Arike Ogunbowale, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jewell Loyd witness Hannah Hidalgo's dominance vs Paige Bueckers' UConn as Notre Dame emerge victorious

The Notre Dame home crowd witnessed a standout performance from star guard Hannah Hidalgo during the team's matchup against No. 2 UConn on Thursday night.

Hidalgo was dominant on both sides of the ball to lead the Fighting Irish to a 79-68 victory over the Huskies. She finished with a double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds on 8-of-17 shooting from the field and 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. She also dished out eight assists and made three steals.

Several alumni were also present during the game. Former players Arike Ogunbowale, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Jewell Loyd witnessed Hidalgo's masterclass.

The March Madness Instagram page shared pictures and videos of the former Notre Dame players in attendance.

Ogunbowale played her entire collegiate career at Notre Dame from 2015 to 2019, winning the national championship in 2018. She was also named the Most Outstanding Player and an All-American before getting drafted by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft.

Diggins-Smith played from 2009 to 2013, becoming the first Notre Dame to win the Nancy Lieberman Award as the top point guard in the nation in 2012. She won the award again the following year while also collecting the Dawn Staley Award in her final year. The Tulsa Shock (now Dallas Wings) went on to draft her in 2013, but she later made stops at Phoenix (2020-23) and Seattle (2024-now)

Lastly, Loyd played with the Fighting Irish for three years from 2012 to 2015. She was named an All-American twice while being one of the best defenders in the ACC and winning the conference tournament MVP twice as well. She remains a member of the Seattle Storm, the team that drafted her in 2015

Hannah Hidalgo announces NIL deal with Red Bull

With women's basketball players slowly but surely getting their names involved in NIL deals, Hannah Hidalgo became the next to achieve the feat.

On Thursday, Hidalgo announced a partnership with Red Bull as she joins a roster that includes LSU's Mikaylah Williams, South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley, and 2025 prospect and BYU commit AJ Dybantsa.

As one of the best-performing players in the country, Hidalgo's scoring competes with the likes of JuJu Watkins in the national charts. She is averaging 25 points, 7.1 rebounds, four steals, and 3.8 assists on 46.2% shooting from the field and 42.6% from beyond the arc.

Following the win over No. 2 UConn, No. 8 Notre Dame will host Eastern Michigan at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana, on Dec. 15 at 2 p.m. ET.