Hannah Hidalgo thanks Olivia Miles for taking her to 6 a.m. workouts and mentoring her in Notre Dame freshman season: "It was really helpful"

The Notre Dame duo Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles has helped propel the Fighting Irish to the No. 3 ranking in the country this season and a 17-2 record. The two have developed a close bond, as Miles took the junior guard under her wing, providing her guidance on and off the court.

Hildalgo and Miles were featured on the cover of Slam 254: "Pick Your Poison" after an impressive start to the season. In the latest issue of the magazine, they opened up about their relationship and how they feed off each other's energy.

The Merchantville, NJ, native recalled an instance where Miles helped her through initial struggles as a freshman by bringing her to early morning workouts and providing in-game advice.

"Being a freshman, not knowing anybody, having Liv there to say, 'You can't get this person the ball when they're running here, they're not gonna be able to catch it. Or, Sonia likes the ball in this spot. This is what this player likes. This is how you should look for this player.' It was really helpful," Hidalgo said.

Hannah Hidalgo averaged 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals per game last season. She's putting up even better numbers this season, leading a resurgent Notre Dame squad in scoring at 25.4 ppg to go along with 6.2 apg, 3.6 rpg and 4.2 spg through 17 games.

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Hannah Hidalgo describes the energy of playing with Olivia Miles

The Fighting Irish backcourt, led by Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles, has been one of the most dynamic in women's college basketball this season. They have been a key reason for Niele Ivey's team's rise in the rankings.

In a Slam magazine feature released on Wednesday, Hidalgo had a glowing response to being asked about their style of play together on the court.

"I think it's just two top guards reading each other," she said. "When you're playing with another great guard, it's something that you would do also. You're ready for it. You're expecting it, compared to, like, a big who might not have played with another top guard."

Olivia Miles, meanwhile, had a simple response saying it just comes naturally and is difficult to put into words.

Hannah Hidalgo is the top scorer for Notre Dame, averaging 25.4 points per game, while Miles is putting up 16.4 ppg but leading the team in assists at 6.9 per contest. The duo have combined for over 740 points, 220 assists and 190 assists.