During the recent NCAA Tournament game between Notre Dame women’s basketball team and Oregon State, a controversy arose surrounding player Hannah Hidalgo and her nose ring. Hidalgo, a standout player for Notre Dame, was required to temporarily leave the game in the second quarter as the team's training staff tried to remove her nose ring. This incident was due to NCAA women’s basketball Rule 1-25.7, which prohibits the wearing of jewelry during games.
Despite having worn the nose ring throughout the season and in previous tournament games, Hidalgo encountered issues during this particular match. She mentioned that one official had initially allowed her to wear the nose ring as long as it was covered, but problems arose in the second quarter.
Expressing her frustration, Hidalgo stated, 'I thought it was BS, because I'm on a run, I'm on a roll. I scored two baskets and then, having to sit out for all that time, I was starting to get cold. I think (the officials) were worried about the wrong things. They should have reffed the game.'
Notre Dame's coach, Niele Ivey, expressed her disappointment at not being informed about the nose ring issue before the game commenced. Hidalgo, who had a subpar performance with 10 points in the game, was visibly affected by the interruption.
Ultimately, Oregon State emerged victorious with a score of 70-65. Timea Gardiner, a key player for the Beavers, contributed significantly to the win with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Reflecting on the team's success, Gardiner highlighted their defensive strategies and shared, 'All of us over the spring, over the summer and into this year, we came in with the mindset of understanding what we needed to accomplish defensively in order to win those close games. So, this year, that core group, we know what it takes now. We’re obviously doing it, so it’s super fun.'
