UConn Women's Basketball advances to Final Four with 70-52 win over Notre Dame
The No. 1 UConn women’s basketball team (38-0, 20-0) defeated the No. 6-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish (25-11, 12-6) 70-52 to advance to the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
In Connecticut’s 18-point victory, three players reached double figures. Sarah Strong, who came alive in the second half, paved the way with 21 points, seven rebounds, an assist, three blocks and five steals. In 39 minutes, the star forward buried four of eight (50%) field goals, two of five (40%) triples and seven of eight (87.5%) free throws.
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Trailing behind the North Carolina native, Blanca Quiñonez almost tied her career-high (21 points). In 30 minutes, the freshman dropped 20 off-the-bench points, snagged eight boards and dished out three assists.
Throughout the entire showdown, the forward played a major role in not giving up the lead. From the floor, Quiñonez drained three of four (75%) shots, swished four of eight (50%) deep attempts and went two-for-two from the free-throw line.
Alongside the duo, Azzi Fudd posted 13 points, two rebounds, four assists and three takeaways. In 38 minutes, the 23-year-old drilled five of 11 (45.5%) paint shots and went three-for-three from the free-throw line, but missed her lone three-point try.
Defensively, the squad turned 18 mistakes into 19 points.
Overall, the Huskies connected on 18 of 37 (48.7%) field goals, six of 17 (35.3%) triples and 16 of 20 (80%) free throws.
Compared to Notre Dame, Hannah Hidalgo, who gave Connecticut a problem the entire match, earned a double-double. In 40 minutes, the junior tallied 22 points, 11 boards, three assists and three steals. The guard knocked down six of 16 (37.5%) shots inside the arc, 1 of three (33.3%) downtown attempts and seven of 10 (70%) free throws.
Collectively, the Fighting Irish hit 14 of 34 (41.2%) field goals, four of 12 triples (33.3%) and 12 of 19 (63.2%) free throws.
Right out of the halftime, the Huskies gained a 6-1 run in the first minute and a half of the first frame. Since then, the squad has bricked 11 consecutive field goals and experienced a four-and-a-half-minute slump.
At this point in the battle, Notre Dame secured a 7-2 run, keeping the match within seven points. What prevented the Fighting Irish from gaining the lead was Jana El Alfy, who grabbed four rebounds in seven minutes.
“I thought we could just rebound better and certainly she’s done that,” said Head Coach Geno Auriemma when discussing El Alfy’s performance. “Just giving us a big presence. Maybe change it up a little bit, she’s a pretty good screener, she’s a pretty decent passer, so I think she’s given us what we were hoping for.”
With two and a half minutes left in the third quarter, UConn answered with a 7-0 run, giving them a 47-36 advantage.
To make matters worse for Notre Dame, Cassandre Prosper committed her third foul, forcing Head Coach Niele Ivey to sub her out. Prosper would eventually foul out in the fourth period. In the tournament, the senior has been the squad’s second-best player. Through three meetings, the guard has averaged 15 points.
Heading into the fourth frame, Connecticut maintained their offensive rhythm to leave the Fighting Irish in the rearview mirror. In three and a half minutes, the Huskies went on a detrimental 11-4 run. A few minutes later, the team went on a 6-0 run to notch a 60-42 margin, which was the largest lead of the outing.
The Fighting Irish tried to make a comeback, but the damage had already been done. In the final two minutes, UConn allowed the historic rivals to knock down just a pair of free throws.
To kick off the matchup, neither program looked stellar offensively. After trading layups, Notre Dame suffered the first scoring drought of the game. Nearing the seven-minute mark, a shot had not fallen for them in just over three and a half minutes. During this early slump, the team missed four consecutive buckets.
However, Connecticut could not capitalize on the Fighting Irish’s dry spell, as they did not add any points to their 4-2 lead. On the flipside, the Huskies experienced their own cold stretch, lasting almost two and a half minutes. Like UConn, Notre Dame could not get on a run.
Neither offense picked up until just under five minutes of the opening period. To help the reigning national champs stay on top, Quiñonez caught fire. In five minutes, the freshman looked flawless in her first Elite 8 contest.
By the end of the quarter, the Ecuadorian native outscored the Fighting Irish (11 points) by herself with 12 points. It is worth noting that this is the most points the forward has racked up in a single frame.
In six minutes, Quiñonez thrived from all ranges. From the field, the Big East Freshman of the Year sank two of three (66.7%) shots, went two-for-two from long range and two-for-two from the free-throw line.
“I’m just here to play basketball,” said Quiñonez at halftime. “I’m told to play hard and do the best for my team.”
To finish the first period, the Huskies nailed five of six consecutive field goals to take a 20-11 lead.
Going into the second quarter, Notre Dame’s defense paused UConn’s offensive momentum, allowing them to close the gap. In a little over four minutes, Hidalgo took control and cashed in the squad’s first nine points of the second frame.
After the junior landed back-to-back shots with slightly under five minutes remaining in the first half, Auriemma called a timeout. This stopped the bleeding, as the team constructed a 6-0 run. While enduring a two-minute offensive lull, the Fighting Irish struggled to find a field in just over three minutes, but this did not stop them.
In response, the program created their own 5-0 run and only conceded a buzzer-beating jumper by Kayleigh Heckel. At the break, Connecticut led 32-25.
Next up, the Huskies will face the winner of tomorrow night’s game between the No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks and the No. 3-seeded TCU Horned Frogs.
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