Sydney Colson feels giving Hannah Hidalgo’s Notre Dame 3rd seed was the “silliest decision” by NCAA: “Gonna come out and take this personally” 

March Madness is all about surprises, but for Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame, the biggest shock of the tournament came before the first whistle even blew. Despite their dominant performances for much of the season, the Fighting Irish were handed a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

This decision left fans and analysts alike baffled, including WNBA champion Sydney Colson. Now, with star sophomore Hidalgo leading the charge, Notre Dame is seemingly ready to use that seeding as fuel to prove the Selection Committee wrong.

Sydney Colson criticizes NCAA’s seeding decision, especially about Hannah Hidalgo

Sydney Colson, alongside Caroline Fenton and Isis 'Ice' Young, didn’t hold back when reacting to the tournament bracket on Yahoo Sports' YouTube channel. As the analysts broke down each team’s path to the Final Four, Colson was particularly vocal about the decision to place Notre Dame as a No. 3 seed, calling it the “silliest” move the NCAA could have made.

When asked about how Hidalgo and her teammates might be feeling after the seeding snub, Colson made it clear that she expected them to take it personally. Colson said:

"I like it. You can already see it in the way that kid plays — she’s already got a chip on her shoulder. I'm clapping after plays, I’m getting steals, I’m energizing my team with my play. This is like perfect for them."

(from 3:27 mark onwards)

She doubled down on her stance, predicting that the Fighting Irish would be playing with extra motivation throughout the tournament.

"This is probably the silliest thing that the committee could have done—giving them even more motivation to get to a Final Four. I think they're gonna come out and take this personally every round, and they're likely to make it to the Final Four because of it."

Just a few weeks ago, Notre Dame looked poised to enter the tournament as a No. 1 seed. At 24-2 following a dominant win over Miami on February 20, everything seemed to be going according to plan. But basketball can be unpredictable, and the Fighting Irish hit a rough patch at the worst possible time.

Notre Dame’s bumpy road to the Big Dance

Three consecutive losses to North Carolina State, Florida State and Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals sent their ranking into a tailspin. When Selection Sunday arrived, the committee placed Notre Dame as the No. 3 seed in the Birmingham Regional, setting up a first-round matchup against No. 14 Stephen F. Austin.

If the Fighting Irish advance, their journey only gets tougher. They would likely face No. 6 Michigan (or one of the No. 11 First Four teams) in the Round of 32 before a potential Sweet 16 showdown with No. 2 TCU. And looming at the top of their region is No. 1 seed Texas, a team standing between Notre Dame and a trip to the Final Four in Tampa.

Despite the disappointing seeding, Hidalgo remains confident that her team has what it takes to make a deep tournament run. The 2024 First-Team All-American is using the setback as motivation.

"We’re extremely hungry, especially after how we kind of died off at the end of the season," Hidalgo said via IrishStar.com.

"It gives us something else to fight for, and for a lot of the girls, it’s the last time putting on a Notre Dame jersey. It’s important that we stay locked in knowing each game could be our last game," she added.

With their backs against the wall, the Fighting Irish will look to embrace the underdog mentality. If history has shown anything, it's that doubting a team led by a fiery competitor like Hannah Hidalgo is a dangerous mistake.

Will Hannah Hidalgo and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish win March Madness this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.