The matchup was once the premier rivalry in women’s college basketball. That billing may be missing as No. 8 Notre Dame takes on No. 2 UConn on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), but it’s one of the biggest games left on the calendar this year.

The Huskies (8-0) are undefeated. The Irish (7-2) have lost twice, but they also have top-five wins against USC and Texas. UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo are leading candidates for National Player of the Year. The game will feature two of the country’s top freshmen, Sarah Strong of the Huskies and Irishwoman Kate Koval.

And both teams have other star guards who are overcoming knee injuries from last season: Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and UConn’s Azzi Fudd, although Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said Fudd likely won’t be available Thursday after recovering sustained a mild knee sprain last weekend.

Since this is the first game of the series in 1996, Thursday marks the 55th meeting between UConn and Notre Dame. The Huskies lead the series 39-15, although five of the Irish victories have come in the Final Four semifinals.

So it’s a rivalry with a long history, but one with a lot of future: Both teams are ranked No. 1 in the latest version of ESPN’s Bracketology, and this game could have huge implications for March Madness.

ESPN’s Michael Voepel, Alexa Philippou and Charlie Creme take a look at five key matchups on Thursday in South Bend. Notre Dame has won the last two meetings and four of the last seven, but can the Irish upset UConn this year?

Player of the Year showdown against two of the best backcourts in the country

Bueckers, who was voted National Player of the Year as a freshman in 2020-21, is known for her scoring efficiency, passing and leadership skills. The senior is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 56.3% from the field and 42.1% from behind the arc. Bueckers scored a season-high 29 points against ranked teams Ole Miss and North Carolina. She is coming off an uncharacteristic 2-of-11 contest (which ended with 8 points) in a win over Louisville on Saturday.

Hidalgo is averaging 24.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.1 steals while shooting 46.2% overall and 39.5% from 3-point range. The sophomore is one of the best ball defenders in college basketball. With a height of 1.70 m, she leaves the height to the Bueckers with 6:0. But Hidalgo’s speed is lethal and her size is no barrier to being a good rebounder. She scored a season-high 30 points in Notre Dame’s overtime win against Texas on December 5.

Had Fudd been available, Thursday’s match would have been a showdown between two of the best backcourt players in the country. UConn sophomore Ashlynn Shade is expected to start in place of Fudd, who missed all but two games last season with a torn ACL.

Miles was sidelined for the entire 2023–24 season after suffering a torn ACL in February 2023. Miles is known for her vision on the field and her eye-catching passes. Since returning to the floor, she has played at an All-American level, recorded a triple-double to start the season and is being talked about as a 2025 WNBA draft lottery pick. Miles, who has increased her 3-point shooting to a team-best 46.2% this season, and Hidalgo are a headache on defense. — Michael Voepel and Alexa Philippou

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Strong vs. Koval: Frontcourt rookies

Both teams have promising newcomers who were among the top 5 newcomers. Strong, the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2024, was sensational for the Huskies, ranking second on the team in scoring (16.3 PPG), first in rebounding (7.6 RPG) and third in rushing assists (3.6 APG) while shooting 36% from 3. On Saturday, Auriemma went so far as to say that Strong has offensive skills like no other post player since Breanna Stewart, UConn won the four NCAA titles.

Koval (8.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG), the No. 5 recruit in 2024, was forced to step up even more as the Irish’s frontcourt was depleted due to injury. She had an up and down start. In Notre Dame’s back-to-back losses, they finished scoreless and had a total of nine turnovers and eight fouls.

Will Strong, fellow starters Ice Brady and UConn control the game, or will Koval, Liatu King and Notre Dame hold their own? The answer to that could well determine the game on Thursday. — Alexa Philippou

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UConn against the drought

The Huskies have had unprecedented success with 11 national titles, but are in their worst championship drought since their first win in 1995: UConn hasn’t won since 2016, Stewart’s senior year, which culminated a historic run of four straight national titles hit the nets more. Injuries have been the primary cause in recent seasons, including to Bueckers and Fudd, who have only played 22 games together.

Auriemma said this group is “potentially” the best team he has had in the last four or five years; “Potentially” depends on whether the group has better health luck and whether its younger players develop quickly. Auriemma doesn’t need more titles for his sake, but he wants to win for players like Bueckers, who have indicated this is their last season with Storrs. If she ultimately fails, she would be the best player in program history to never win a championship.

Auriemma knows nothing is decided in December, but non-conference premiership matches like Thursday’s will help the Huskies gauge how far they still have to go on their path to the No. 12 seed. — Philippou

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Notre Dame vs. its potential

The Notre Dame teams that won the NCAA title in 2018 and finished runner-up in 2019 had three standout guards: Arike Ogunbowale, Jackie Young and Marina Mabrey. They were drafted in 2019 and had success in the WNBA.

Hidalgo, Miles and Sonia Citron – the current guard trio – also have a WNBA future ahead of them. Perimeter play is crucial in the NCAA Tournament, so a team with such talented guards has a very high ceiling: another Final Four and maybe even a third Irish NCAA title. It’s a tempting prospect, but can Notre Dame get there?

The biggest problem is the depth of contributions. Injured forwards Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen have not played yet this season; They can make a big difference. But Koval and King — the freshman and fifth-graders — are now holding their own. King, who spent four seasons in Pittsburgh, is the Irish’s leading rebounder (11.0 RPG) and averages 12.1 points. King was the ACC’s Most Improved Player last season and a great addition to Notre Dame. — Voepel

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No. 1 seed vs. No. 1 seed

This game will impact seedings for the 2025 NCAA Women’s Tournament and could be an important resume for UConn and Notre Dame in March. Both teams have shown good non-conference results to this point and each will be the best opponent they have faced to this point. The Irish have been particularly tested as they have already played four Quad 1 games, and wins over USC and Texas are the reason they advanced to the final No. 1 seed this week.

To keep this seed it is necessary to defeat the Huskies. A win over UConn would also give Notre Dame the best record in the country and soften the impact of two losses in the Cayman Islands (against TCU and Utah).

But Thursday’s game could be bigger for the Huskies. Although there are games against Iowa State and USC later this month and South Carolina in February, the Huskies don’t have many Quad 1 games available. In fact, based on Tuesday’s NET rankings, UConn has zero Quad-1 chances in the Big East (for comparison, Notre Dame has six in the ACC). The Huskies need to take advantage of every high-profile non-league game they have left.

UConn’s lead over a No. 1 seed can withstand a loss in South Bend, but it would significantly reduce the margin for error. — Charlie Cream