Hannah Hidalgo and the sixth-seeded Notre Dame women’s basketball team are preparing for their NCAA Tournament first-round game against No. 11 Fairfield Stags on March 21.
The Fighting Irish concluded their regular season fifth in the ACC, holding a 22-10 record as they enter March Madness.
Hidalgo’s Dominance on the Court
Hidalgo currently ranks third nationally in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game. She also leads the nation in steals with 173.
Hidalgo earned ACC Player of the Year honours for a second consecutive season. In addition, she was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year for a third time.
Entering postseason play, Hidalgo has scored in double figures in 96 straight games during her career.
This is the longest streak in Fighting Irish women’s basketball history and tied with Iowa State’s Audi Crooks for the longest streak among active Division I players.
In January, Hidalgo surpassed 2,000 career points during a Notre Dame win over Miami. She accomplished this milestone in 86 games, making her the fastest player to reach this feat in ACC history.
The 5-foot-6 guard set a Notre Dame school record with 44 points in a game against Akron last November. During the same game against the Zips, she also set an NCAA record with 16 steals.
With 173 steals overall going into the NCAA Tournament, she broke her own school record of 160 – set during her freshman year.
Family and Heritage
Hidalgo translates to “person of nobility” in Spanish. She values her heritage as the daughter of a Puerto Rican father and a Black mother.
Her father, Orlando, coached her during her final two seasons at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey. While in high school, Hidalgo was named New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year.
She also became the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,135 points, despite interruptions due to COVID-19.
Looking Ahead
The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament tips off on Friday, April 3 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix and Arizona.