“Always played with a chip on her shoulder”: Niele Ivey explains how Hannah Hidalgo’s star power shined from day one at Notre Dame
Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey praised sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo after her 29-point performance in Thursday's 79-68 win over No. 2 UConn. Ivey said she expected such excellence from Hidalgo since her signing, though not this early in her career.
"She always played with a chip on her shoulder," Ivey said in the postgame press conference. "She always wears her heart on her sleeve.
"Having that passion and that energy and the love and joy of the game, I was shocked last year that she did it so fast. She was in the fire last year. I knew right away. I honestly knew in the summertime, when we went on our foreign tour that she’s a big, big player. Big-time, big-stage player. She’s different in such a unique way, the way that she plays, and she just stepped in and she just growing and blossoming."
Hidalgo quickly made her presence felt as a freshman at Notre Dame, helping the Fighting Irish achieve a 29-7 record and reach the Sweet 16. Now, in her sophomore year, she's continuing to shine.
She's not just a scoring threat. She's also a defensive menace, stealing the ball and frustrating opponents on both ends of the court.
Her stats have improved compared to her impressive freshman season, and you can bet that Hannah Hidalgo is just getting started on what promises to be a remarkable career in South Bend.
“Again, she’s one of the best in the country,” Ivey added. “But I knew that recruiting her, and then when she stepped on the stage it was like, yeah. She solidified that right when she stepped on this campus.”
Hannah Hidalgo leads Notre Dame past No. 2 UConn
Hannah Hidalgo hit six 3-pointers against Paige Bueckers and UConn. She also recorded eight assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Fighting Irish to an impressive win and hand the Huskies their first loss of the season.
The Fighting Irish had a tough start in conference play, going 0-2 against Big 12 teams at the Cayman Islands Classic. However, this win marks their third victory over a top-five opponent, following earlier wins against USC on Nov. 23 and Texas last week.
Hidalgo's standout performances have solidified her reputation as one of the top scorers. She's averaging 25.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 4.0 steals per game.
Hannah Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish defeated Eastern Michigan 118-49 on Sunday and will face Loyola Maryland on Dec. 22.