While sidelined last season, the All-American playmaker gained a new perspective that has helped the Fighting Irish become the best 3-point shooting team in women’s college basketball.

Miami guard Haley Cavinder, coming off a 27-point performance against Florida State, went 4-of-15 against Notre Dame’s stifling defense and managed only eight points. She and her twin sister, Hanna, the UM point guard, had a rough day off the court, as well.

Notre Dame ascended to No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll Monday, becoming the third team to reach that spot this season.

While the backcourt is a huge reason why Notre Dame has been one of the nation's elite teams this season, forward Liatu King has quietly proven she could be the X-factor as March Madness approaches. The Irish have the No.

Once it became clear that Notre Dame's dynamic duo of Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles could work well together, a great insurance policy came into place. If one player struggled mightily during a given game,

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 19 points and No. 1 Notre Dame used a strong second half to beat No. 11 Duke 64-49 on Monday. Notre Dame (23-2, 14-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), which moved up to No. 1 for the first time in more than six years earlier in the day, won its 18th game in a row and 17th consecutive conference matchup.

The No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish present a serious problem for opponents: there’s no easy way to stop them. Whether it’s Hannah Hidalgo’s speed or Olivia Miles’ playmaking, defenses have to pick their poison when dealing with the superstar guard duo.