All offseason lengthy, a whole lot of of us round ladies’s school basketball provided the identical concern when it got here to Notre Dame’s outlook this season. The widespread query was that, whereas the Irish appeared to be extremely gifted on-paper, might Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles coexist?
Miles, you would possibly keep in mind, led the best way for Notre Dame at level guard within the 2022-23 season because it gained the common season ACC title. Within the ultimate recreation of that common season, at Louisville, she suffered a proper knee damage that required surgical procedure to restore and sidelined her for all of final season. In her absence, Hidalgo, then a freshman, emerged and grabbed the reins for the Irish with each arms, incomes an All-American nod, main Notre Dame to an ACC Event crown and a Candy 16 look, and established herself as one of many recreation’s rising stars.
Of us had been asking the query about Miles and Hidalgo final March. Miles supplied a solution again then. We must always have listened to her.
“… Nobody is actually prepared for what’s about to occur. So, we’re type of letting everybody discuss, however it’s going to be actually unbelievable when it really occurs.”
Towards their hardest opponent to date of this season, Miles and Hidalgo gave followers the complete expertise of what their partnership will be and have rapidly staked their declare as the very best duo in ladies’s school basketball.
On Saturday, on the highway towards No. 3 USC in Los Angeles, Hidalgo and Miles had been the very best two gamers on the courtroom because the Irish gained 74-61. Hidalgo piled up 24 factors, eight rebounds, six assists and 5 steals, whereas Miles stuffed the stat sheet with 20 factors, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Their efficiency was historic. And that’s not hyperbole.
Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles are the second pair of teammates within the final 25 years to every have 20 factors, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists towards a AP High-10 opponent.
They be a part of Tennessee’s Candace Parker and Alexis Hornbuckle in 2007 https://t.co/KM3BcMYu3R
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) November 23, 2024
Miles swished 4-of-5 3-pointers, Hidalgo drew wild reactions, and Irish coach Niele Ivey danced within the locker room afterwards.
DAGGER 😮💨 @oliviamiles06 #NCAAWBB x 🎥 NBC / @ndwbb pic.twitter.com/L6Ai3bbrxo
— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 23, 2024
Can’t even lie, I used to be in aw each video games we performed like no method she be in so many locations at 1 time 😭😭 https://t.co/GBARXI1h24
— Dyaisha Truthful (@DyaishaFair) November 24, 2024
Victory dance 10/10 @IrishCoachIvey 😄#NCAAWBB x 🎥 @ndwbb pic.twitter.com/Kx6Zx8vFCg
— NCAA March Insanity (@MarchMadnessWBB) November 24, 2024
Hidalgo to Miles for 3
Miles to Hidalgo for 3 pic.twitter.com/IpACMIfecc
— Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) November 23, 2024
What Notre Dame proved on Saturday in its spectacular win over a formidable opponent like USC is that Miles and Hidalgo don’t have any downside taking part in collectively. Towards the Trojans, they seemed like the very best backcourt within the nation. 5 video games into the season, Miles is tenth nationally in assists (6.8) and is taking pictures a career-best 54.2 % from 3-point land. Hidalgo in the meantime is sixth nationally in factors per recreation (24.8) and second in steals (5.2).
The query for Notre Dame now’s, can it get wholesome and can it have sufficient depth to make a deeper run in March? Can the Irish get again to the Last 4 for the primary time since 2019, when it misplaced in Tampa within the ultimate moments of the championship bout towards Baylor?
As a result of what was wild about Saturday’s result’s that Notre Dame beat USC by double-digits with out All-ACC ahead Maddy Westbeld and All-Massive East switch Liza Karlen. The Irish beat USC of their home comfortably with out even being at full energy.
Getting Westbeld and Karlen again within the fold would elevate the Irish’s ceiling. However even with out them, it’s fairly excessive when the Miles-Hidalgo tandem is taking part in like this.
