USC (No. 3) became the highest-ranked team to lose so far during the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season, falling 74-61 at home to No. 6 Notre Dame. Here’s everything you need to know about the biggest game of the season so far:
Hidalgo’s star shines brightest in showdown
Notre Dame sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo tied for the game high with 24 points, including 11 after a quarter (USC had 10) and 16 in the first half (no other player had more than six). She added eight assists and five steals, giving her at least 24 points and four steals in four straight games. Star teammate Olivia Miles added 20 points with seven assists and three steals, while the Irish came away with 17 steals as a team.
The Irish jumped out to a 19-8 lead and never gave it back, maintaining a cushion of at least three points the rest of the way. They scored 14 of the first 16 points in the final frame to erase any hope of a USC comeback after leading by seven after both two and three quarters. Notre Dame snapped a seven-game road losing streak against AP top five opponents, earning their first such win since Nov. 2017 at No. 3 South Carolina.
JuJu Watkins led USC with 24 points, though she got off to a slow start with 5 points in the first half on 2-9 FG before scoring 19…
 and upcoming schedules.Information on USC and Notre Dame women's basketball after their clash on November 23. Includes notes from the game, star performances (JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, Kiki Iriafen, Olivia Miles) and upcoming schedules.){kind=link}