Hannah Hidalgo

Last updated
Hannah Hidalgo
UNC vs ND (Jan 2025) 21 (cropped).jpg
Hidalgo with Notre Dame in 2025
No. 3–Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Position Point guard
League Atlantic Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2005-02-22) February 22, 2005 (age 20)
Merchantville, New Jersey, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Career information
High school Paul VI (Haddonfield, New Jersey)
College Notre Dame (2023–present)
Career highlights
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the Flag of the United States.svg  United States
FIBA AmeriCup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2025 Chile
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Spain Team
FIBA Under-17 World Cup
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2022 Hungary Team

Hannah Grace Hidalgo (born February 22, 2005) is an American college basketball player for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She attended Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey, where she was named a McDonald's All-American and rated the fifth-best player (and best point guard) in her class by ESPN. [1] [2]

Contents

In her freshman season at Notre Dame, Hidalgo earned first-team All-American honors, won the Dawn Staley Award as the nation's best guard, [3] and led the NCAA Division I in steals. In her sophomore season, Hidalgo again earned first-team AP All-American honors, making her one of only four players in NCAA women's college basketball history to do so in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, joining JuJu Watkins, Maya Moore, and Courtney Paris. [4]

At the international level, she has won three gold medals with the United States and was named 2023 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. As part of those gold medal efforts, she was named to the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup All-Star Five and the FIBA U-19 World Cup All-Tournament Team. [5]

High school career

Raised in Merchantville, New Jersey, Hidalgo played basketball for Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey, where she was coached by her father, Orlando. [6] As a senior, she averaged 28.8 points, 7.3 steals, 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, leading her team to the South Jersey Non-Public A final. Hidalgo was named Courier-Post Player of the Year for her third straight season and was selected as New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year. [7] She finished as her school's all-time leading scorer, with 2,135 points. [8] Hidalgo played in the McDonald's All-American Game, sharing MVP honors with JuJu Watkins. She scored an event-record 26 points and had eight steals, which tied the record. [9] Rated a five-star recruit and the number five player in her class (and best point guard) by ESPN, [1] [2] she committed to play college basketball for Notre Dame over offers from Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Ohio State and UCF. [10]

College career

Freshman season

On November 6, 2023, Hidalgo made her college debut, scoring 31 points in a 100–71 loss to AP No. 6 South Carolina. It was the highest-scoring debut by a Notre Dame player since at least 1999. [11] In her next game, on November 12, she posted 26 points, 12 steals, six rebounds and six assists in a 104–57 win over NJIT, matching the program single-game record for steals. [12] On December 21, Hidalgo recorded her first triple-double, with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals in an 84–47 win over Western Michigan. [13] On January 27, 2024, she had 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in an 82–67 win over AP No. 8 UConn, surpassing the program freshman single-game scoring record held by Michelle Marciniak since 1991. [14] In her following game, she scored a career-high 35 points, along with eight assists and six steals, in an 85–48 win over Georgia Tech. [15] On February 8, Hidalgo tallied 30 points and seven steals in a 73–66 loss to AP No. 15 Louisville, breaking the Notre Dame freshman scoring record. [16] In her next game, she had 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals in a 98–94 win over Florida State in double overtime. She surpassed Skylar Diggins for the most steals in a season in program history. [17]

On February 29, Hidalgo set the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) freshman scoring record while posting 23 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in a 71–68 win over AP No. 5 Virginia Tech. [18] She earned first-team All-ACC honors and was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. [19] Hidalgo helped Notre Dame win the 2024 ACC tournament, where she was named tournament MVP. [20] She led her team to the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA tournament, where she tied a season-low 10 points in a 70–65 loss to Oregon State. She was sidelined for four minutes when officials enforced a rule prohibiting jewelry during games, requiring her to remove her nose piercing, which she had worn throughout the season. [21]

As a freshman, Hidalgo averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and a nation-leading 4.6 steals per game. Hidalgo was the only player in the nation to average at least 20 points per game, 5 assists per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 4 steals per game. [3] She also broke the Notre Dame single-season records for points per game (previously held by Arike Ogunbowale) and steals per game, [22] [23] while leading the NCAA Division I in defensive win shares at 4.0. [24] Hidalgo was named a first-team All-American by the AP, a second-team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches' All-American. [25] She also won the Dawn Staley Award, which honors the best Division I guard. [26]

Sophomore season

Hidalgo entered her sophomore season as a preseason AP All-American and the preseason ACC Player of the Year. [27] [28] She was joined by Olivia Miles, who returned from an ACL injury, in the backcourt to form one of the best duos in the nation. [29] As a result of Miles's return, Hidalgo shifted over to shooting guard, while Miles played primary point guard for Notre Dame. [30] On November 23, 2024, Hidalgo recorded 24 points and eight assists in a 74–61 win over AP No. 3 USC. [31] On December 5, she posted 30 points and eight rebounds to help Notre Dame defeat AP No. 4 Texas, 80–70, in overtime. [32] In her next game, she became the fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points as part of a 24-point, 10-rebound effort in a 93–62 victory over Syracuse (accomplishing this feat in 16 fewer games compared to the previous record-holder). [33] On December 12, Hidalgo tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in a 79–68 win against AP No. 2 UConn. [34] In January 2025, she missed two games with an ankle injury. [35] On February 2, Hidalgo scored a season-high 34 points in an 88–71 win over Louisville. [36]

Hidalgo became one of only four players in NCAA women's college basketball history to earn AP first-team All-American honors in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, joining JuJu Watkins, Maya Moore, and Courtney Paris. [4] She was also named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming only the third player in ACC history to earn those honors in the same year. [37] Her average of 23.8 points per game broke the Notre Dame single-season record, which she had set the year before. [22]

National team career

Hidalgo played for the United States at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Hungary. She averaged 7.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game, helping her team win the gold medal. [6] Hidalgo was named to the all-tournament team at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain after helping the United States win the gold medal. [38] She averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game, breaking team single-game records in assists (13) and steals (8). [39] At the end of the year, she was named USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, becoming the second teenager to win the award. [40]

On June 19, 2025, Hidalgo was named to team USA's roster for the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. During the tournament, she averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game and won a gold medal. Hidalgo earned all-tournament All-Star Five honors. [5]

Player profile

Hidalgo primarily plays point guard but has occasionally played the shooting guard position. Her playing style is characterized as a high-energy, attacking two-way player, who is both a tenacious defender and a shifty, versatile scorer and playmaker who can score the ball at all three levels. [41] [42] Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley has praised Hidalgo's all-around game: “Hannah Hidalgo’s court vision, passing ability, ball-handling and ability to create scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates combined with her relentless defense is unmatched. She is the embodiment of a two-way force on the basketball court.” [3] Similarly, Geno Auriemma has highlighted her attacking style of play and leadership: “Her talent is obvious…even if you're not a basketball person, you can tell that there's a talent level that’s pretty unique. But I think, more importantly, is the way she attacks everything that she does—the way she attacks your defense, the way when she’s on defense she attacks your offense. And I think the way that she leads her team in so many different ways. I think you put all three of those things together, and it's just a really, really difficult matchup." [43] Hidalgo has also been praised for her high basketball IQ, competitiveness, and intensity. [41] Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey has praised Hidalgo’s basketball IQ and noted her ability to “read people very well,” while Sports Illustrated columnist Emma Baccellieri has described her as a “film junkie obsessive”. [41] ESPN analyst Chiney Ogumwike has called her "the most competitive player in women’s college hoops, and that’s on BOTH ends!” [44]

While Hidalgo has made significant strides in her offensive game, particularly with her outside shot (shooting 40% from three-point range on 4.8 attempts per game as a sophomore [24] ), her tendency to over-penetrate to the rim and occasional inconsistency with outside shots has been noted as a potential weakness. [45] Hidalgo herself has stated that her primary areas of development are focused on improving her shooting consistency, extending her range, and strength training. [46] In terms of player comparisons, Hidalgo's unique combination of skills has led ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame player Rebecca Lobo to say, “Her motor never stops, and she’s so disruptive on the defensive end along with her offensive skillset—I just can’t think of a comp for her of any player that I've seen.” [47]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG%  Field goal percentage
 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game
 SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game TO  Turnovers per game PPG Points per game
 Bold Career high * Led Division I

College

Hannah Hidalgo NCAA Statistics
YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2023–24 Notre Dame 353535.9.446.340.7766.25.54.6*0.13.422.6
2024–25 Notre Dame 323235.5.463.400.8565.03.63.70.22.723.8
Career676735.6.454.371.8135.64.64.20.13.123.1

Off the court

Personal life

Hidalgo is openly Christian and was raised in the religion. [48] [49] In interviews, Hidalgo has stated that her faith deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. [48] In addition to basketball, Hidalgo competed in soccer and track growing up, as her parents wanted her to play multiple sports. [50] Hidalgo is of mixed Puerto Rican and Black heritage, and she has expressed interest in continuing to learn more about her Puerto Rican heritage from her father's side. [51] She has said, "To be able to have a different type of Hispanic culture...being able to have a small percentage of those people in professional sports, it definitely means a lot.” [51] Only 2.9% of Division I women's college basketball players identified as Hispanic or Latina in 2024. [52]

In 2024, Hidalgo created the Hannah's Helping Hands Foundation, which is designed to provide outreach and philanthropic endeavors focused on sports, health, education, financial literacy, and family support for local members of the South Bend, Indiana and Greater Philadelphia communities. [53] In July 2025, Hidalgo was named as one of 14 college players to sign an NIL deal with Unrivaled, under its 'The Future is Unrivaled Class of 2025'. [54]

Social media controversy

In July 2024, Hidalgo re-posted a clip on her Instagram story of a conversation between Don Lemon, an openly gay television journalist, and Candace Owens, a conservative political commentator that highlighted Owens' opinion that being in a gay relationship was a "sin" and she, "[didn't] believe marriage can be between two men.” [55] [56] Hidalgo later removed the post from her account. [56] [57] In January 2025, former Notre Dame head coach, Muffet McGraw, called the post "almost insulting to her teammates, to everybody in the game of basketball. I was really disappointed that it came out that way. I was happy that she deleted it, but the damage I think was done before she deleted it.” [56]

In April 2025, nine months after her reposting the clip of Candace Owens, in an essay written for The Players' Tribune , Hidalgo addressed this controversy and referred to the post as a "mistake" that "[gave] the wrong impression, [and] maybe even hurt people I care about." [58] She went on to write, "I am not homophobic — I love all people, and believe we all deserve to exist authentically." [58]

In March 2025, ESPN+ announced a second season of their docuseries, Full Court Press would premiere in May 2025. [59] The series (from Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions and Words & Pictures) followed Hidalgo, USC's Kiki Iriafen, and Louisiana State's Flau'jae Johnson throughout their 2024–25 NCAA basketball season and postseason. [59] [60]

References

  1. 1 2 "Breaking down the 2023 McDonald's All American girls' basketball recruits". ESPN.com. 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  2. 1 2 ENR, ZCR // Marketing Communications: Web // University of Notre Dame. "The Freshman Phenom: Hannah Hidalgo Feature // Scholastic // University of Notre Dame". Scholastic. Archived from the original on 2024-07-09. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Dawn Staley Award". www.dawnstaleyaward.org. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  4. 1 2 "JuJu, Hidalgo lead women's AP All-America team". ESPN.com. 2025-03-19. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  5. 1 2 "Hannah Hidalgo". USA Basketball. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  6. 1 2 Makauskas, Caroline (October 31, 2022). "New Jersey hoops star Hannah Hidalgo sets sights on state crown". Just Women's Sports . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ Friedman, Josh (March 15, 2023). "Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo Girls Basketball Player of the Year again; All-South Jersey teams". Courier-Post . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  8. ↑ Friedman, Josh (March 8, 2023). "Paul VI basketball star Hannah Hidalgo wins Gatorade NJ Player of the Year". Courier-Post . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ McGurk, Tom (March 28, 2023). "Paul VI's Hannah Hidalgo lovin' it with record effort at McDonald's All American Game". Courier-Post . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ DiAmore, Isabella (November 15, 2022). "Girls' basketball recruiting: Paul VI star Hannah Hidalgo commits to Notre Dame". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hansen, Eric (November 6, 2023). "Hidalgo shines but Notre Dame WBB eclipsed by South Carolina in opener". Rivals . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Neiburg, Jeff (November 13, 2023). "South Jersey's Hannah Hidalgo is showing no signs of slowing down at Notre Dame". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  13. ↑ Stires, Sean (December 22, 2023). "Hannah Hidalgo Notches Triple-Double In Notre Dame Win Over Western Michigan". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  14. ↑ Stopczynski, Jena (January 30, 2024). "Hannah Hidalgo history continues to be written". WBND-LD . Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Anthony (February 2, 2024). "Broken record: Hidalgo keeps making history for Notre Dame women's basketball". NDInsider. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Hidalgo breaks Irish rookie scoring record in No. 12 Notre Dame's loss at No. 15 Louisville". WNDU-TV. February 8, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  17. ↑ Anderson, Anthony (February 11, 2024). "Notre Dame women's basketball survives Florida State upset bid in double overtime". NDInsider. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Notre Dame upsets Virginia Tech as Hidalgo sets ACC freshman mark". ESPN. February 29, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Hidalgo Named ACC Rookie And Defensive Player Of The Year". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Irish Topple Wolfpack, 55-51, For 2024 ACC Women's Title". Atlantic Coast Conference. March 10, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  21. ↑ Adelson, Andrea (March 29, 2024). "ND's Hidalgo rips refs for forcing her to miss time to get nose ring out". ESPN . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  22. 1 2 "Hannah Hidalgo". Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website. 2023-05-15. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  23. ↑ "Notre Dame Women's Basketball Leaders & Records - Season". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  24. 1 2 "Hannah Hidalgo College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  25. ↑ Stires, Sean (March 20, 2024). "Hannah Hidalgo Is Named First Team AP All-American". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  26. ↑ Hough, Austin (April 5, 2024). "Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo adds prestigious Dawn Staley Award to ever-growing resume". Notre Dame Insider. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  27. ↑ "Hidalgo Named Preseason AP All-American". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. October 22, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  28. ↑ Wise, Bennett (October 15, 2024). "Irish picked to win the ACC, Hidalgo selected as Preseason Player of the Year". WSBT-TV . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  29. ↑ Smith, Deyscha (January 29, 2025). "Pick Your Poison: Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles Cover SLAM 245". Slam . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  30. ↑ Clark, Geoffrey; read, Fighting Irish Wire·1 min (2025-02-04). "Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles finalists for guard awards". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2025-08-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  31. ↑ Merchant, Sabreena (November 23, 2024). "Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame overpower USC on the road in top-10 matchup". The Athletic . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  32. ↑ Rallo, Curt (December 5, 2024). "Hidalgo scores 30 as No. 10 Notre Dame women beat No. 4 Texas 80-70 in OT". Associated Press . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  33. ↑ "Hidalgo Reaches 1000 Points in Record Time, Irish Beat Cuse, 93-62". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. December 8, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  34. ↑ Philippou, Alexa (December 13, 2024). "Notre Dame's Hidalgo is now the player of the year favorite". ESPN . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Hannah Hidalgo returns to lead No. 3 Notre Dame women past SMU, 88-64". ESPN. Associated Press. January 19, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  36. ↑ Bittenbender, Steve (February 2, 2025). "Hidalgo scores season-high 34 to help No. 3 Notre Dame beat Louisville 88-71". Associated Press . Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  37. ↑ "ACC Women's Basketball Announces 2024-25 Award Winners". theacc.com. 2025-03-04. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  38. ↑ "Iyana Martin Carrion crowned TISSOT MVP to lead All-Star Five in Madrid". www.fiba.basketball. 2023-07-22. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  39. ↑ "Hidalgo wins gold, Prosper bronze at U19 World Cup". Notre Dame Fighting Irish. July 23, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  40. ↑ Pendergrass, Nyala (December 7, 2023). "Hannah Hidalgo Caps Sensational Year with 5-on-5 Female Athlete of the Year Honor". USA Basketball . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  41. 1 2 3 "Hannah Hidalgo and the Art of the Steal". SI. 2025-03-28. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  42. ↑ "JuJu Watkins, Lauren Betts or Hannah Hiladgo? Sizing up the Women's Player of the Year Race". Hoops HQ. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  43. ↑ Gino Auriemma on Hannah Hidalgo #shorts . Retrieved 2025-08-29– via www.youtube.com.
  44. ↑ "x.com". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2024-12-14. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  45. ↑ "Women's March Madness 2025: How TCU slowed down Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo to advance to first Elite Eight". CBSSports.com. 2025-03-29. Retrieved 2025-08-29.
  46. ↑ YSM Sports Media (2025-05-29). Hannah Hidalgo talks loss to TCU, WNBA & Winning ACC Player of the Year . Retrieved 2025-08-29– via YouTube.
  47. ↑ ACC Digital Network (2024-12-14). UConn vs. Notre Dame Full Game Replay | 2024-25 ACC Women's Basketball. Event occurs at 31:45. Retrieved 2025-08-29– via YouTube.
  48. 1 2 "Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo Declares 'Christ is Everything'". Movie Guides. August 26, 2024. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  49. ↑ Venkat, Mia; Jarenwattananon, Patrick (March 20, 2024). "The queens of March Madness: Notre Dame's Freshman floor general Hannah Hidalgo". NPR . Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  50. ↑ "Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo Nearly Quit Basketball as Olympics Dream Became Reality". 2025-07-06. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  51. 1 2 "Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo is still discovering her Puerto Rican roots". Andscape. 2024-02-15. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  52. ↑ "NCAA Demographics Database". NCAA.org. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  53. ↑ Neill, Jackson; WNDU.com (2024-02-23). "Helping Hands: Hannah Hidalgo launches philanthropic foundation". www.wndu.com. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  54. ↑ "Unrivaled | Official Site of the Unrivaled Basketball League". www.unrivaled.basketball. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  55. ↑ Rosvoglou, Chris (July 13, 2024). "College Basketball Star Hannah Hidalgo Shared Video Slamming Same-Sex Marriage". The Spun. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  56. 1 2 3 Costello, Thomas (January 16, 2025). "Muffet McGraw talks Hannah Hidalgo off-court controversy 'it was almost insulting to her teammates'". SB Nation. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  57. ↑ Zeigler, Cyd (March 21, 2025). "Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo has still never explained the video she shared calling gay marriage a 'sin'". OutSports. Retrieved April 1, 2025.
  58. 1 2 Hidalgo, Hannah (April 5, 2025). "Created a Monster". The Players' Tribune . Retrieved April 5, 2025.
  59. 1 2 Cowan, Garrett (March 30, 2025). "Season Two of ESPN Original Series Full Court Press, Featuring Hannah Hidalgo, Flau'jae Johnson, and Kiki Iriafen, to Premiere May 3" (Press release). ESPN Press Room . Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  60. ↑ Watkins, Claire (March 30, 2025). "ESPN College Basketball Series 'Full Court Press' Returns for Season 2". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
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