SOUTH BEND, Ind. – A renewed rivalry.

On Thursday, No. 8 Notre Dame (7-2) hosts former BIG EAST Conference foe and second-seeded Connecticut (8-0) at Purcell Pavilion in a gigantic, resume-boosting win.

“I think women’s basketball fans are looking forward to this (game),” Karen and Kevin Keyes head coach Niele Ivey said Wednesday. “We get a chance to see them early and see where we stand. They’re No. 2 in the country and they play elite basketball at a really high level, so it’s a great opportunity for us.”

While Connecticut has dominated the rivalry in the past, Notre Dame won by double digits in two consecutive meetings and the Irish stars performed well in each game. Last season, Hannah Hidalgo dropped 34 points against the Huskies and drew a lot of attention, allowing Maddy Westbeld to act as a silent assassin, scoring 23 points. The Irish walked away with an 82-67 victory.

The last time the rivals met in South Bend, Olivia Miles had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block en route to a 74-60 win. Westbeld had 17 points and 9 balls themselves, including 3-5 from distance. The Irish led for more than 33 minutes of the match and shot 56.1 percent from the floor.

The Huskies will face Hidalgo and Miles together for the first time on Thursday. The elite backcourt, which includes Sonia Citron, combined for 69 points against Syracuse in a 93-62 win on Sunday, and the three guards have already recorded 13 appearances with more than 20 points this season.

Connecticut also brings a star-studded group, including USA’s Paige Bueckers and freshman sensation Sarah Strong. Bueckers is averaging 18.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season. Strong is the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week after posting back-to-back performances of over 20 points and 15 rebounds in two games last week. As a team, the Huskies lead the nation with a 51.8 success rate from the field.

Of note, typical UConn starter Azzi Fudd likely won’t play after suffering a knee sprain against Louisville last weekend. She had 18 points in 18 minutes before exiting due to injury against the Cardinals.

In addition to the top-10 matchup on the course, the 2024 Shamrock Classic takes place on Thursday. Notre Dame will be green, and there will be additional programming aspects surrounding the game, including a Shamrock Classic social, which is a pregame dinner and celebration of female leaders at Notre Dame.

Thursday’s matchup tips will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo and Holly Rowe will be on the phone.