Hannah Hidalgo: Notre Dame's Two-Way Star Making Her Case for Player of the Year

Sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo has helped Notre Dame become the second-ranked team in college basketball and elevated herself into the national spotlight.

Photo via Notre Dame Athletics

The No. 2 Notre Dame women's basketball team is must-see TV. The talented guard trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron have been the backbone to the Irish's 17-game winning streak that has vaulted Notre Dame up the polls to No. 2. While the wizardry of Miles and the defensive prowess of Citron have elevated their draft stock, the true star of the team lives within the fiery nature of the 5'6" guard from Merchantville, N.J.: Hannah Hidalgo.

Last year, Hidalgo burst on the scene in her freshman campaign, scoring 31 points in her debut against the eventual national champion South Carolina Gamecocks, before establishing herself as a household name within the women's college basketball realm. Hidalgo cemented herself as one of the sport's best players in Notre Dame's 82-67 win against No. 8 UConn in Storrs, Conn. as Hidalgo's 34-point effort established Notre Dame's legitimacy in the 2023-24 season. With Olivia Miles being sidelined the entirety of last year, Hidalgo matured quickly as she led Notre Dame to a Sweet Sixteen run before losing to Oregon State. She was also awarded the 2024 Dawn Staley Award, which highlights the best guard in college basketball, over first-overall pick, Caitlin Clark.

With the re-emergence of Miles, Maddy Westbeld, and the transfer portal acquisition of Liatu King, Niele Ivey's team is at full strength and destined for a deep run in this year's installment of March Madness. Yet, even with such a tremendous amount of talent, Hannah Hidalgo still finds a way to be a star on both ends of the court.

This season, Hidalgo is currently averaging 25.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 4.1 steals per game. Her 25.2 points per game ranks second in the country, while she is currently tied for first in steals per game as well. While the stats clearly demonstrate how effective she is both offensively and defensively, it is the heart and passion that Hidalgo plays with that is so captivating to watch.

Her fiery personality and emotion-filled performances bring out the best in her game, as she has averaged 27.7 points in games against AP Top 10 teams this season (USC, Texas, UConn). She has also outshined the game's brightest stars through these performances. She outplayed USC's star JuJu Watkins in the Irish's early season victory against USC in Los Angeles. She outlasted Madison Booker and the Texas Longhorns in the Irish's overtime victory in South Bend. Then, Hidalgo put together her best performance of the season against Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies as Hannah accounted for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists in a win over the No. 2 team.

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Much of the Fighting Irish's success this season is a testament to the team and the depth that Ivey has fostered at Notre Dame. If not for Hidalgo's excellence, Miles, Citron, Westbeld, and King would all be superstars, and headliner players at most Top 25 programs. Ivey's team is so well-coached and developed that the Irish should be locked into a first seed when Selection Sunday comes around next month. However, Notre Dame has not had a Naismith Women's College Player of the Year in 24 years, since Ruth Riley won the award in 2001. While Bueckers is shoed-in as the first overall pick in next year's draft and Watkins receives all of the national attention on the West Coast, it is hard to argue that there is a more impactful player on both ends of the court than the superstar Sophomore guard for the Irish.

As Notre Dame gets ready to take on No. 13 Duke tomorrow at Purcell Pavilion before playing in front of ESPN College Gameday in Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday, Feb. 23 against No. 10 NC State, Hannah Hidalgo will be center-stage to showcase herself as the frontrunner for the Naismith award.

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