No. 6 Irish preparing for top 10 showdown at No. 3 USC this weekend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is off to a 4-0 start this season, but the No. 6 Irish now face a major test in Los Angeles with a top 10 showdown against No. 3 USC.

Notre Dame’s talent is no secret, even as they have navigated early season injuries, often relying on a seven-player rotation. Despite this, six players are averaging double figures.

But their biggest challenge so far comes Saturday against the third-ranked Trojans. One of the most exciting storylines for this matchup is the showdown between two standout sophomores: JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo.

Watkins, just four games into her sophomore year, has already surpassed 1,000 career points and is averaging 21.5 points per game. Meanwhile, Hidalgo leads the Irish with 25 points per game.

This head-to-head clash is set to be a huge moment for women’s basketball.

“We are really excited,” says Irish head coach Niele Ivey. “We had the opportunity to rest the last two days, so having a whole week to prepare for them is going to be beneficial for us. The fact that we get to be on this big stage, and I heard it is almost a sold out arena. We are going to have a lot of fans on the road for us. It’s, again, going to be an incredible matchup. They are ranked third in the country, some of the biggest names that are out in the women’s basketball right now. I think it is going to be great for the game to grow the game, but also to challenge us this early is going to be great for us down the road.”

Tipoff for Saturday’s highly anticipated matchup is set for 4 p.m. EST right here on WNDU.

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