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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The UConn Huskies may have an unblemished record, but that doesn't mean their head coach, Geno Auriemma, isn't scouting every team they face and identifying potential opponents who could give them serious trouble in the NCAA Tournament.
After defeating Syracuse and North Carolina, each by double digits, UConn will now face a Notre Dame team that they previously faced in the regular season. In that meeting on Jan. 19, the Huskies crushed the Irish by nearly 40 points, but the No. 6 seed may have developed into a better squad during their March Madness.
A lot of that credit will go to their guard Hannah Hidalgo, who recently joined Caitlin Clark in college basketball history. They are the only two women's players to record a 30-point triple-double during the tournament, and Hidalgo did hers with points, rebounds, and steals.
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The skilled Notre Dame guard could cause problems for UConn, and before their matchup, head coach Auriemma spoke highly of her talent in the game.
Read more: UConn’s Geno Auriemma Slams NCAA for March Madness Decisions
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"Have you seen Hannah Hidalgo play?" Auriemma asked, chuckling. "I don't think I've seen a performance like she had yesterday in a long, long time."
"She's like the Lawrence Taylor of basketball. People are probably too young to remember Lawrence Taylor, but he played linebacker for the [New York] Giants, and if he was in the next room and you threw the ball to one of you [media] guys, he would intercept it," he said.
Taylor spent his entire NFL career, from 1981 to 1993, as a linebacker for the Giants, where he was part of two Super Bowl championship teams, earned 10 Pro Bowl selections, and was league MVP in 1986. Following his retirement, the defensive superstar received his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1999.
"She’s just a unique player that comes along once in a lifetime, and she has the ability to disrupt and cause chaos like nobody I’ve ever seen," he told reporters.
Hidalgo is definitely a rarity, as she averaged 25.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 5.7 steals per game in her junior season.
In her previous game, she recorded 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, seven assists, and a block to help her team knock off No. 2 seed Vanderbilt, coached by Shea Ralph, a former UConn player Auriemma coached.
Hidalgo will now try to help the 25-10 Irish team dethrone the juggernaut that is UConn. They've yet to lose, and despite looking like they might get upset last game, they turned things back around to push past another obstacle.
However, their next obstacle seemingly provides a tough test for Auriemma's group as Hidalgo seems like she can just about do it all, and her sneaky ability to record steals can lead to plenty of opportunities for the Irish to take advantage of.
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