DULUTH, Ga. — Notre Dame’s 2026 trip to the Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball tournament ended the same way it did in 2025 — with a loss to Duke.
But this time around, coach Niele Ivey holds her head high as she heads back to South Bend, Ind., with a promising outlook on what she views as a special group.
“This group has grown. We’ve matured. We’ve learned how to play with each other and play for each other, and it has been honestly phenomenal,” Ivey said after Notre Dame’s 65-63 semifinal loss Saturday. “I talked to everybody about how much joy I have in coaching this group, so I told them, don’t hang your heads on this. It does not define us. It’s only going to make us better and stronger.”
It was a tough one for No. 5 seed Notre Dame (22-10), which overcame a first-half deficit and took a third-quarter lead over the top-seeded Blue Devils before a tightly contested fourth quarter ended with three potential game-winners falling short.
And so 364 days after being sent packing by Duke just before the ACC title game, Notre Dame suffered the same fate.
“It’s unfortunate, same result, but this group is a different group,” Ivey said. “Everybody that steps on that floor gives me their all on the offensive end and the defensive end. That’s the difference. They play for each other. They love each other. That’s the reason why you’re seeing this type of team.”
Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-foot-6 junior guard from New Jersey, plays a big role in leading that charge. For the second straight year, Hidalgo was named both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to do so.
The two-way talent led the NCAA in steals per game this season (5.5) and topped the ACC in points per game (25.3).
In Saturday’s loss against the Blue Devils (23-8), Hidalgo led the Irish with 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals. She averaged 25.6 points, seven rebounds, four assists and 3.6 steals in her three ACC Tournament performances in Gas South Arena.
Hidalgo and Ivey are confident there’s more to come from the Irish this March. Their next opponent will be decided March 15, when the 68-team bracket is announced on Selection Sunday.
“We’ll come back, we’ll get back to work, get back to doing the same things that we’ve been doing to put us in this position,” Ivey said.
