Around this time last year, Hailey Van Lith was subjected to online ridicule and became a March Madness meme. This was after Caitlin Clark ran rings around her and the LSU team during Iowa’s Elite Eight game. Van Lith had to deal with incessant trolling and eventually left the Tigers to join TCU. Right from the early stages of the season, there were signs that Van Lith had found her footing in Texas. She scored 18 points to help TCU to an upset win over NC State early in the season and didn’t look back. Multiple Big 12 honors and a Big 12 championship followed, and on Saturday, she continued her redemption against Hannah Hidalgo’s Notre Dame, making history in the process.

Van Lith torched the Fighting Irish for 26 points as TCU advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time with a 71-62 win. She also ended the game with nine rebounds and four assists, setting the program’s single-season scoring and assists record with 663 points and 202 assists for the season. This performance drew the attention of her former LSU teammate Angel Reese, who took to her X account to post “HVL,” giving Van Lith her flowers. But while there is reason for celebration for Van Lith, Hidalgo’s predicament cannot be anymore different.

Just days ago, at the Joyce Centre, Hidalgo was basking in the cheers after pouring in 21 points in a dominating performance as Notre Dame rolled to the Sweet 16 for a championship charge. By Saturday night, those same dreams were shattered on the Birmingham hardwood against TCU and had turned her into an unwilling punch line for critics.

However, the cruel irony? What had made her a national star, her 3.7 steals per game, her talent for “taking the heart of ballhandlers,” vanished when it mattered most. For Hidalgo, this was equivalent to reliving her worst nightmare, leaving her with a sense of déjà vu.

Last year, Oregon State restricted Hidalgo to 10 points on 4 of 17 from the field as Notre Dame was eliminated from the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16. This time around, Hidalgo managed only 15 points, her worst offensive performance of the season. Hidalgo’s 15 points were among her lowest this season, with her three field goals matching a season low. Her 15.8% shooting night marked the worst single-game percentage of her career. And with the game slipping away in the fourth quarter, she managed just two points and misfired on all five of her shot attempts. Credit must be given to TCU’s defense for making it a difficult night for Hidalgo on the court.

On Notre Dame’s opening possession, they ran a high pick-and-roll with Hidalgo, but TCU had a plan. They put Sedona Prince deep in the paint in drop coverage. Hidalgo knocked down a pull-up jumper that time, but as the game wore on, TCU’s defensive scheme proved effective.

In the first half, especially, TCU was content to let Prince camp in the lane, daring Hidalgo to beat them with pull-up jumpers, similar to what Oregon State did last season. The strategy worked. Hidalgo couldn’t capitalize, going just 2-for-7 from mid-range and 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, all on self-created looks.

“She’s one of the most explosive scorers in college basketball. But we have a team. It was Taylor Bigby, Donovyn Hunter, Hailey [Van Lith], and Agnes [Emma-Nnopu]. All four of those kids had different opportunities to guard and defend her,” TCU coach Mark Campbell said of Hidalgo after the game.

The ACC Player of the Year continued her efforts to attack the basket, but success was hard to come by. Whether in transition or the halfcourt, her drives were consistently met with a swarm of TCU defenders. Time and again, her shot attempts were swallowed up, with multiple blocks halting her path to the rim.

After an incredible season that had seen her average 24.1 points, five rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.7 steals, she was once again stifled on the big stage. And just like Van Hilt last year, it was her turn to be on the receiving end of some scathing criticism from the fans.

Fans weigh in on Hannah Hidalgo’s woes

Social media went up faster than a fast break. The fans were particularly vocal, with one stating, “It’s time for Notre Dame to tell Hannah Hidalgo to hit the transfer portal. Her career: me ball, undersized defensive liability, clashes with her coach and teammates, 3-19 against TCU, an average team. They need a Sue Bird or Courtney Vandersloot to run the point.” It was shocking for a player of her caliber, being the third-best scorer in the country,  to have a 15.8% shooting percentage. The criticism was painful, portraying Hidalgo more as a problem than an asset, which she had been all season.

It was the tale of two guards. TCU’s Hailey Van Lith provided a masterclass, while Hidalgo struggled to find any rhythm. The difference was remarkable enough to warrant one fan saying, “I just witnessed Hailey Van Lith break the brakes of Hannah Hidalgo and my beloved Notre Dame…….:.:. Hannah must be studying brick layer and or masonry. Worst performance I’ve seen in a big game”.

Hidalgo even faltered in the critical moments. With 24 seconds left and Notre Dame needing points, she missed a free throw that would have cut TCU’s lead to six. “Hannah Hidalgo & Olivia Miles just completely sold the game”, as one fan remarked.

Hidalgo was able to pull 4 steals, remaining somewhat true to her defensive identity, but her offensive struggles left a void that TCU ultimately took advantage of. But not all fans were so harsh, “Hannah Hidalgo had a bad game,” One wrote. Another echoed with greater emphasis: “Hannah Hidalgo did not have a good game, like a horrible game.”

Nevertheless, while Van Lith and TCU were celebrating their historic night, the loss left questions for Hidalgo. One disastrous shooting night doesn’t define a career, but in the intensity of March Madness, it can certainly end a season.