ROME — Notre Dame women's basketball opens its season on a grand stage on Sunday, as the 13th-ranked Irish will face Villanova in Rome as part of the Eternal City Tip-Off.
Villanova is coming off of a 2026 NCAA Tournament appearance and finished second in the Big East last season. The Wildcasts boasted a 25-8 record.
Hannah Hidalgo is the star of the show for the Irish. The three-time All-American broke the NCAA single-season (202) and single-game (16) steals records last season, and she set a new mark for ACC single-season scoring (909). Hidalgo had a game-high 33 points and seven steals in Monday's exhibition against Truman State.
Hidalgo will be joined on the court by an almost entirely new team, as Kelly Ratigan is the only other player on the roster who has played a game in a Notre Dame uniform.
Sophomore Leah Macy, who did not play last year while rehabbing a torn ACL, stood out in Monday's exhibition. A five-star recruit in the 2025 class, Macy nearly posted a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and four steals.
In addition to Hidalgo and Macy, four others scored in double-figures on Monday: Jenica Lewis (21), Jacy Abii (20), Madison St. Rose (14) and Amari Byles (11). Lewis had a particularly good game, going 6-10 from beyond the arc.
Sunday's game will be played at Palazzo dello Sport, the site of the gold medal game of the 1960 Olympics. The women's game follows a men's game between the Irish and the Wildcats and begins at 12 p.m. ET. Notre Dame is 20-10 all-time against Villanova, a former Big East foe.