Unrivaled Triggers Major Crisis for Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles as Notre Dame Suffers Double OT Heartbreak

Notre Dame’s matchup with NC State turned into an unforgettable double-overtime thriller! Unfortunately for the Fighting Irish, they couldn’t seal the deal, falling 104-95. The momentum swung firmly in the Wolfpack’s favor, and they made the most of it. Saniya Rivers and Zoe Brooks played key roles in the final moments, combining for 7 points to secure the victory for NC State.

This loss marks a painful blow for Notre Dame as they suffer their first conference defeat. However, there may be some blame to go around. Just two days prior, the Notre Dame squad showed support for female athletes at the Unrivaled event. Many analysts and fans had predicted this might come back to haunt them.

One such prediction came from well-known WNBA and college reporter Andy Froemel on X. He warned that if Notre Dame didn’t pull off the win, their participation in Miami’s Unrivaled league would likely face serious scrutiny. He pointed to the backlash Angel Reese faced at the MET Gala as an example of how public appearances can sometimes overshadow on-court performance.

It is always really easy for a team to get distracted, and for them to get excited and lose focus. Much to Notre Dame’s credit, they really put in the hard yards even in the first period of overtime. Zoe Brooks top-scored the game with 33, while Hannah Hidalgo scored 26 against the #2 seed. But the last period of play was crucial towards victory. Some important fouls cost Notre Dame the game in the last few minutes of gameplay.

The trip to Miami might not have been the best idea in hindsight. For most players, it is better to keep them away from excessive spotlight, keep their ego in check when we talk to them. However, we can’t blame the loss on purely off-court factors.

Notre Dame’s poor showing from deep, who’s the new number 1 team?

To put it simply, the Fighting Irish did not shoot the ball well against the Wolfpack. They lacked the proper spacing and their shots just would not fall. The majority of Notre Dame’s threes were taken by Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, who combined for six makes from twenty attempts from the field. Without being a proper perimeter threat, Notre Dame’s guard play will not be as effective as it has been in the past. The team collectively shot 25.9% from beyond the arc!

These numbers simply won’t put it when the opponents are high level. NC State is a Top 15 team in the country, and such mistakes cost us the game against them. Notre Dame might be looking at a surprising Associate Press result. The list is updated every Monday, and there’s an even chance of the Fighting Irish remaining at the top this week.

Even after the loss, Notre Dame stands strong in the ACC conference. They lost because they were divided and conquered slowly but surely, however, there were some positives in the game as well. Sonia Citron took up a relatively large part of the offensive burden, being very efficient in her 23 points scored.

Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo combining for 48 was not expected. Both stars looked to be in great rhythm, and for fans to lose all of that in two quarters? It’s not fun. Especially Rivers’ block on Miles late in the first half. Regardless, Notre Dame has a shot at making a really deep playoff run this year with all of the star power that they possess. They need to put this loss behind them, and they need to do it fast with only two games left in the season. Take the positives, forget about the negatives.