Hannah Hidalgo says growing up with brothers helped her develop a 'Super Saiyan' mode: "To have any hope of survival... there's only one option"

Hannah Hidalgo is one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the nation’s top player. Hidalgo has a reputation for her competitive nature, which comes in part from growing up with four brothers.

In a Players’ Tribune article released Saturday, the Notre Dame star peeled back the curtain on her intense on-court persona. Off the court, she says she’s relaxed and easygoing but before every game, something changes.

“When I’m lacing up my shoes before a game; a switch gets flipped,” Hidalgo wrote. “I go from normal Hannah to … how can I explain this? You’ve seen Dragon Ball Z, right?

"If you grew up with four brothers, like I did, you not only grew up watching DBZ on TV, you grew up living DBZ. In the backyard. In the house. Everywhere, 24/7. Pillows were getting thrown. Clementines were being used as fireballs. Little cousins were getting launched off the couch."

If hoops fans haven’t seen 'Dragon Ball Z,' she broke it down further, and going “Super Saiyan” means leveling up.

“Your hair turns a different color,” she wrote. “Your body starts glowing. You get a different look in your eyes. You turn into a problem.

“To have any hope of survival, as the little sister in that scenario, there’s only one option: You have to go Super Saiyan.”

That fire now fuels Notre Dame star on the court, where opponents face not the chill sophomore, but the locked-in version Hannah Hidalgo built growing up.

Hannah Hidalgo stays put as Notre Dame faces major roster shake-up

Despite a wave of exits through the transfer portal, Hannah Hidalgo isn’t going anywhere. The Notre Dame star guard announced she’ll return for her third season, reinforcing her loyalty to the program and head coach Niele Ivey.

Hidalgo posted a one-word message:

“Unmoved,” she wrote on X,

Her post echoed the same word used by the official Notre Dame Women’s Basketball page:

“Unmoved. Year three loading.”

Her decision comes amid a tough stretch for the Irish. Key contributors Olivia Miles, Kate Koval, and Emma Risch have all entered the portal. Veterans Sonia Citron, Liatu King, Maddy Westbeld, and Liza Karlen are out of eligibility, leaving Hidalgo as the lone returning starter.

The women’s college basketball transfer portal remains open through April 23, creating a period of free-agency-style movement across the sport. But for Notre Dame, Hidalgo’s commitment is a steadying sign in a time of transition.