Notre Dame stars Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron never doubted their team’s ability to bounce back after a rough finish to the 2024–25 ACC women’s basketball season.
The Fighting Irish had a dominant regular season in the ACC, finishing with a 16-2 record and an impressive 19-game winning streak from December to February. However, three losses in their final five games disrupted their momentum, including back-to-back defeats before the season finale and a semifinal exit in the ACC Tournament. That loss prevented them from defending their title, despite entering as the reigning champions. Just a month ago, Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in the country, but their late-season slump dropped them to eighth in the AP rankings heading into March Madness.
Despite this setback, the team quickly regained form with two commanding wins in the NCAA Women’s Tournament. They crushed Stephen F. Austin 106-54 in the first round on Friday, then comfortably defeated Michigan 76-55 on Sunday. With a regional semifinal against TCU on March 26, the Irish are now just two wins away from reaching the Final Four.
Even though they entered the tournament after a tough stretch, Hidalgo and Citron always believed in their ability to respond. Their recent performances, they said, only reinforced their confidence in the team.
“I already knew this, but we’re fighters, and we respond when challenged,” Citron said after the Michigan win. “Coach Ivey pushed us, and we answered. We got better, and I think we’ve shown that these past two games.”
Hidalgo echoed that sentiment, adding, “I didn’t learn anything new, but I recognized how dominant we are when we play together. When we’re in sync, we take teams apart. I’m proud of how we came out strong from the start.”
Coach Niele Ivey, too, was unsurprised by the team’s response, pointing out that they had already overcome a similar rough patch earlier in the season before going on their 19-game winning streak.
“I knew they were fighters. I knew they were resilient. This team wants to win, and we just hit a few bad performances that we learned from,” Ivey said. “I had no doubt they’d respond, and I’m so proud of how we’ve turned the page. These last two games, we’ve been outstanding.”
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