UConn Insider Exposes Paige Bueckers’ Flaw in Hannah Hidalgo’s Career-Defining Night

The stage was set for a thrilling battle between two of the top teams in women’s college basketball. No. 2 UConn, with its star Paige Bueckers, squared off against No. 8 Notre Dame, led by a standout performance from Hannah Hidalgo. But when the dust settled, it wasn’t Bueckers’ usual brilliance that stole the show—it was Hidalgo’s all-around masterclass, leading the Fighting Irish to a 79-68 victory, handing the Huskies their first loss of the season. And while Hidalgo’s career-defining night took center stage, an insightful critique of Bueckers’ performance from UConn insider Mark Zanetto highlights the cracks in the Huskies’ approach.

In a recent episode of the Locked on UConn podcast, Zanetto had a lot to say about Bueckers’ performance. “Paige was good; she’s her normal self. She was 25 points, 50% from the floor. She didn’t make any threes though, and that was an issue for me,” he remarked.

While acknowledging Bueckers’ impressive stats, Zanetto was hoping to see more. “Look, if we want Mamba Paige, where she essentially just goes ham and, you know, goes crazy and says, ‘Clear out, I got this,’ that’s what I wanted to see tonight,” he continued.

“We didn’t see that from Paige; we saw the usual Paige. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you’re the best player in the country, like I think she is, best all-around player—sometimes in your game you have to sacrifice being that efficient player to being the player that dominates the game.”

Zanetto’s comments reveal a lot about the expectations placed on Bueckers, a player whose incredible ability has become a standard to which even her brightest performances are held. While Bueckers managed to score 25 points, her performance fell short in one area—three-point shooting. UConn’s struggles from beyond the arc were glaring, finishing 3-of-16 on three-pointers, an area where Notre Dame thrived with a 10-of-18 shooting performance.

But is Paige the only reason behind UConn’s loss?

UConn’s defensive lapses exposed as sophomore dominates Bueckers and the Huskies

Beyond Bueckers, Zanetto also highlighted the team’s defensive shortcomings in the face of Hidalgo’s brilliance. “They didn’t win this game tonight because of mental lapses,” he said. Zanetto was particularly critical of UConn’s defense against the pick-and-roll, especially when it came to guarding Notre Dame’s star point guard, Hidalgo.

“All of them, KK, Ice, anybody that was playing pick-and-roll defense, you know, trying to kind of essentially make a wedge between whoever was trying to guard on this… why wouldn’t you chase the screen? Do not go under on Hannah Hidalgo. You cannot, you cannot go under on her at all. You just can’t,” he emphasized. UConn’s failure to adjust to Hidalgo’s perimeter shooting cost them dearly.

Hidalgo, who had been quietly building a reputation as one of the best young talents in college basketball, certainly made a statement in this game. She finished with an impressive 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, proving she could do it all.

Her ability to hit crucial three-pointers, including one at the buzzer to end the third quarter, shifted the momentum in favor of Notre Dame. From that point on, the Fighting Irish never looked back, extending their lead early in the fourth quarter and holding on for the win.

Despite Bueckers’ strong showing, UConn couldn’t keep pace with the sharp-shooting Fighting Irish. The Huskies also played without Azzi Fudd, who missed the game due to a knee injury, further hampering their offensive firepower. In the end, Notre Dame’s defensive effort, combined with Hidalgo’s career-best performance, proved too much for UConn to handle.

For Bueckers, this loss is a valuable learning experience. As Zanetto pointed out, even the best players sometimes need to embrace the challenge of dominating a game, even if it means sacrificing efficiency for raw, unrelenting power. As UConn looks ahead to their next matchups, they’ll need to address their defensive lapses and fine-tune their shooting to ensure they remain one of the top contenders this season.