Notre Dame women’s basketball’s 2025-2026 campaign surpassed all expectations with a run to the Elite Eight. Now that it has come to a close, we can reflect on one of the best individual seasons we have seen from an Irish player in a long time. Coming into the season, expectations were high, but so were doubts after the loss of the Irish star guard Olivia Miles to TCU. However, Irish fans did not need to worry; they still had junior guard Hannah Hidalgo. The 5-foot-6 junior has been Notre Dame’s shining light for several seasons now, and despite being small in stature, she is almost always the most influential player every time she steps on the court.
The Irish shocked the nation with their exceptional March Madness, dancing all the way into the Elite Eight with upsets over No. 3 Ohio State and No. 2 Vanderbilt before falling short to reigning national champions UConn. Hidalgo was the heart of this run, with her aggressive defense and relentless work rate causing nightmares no matter the caliber of opposition. This certainly reflects in her performances to date, as she makes up for her size with her impeccable work rate on the floor. When you combine this with her ability to read the game like no one else, it is no wonder she seems to be breaking every steals record out there.
Looking at her season in numbers, she hit career highs in points, rebounds, steals, blocks and turnovers. Considering she is coming off being named a first-team All-American and ACC player of the year, those stats are astounding. She became the first player to win both ACC player of the year and defensive player of the year in back-to-back seasons, averaging 25.3 points per game and 5.6 steals per game. Her season can really be defined by just looking at the record books, as she now holds the NCAA records for the most steals in a single season (202), the most steals in a single NCAA tournament (26) and the most steals in a single game (16). Alongside this, she reached 2,000 career points and broke the ACC single-season scoring record, truly cementing her season as one of the greatest of all time. She now sits second in program history in career scoring and first in career steals, with one more season to try to top both charts.
Hidalgo’s season was embodied as Notre Dame took on No. 2 Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16, with Hidalgo coming just three assists shy of a quadruple-double to put on one of the greatest performances in NCAA history to inspire Notre Dame’s upset. With a statline of 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists, she put on an absolute show and terrorised Vanderbilt all night before delivering the final assist to seal the game. Her 10 steals are the second-most in a women’s NCAA Tournament game ever, and Hidalgo joined former Old Dominion point guard Ticha Penicheiro as the only other player to record a triple-double with steals in the NCAA Tournament. “She’s like a free safety out there,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “Just kind of looking around. As soon as she sees your eyes on a person, she’s going to get the ball. It’s impressive. Hopefully, our players not only learned a little bit about how we can take better care of the ball, but also that’s the kind of effort you need to win games like this.” Ralph’s words ring true, as Hidalgo was the difference maker as she sent Notre Dame to its first Elite Eight under Niele Ivey — and since 2019 — against a Vanderbilt squad brimming with talent.
One aspect of Hidalgo’s game that we cannot overlook is her leadership. It has quietly developed during her time at Notre Dame but has flourished this season as she has led the Irish through a season of ups and downs. Ivey called her “one of the best leaders I’ve ever had.”
Despite the Irish falling in the Elite Eight and Hidalgo’s services coveted by every team in the nation, it appears she is coming back to finish her college career with the Irish. Speaking after UConn’s win over Notre Dame, Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma recalled a conversation he had with Hidalgo after the game, stating, “I asked her after the game if she was old enough to go pro, she said nah I want one more shot at you guys.” This sums up Hidalgo’s drive and desire to succeed but also her commitment to Notre Dame and the program Ivey is putting together. Hidalgo truly is one of the stars of college basketball right now, and she is breaking records at an unprecedented level. Irish fans should expect and be excited for what is sure to be another record-breaking season in her senior year.
