South Bend, IN — In a game that felt ripped straight from a mythic sports legend, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo transformed into a full-blown monster on the court Tuesday night, torching the opposition and leaving fans, analysts, and even her teammates in awe.
With a triple-double stat line that read like a video game cheat code—31 points, 12 assists, and 10 steals—Hidalgo’s performance wasn’t just dominant. It was supernatural.
“She’s not human,” said head coach Niele Ivey after the game. “I mean that with love, but what we saw tonight was something out of a creature feature. She took over every aspect of the game. Offense, defense, tempo—you name it. She was everywhere at once.”
And it felt that way. From the opening tip, Hidalgo played like she had extra limbs. She slashed to the basket with terrifying speed, her crossover leaving defenders frozen like statues. Her passes seemed telekinetic, zipping through seams before anyone even realized they were open. And defensively? It was as if she had eyes in the back of her head—ripping the ball out of opponents’ hands, jumping passing lanes, and chasing down fast breaks like a predator.
By halftime, she already had 18 points and 7 steals. Cameras caught the opposing coach whispering to an assistant, “Is she part velociraptor?”
Fans on social media went wild. The hashtag #MonsterHidalgo started trending nationally within minutes of her third-quarter block that sent the ball three rows deep into the stands. The official Notre Dame Women’s Basketball X (formerly Twitter) account leaned into the moment, posting an edited photo of Hidalgo with glowing eyes and the caption: “You woke the beast.”
But while her individual numbers were dazzling, what stood out even more was her control over the game. When Notre Dame’s lead began to shrink in the fourth quarter, Hidalgo didn’t just respond—she shifted into another gear. She drilled back-to-back threes, found her bigs on two no-look assists, and sealed the win with a pair of steals that led to easy transition buckets.
“She’s our engine,” said teammate Sonia Citron. “And tonight, she was a monster truck rolling through everything in her path.”
Hidalgo’s rise this season has been meteoric, but performances like this suggest she’s evolving into something even greater. At just 5’6”, she’s redefining what dominance looks like in the college game. Her agility, IQ, and relentless energy have placed her firmly in the national spotlight and into early conversations for National Player of the Year.
“She doesn’t care about the hype,” Coach Ivey added. “She just wants to win. That’s the scariest part—she’s only getting better.”
The win keeps Notre Dame climbing in the rankings, but the buzz around Hidalgo now extends far beyond the ACC. Analysts are drawing comparisons to legends like Dawn Staley, Allen Iverson, and even the mythical nature of Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” performances.
“You can prepare all you want,” said the opposing team’s starting guard, still breathing heavy postgame. “But when Hidalgo flips that switch? It’s like playing against a monster. A fast, smart, unshakable monster.”
Next up for Notre Dame is a key conference clash, but all eyes will remain on the young star who continues to make headlines every time she steps on the court. One thing’s for sure: if Hidalgo is a monster, she’s Notre Dame’s favorite kind.
As one fan’s sign in the front row read:
“Warning: Do not feed the beast. Just give her the ball.”
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