Notre Dame promise fearless approach against UConn in Elite Eight

Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo insists her team will not repeat their starstruck performance when they face rivals UConn in Sunday’s Elite Eight rematch.

The Fighting Irish suffered a bruising 38-point defeat during the previous meeting in Storrs back in January.

However, the junior guard believes the sixth seeds are now playing their best basketball of the season following a strong recent run.

“I feel like I can say that UConn hasn’t seen the best Notre Dame,” Hidalgo said.

Moving past early intimidation

The previous encounter proved a difficult learning experience for a relatively inexperienced roster.

The talented playmaker was restricted to just 16 points on five-for-15 shooting during that heavy mid-season loss.

“I think before when we played UConn, we played a little afraid,” Hidalgo admitted.

“I think we were a little probably starstruck, but now that we’ve seen it, we’ve been through it, I think it’ll help us a lot.”

Peaking at the perfect moment

The Indiana-based programme has recovered formidably since the turn of the year, winning 10 of their past 11 matches.

Their only defeat during that impressive stretch came by a narrow two-point margin against a resilient Duke side.

Head coach Niele Ivey, who previously won a national championship as a player, understands the mental fortitude required against such dominant opposition.

“They can crush you from the beginning, so you have to have confidence for 40 minutes,” Ivey explained.

The former assistant coach stressed that her squad now possesses the necessary experience to handle the high-pressure tournament environment.