UConn's Smothering Defense Leads Huskies to 17th Final Four in 18 Years, Stymies Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo

The UConn Huskies put on a defensive clinic against Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, holding the Fighting Irish to zero fast-break points and 39.1% shooting en route to a 70-52 victory that sends them to their 17th Final Four in the last 18 years. The undefeated, top-seeded Huskies (38-0) used a smothering defensive effort to stifle Notre Dame All-American Hannah Hidalgo, who still managed 22 points but shot just 7-of-19 from the field.

UConn's Defense Dominates Notre Dame in Elite Eight Victory

UConn's defense, which leads the nation in opposing field goal percentage (33.3%) and points allowed (50.1), was the star of the show against a Notre Dame team that averaged over 76 points per game in its first three tournament games. The Huskies held the Fighting Irish to their lowest point total of the season and just 39.1% shooting from the floor, including 0-of-8 from three-point range.

"They do everything right. The margin of error is very small. They do a great job of rotating and helping when they take away the first option, and then they rotate it well. They do a great job of denying and being extremely physical." - Hannah Hidalgo on UConn's defense

Hidalgo, who recorded a historic 30-point triple-double in the Sweet 16 upset of Vanderbilt, was the focal point of UConn's defensive gameplan. The Huskies threw multiple looks at Hidalgo, icing her, hedging her, and switching one through five to make every shot difficult for the All-American.

Huskies' Depth and Relentless Pressure Wear Down Fighting Irish

UConn's depth and relentless defensive pressure proved too much for Notre Dame to handle. The Huskies went nine deep with high-quality players, while the Fighting Irish were limited to a seven-player rotation with three players logging over 35 minutes.

In the waning seconds, Hidalgo recorded her second steal of the game and went in for her only fastbreak layup, but UConn reserve Ayanna Patterson swatted it away as the buzzer sounded. The play epitomized the Huskies' dominance on the defensive end throughout the game.

UConn Aims for Back-to-Back National Titles in Phoenix

The young UConn squad, filled with underclassmen, will head to Phoenix for the Final Four next weekend with the third-best point differential of any team in the 21st century. The defending champion Huskies, led by potential No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd and future top pick Sarah Strong, will attempt to become the first back-to-back national title winners since 2016.

• UConn's defense leads the nation in opposing field goal percentage (33.3%) and points allowed (50.1%).
• Notre Dame was held to zero fast-break points and 39.1% shooting from the floor.
• Hannah Hidalgo managed 22 points but shot just 7-of-19 from the field against UConn's smothering defense.