Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey "confident" she would dominate Hannah Hidalgo in 1-on-1 during her prime days 

Since taking over as head coach at Notre Dame in 2020, Niele Ivey has coached some of the finest talents in women's college basketball like Hannah Hidalgo. The second-year player is quickly making her way up that list after enjoying a spectacular freshman year and a string of impressive performances in her sophomore year this season.

On December 12, Ivey's Fighting Irish scored a comprehensive 79-68 upset win over the second-ranked UConn Huskies in front of a sold-out crowd at the Purcell Pavilion. While addressing the media alongside Hidalgo and Liatu King, the stars of the evening, a familiar face crashed the post-game press conference to ask some tough questions.

That face was none other than senior forward Kylee Watson, who is recovering from an ACL injury she suffered during the ACC Tournament last season.

After quizzing Hidalgo and King, her final question was for Coach Ivey, asking her who would win if she played a 1-on-1 in her prime against Hidalgo. Ivey was quick to give an emphatic response, believing she could get the win in that showdown.

"In my prime? Who would get the dub? Me," said Ivey. "Of course I’m gonna say me. I’m confident, just like you (Hidalgo)."

Hannah Hidalgo quickly responded with her own take, believing she could get the win over her coach.

"Just to let you know, I would be all over Coach Ivey," said Hidalgo. "We'll duke it out."

During her college basketball career as a player, Ivey was one of the top guards for Notre Dame, playing a key role in their run to the national championship in 2001. That season, she averaged 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 2.6 steals. She won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, which honors players who excelled despite their short height.

Ivey finished the five seasons of her college basketball career at South Bend averaging 8.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals.

Hannah Hidalgo was the Fighting Irish's top performer against No. 2 UConn

Hannah Hidalgo has started her sophomore season with incredible performances, powering the Fighting Irish to three wins against top-five opponents so far. Across those games, she has averaged an astonishing 25.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Before the game against UConn, Hidalgo was honored for reaching the 1,000-point milestone in a school-record 44 games. And during the game, she got her 200th career steal in just her 45th game, tied for the fastest in DI basketball over the last 25 seasons, per ESPN.

Hannah Hidalgo was the standout in the Fighting Irish's win over the Huskies this past Thursday, recording an impressive double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds. King backed her up with a double-double of her own, finishing with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Olivia Miles finished with 16 points to record a famous win for Ivey's side.