzled her way to 24 points. Hidalgo’s consistent Houdini-esque plays have kept Notre Dame in games throughout the season. The Naismith Player of the Year candidate is averaging 24.5 points per game, complemented by 6.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Her exemplary play has been the catalyst for the Irish’s 12 wins this season. However, she will now be asked to kick into a new gear to get Notre Dame back on track in ACC play. Of the team’s six losses, half of them are in conference matchups.
Miami finds itself in a similar situation. The Hurricanes are 11-7 overall and 3-4 in ACC play. Like Notre Dame, Miami lost to Louisville recently, falling 76-68 against the Cardinals.
By all measures, Thursday night's ACC showdown has the makings to be an even game. However, with the superb play of Hidalgo, Notre Dame is provided a slight upper hand.
For Miami to counter, they’ll look to 6-foot-6 center Ra Shaya Kyle. In her sixth year of college hoops, Kyle has exploded. She’s averaging a career-best 16.3 points per game on 56.3% shooting, not to mention her 10.3 rebounds per game. In the Hurricanes’ 89-73 win over Florida State, Kyle notched 30 points and ten rebounds in only 26 minutes. However, Kyle was not on the floor in Miami’s most recent game — a 73-62 loss to North Carolina.
Sophomore guard Gal Raviv has been another offensive dynamo for the Hurricanes. Raviv is averaging 13.5 points per game. However, she lights it up on the road. In her four road games this season, Raviv has averaged 17.5 points per game. Raviv was the 2025 MAAC Player of the Year while at Quinnipiac last season.
Although it’s too early in the season to label any game as a must-win for the Irish, this game is as close as it gets. After two tough losses to top 10 opponents, a win will not only benefit Notre Dame’s win column but also provide a much-needed boost of confidence prior to the Irish’s California road trip in late January.
Another area of concern for Notre Dame has been the relative lack of depth. This problem was especially prominent against Louisville. Whereas the Cardinals got 31 points from the bench, Notre Dame only mustered up two. Against UConn, it was much of the same story. The Huskies’ bench accounted for 19 points to Notre Dame’s six.
Ivey’s rotation only sees one bench player receive significant minutes: graduate guard Gisela Sanchez. Even then, she received less than nine minutes against Louisville despite being the only bench player to check into the game.
For Notre Dame to compete in the ACC, it’s imperative that the bench not only starts playing but also finds ways to contribute meaningfully when on the court.
Last season, Notre Dame beat Miami 82-42. In that game, 11 players checked in for the Irish. Granted, both teams looked drastically different this year. Since then, Notre Dame has lost all its starters outside of Hidalgo and additional impact players in the rotation through graduation and the transfer portal. Miami, meanwhile, has a bolstered new-look roster this year through their work in the portal. Besides Kyle and Raviv, four other players on the Hurricanes’ roster are transfers.
Admission for the game is free for students. Broadcast for the game can be found on the ACC Network.
