Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles recalled the first time she saw teammate Hannah Hidalgo lording it over the AAU circuit. Her future teammate was beating fellow guards JuJu Watkins and Jada Williams during her stint and Miles was stunned with what she saw.
In a Slam Online feature released on Wednesday, the 5-foot-10 playmaker felt the boundless energy Hidalgo had in that game and was in disbelief after seeing that display by her future teammate against her counterparts, who were in turn, up-and-coming women's college basketball stars in their own right.
“She was playing JuJu (Watkins) and Jada (Williams), I believe, and she was playing for my old AAU team, The Rise. She was just cooking them," Miles said.
"And I was like, Yo, who is this girl laying girls and then screaming at them? After I was like, There's no way. I've never seen this type of energy before," she added.
JuJu Watkins has gone on to become one of the top players in women's college basketball. The USC star is averaging 24.8 points per game, which is third in the nation behind Ta'Niya Latson and Hidalgo. Meanwhile, Jada Williams is leading the Arizona Wildcats in scoring with 12.4 points per game.
As for Hidalgo, she and Olivia Miles have perfectly meshed under Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey's system. They have become one of the most feared backcourt duos in the nation, combining for 41.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 5.7 steals per game this season.
The players are leading the charge for the No. 3-ranked Fighting Irish (17-2, 8-0 in ACC) who have become the favorites to win the national title.
Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo-led Notre Dame looks to continue its ACC dominance against Virginia Tech
Notre Dame aims to remain unbeaten in the ACC as it travels to Virginia Tech on Thursday at the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg.
The Irish are coming off a 26-point win over Boston College at Chestnut Hill last Thursday. Hidalgo led the team with 23 points against BC, although she struggled from the field, going just 9 of 23. Meanwhile, Olivia Miles added 16 points for the Irish.
Notre Dame continues its three-game, 10-day trip to various ACC sites with a clash against the Hokies (14-6, 5-4).
Virginia Tech is coming off a 28-point loss to No. 20 NC State on Sunday and is in a tall order to bounce back against the streaking Fighting Irish, who have won 12 consecutive games since losing two straight in the Cayman Islands Classic.
Along the way, Notre Dame defeated formidable Top 25 teams UConn, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia Tech.
A win over Virginia Tech would move Olivia Miles and co. one game ahead of second-place Duke in the ACC standings. It would also solidify its grip in the No. 3 spot in the AP Poll behind South Carolina and UCLA.
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