“Her effort against Huskies was most memorable”: Hoops analyst recaps Hannah Hidalgo’s impressive season

Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo has had a stellar sophomore season in 2024-25. For her outstanding play, the second-year star has been named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award, earning a spot on the 15-player ballot.

The two-way sensation has dazzled the college basketball world this season with her versatile skill set, something ESPN analyst Alexa Philippou highlighted in a video uploaded on Monday.

"Perhaps the best way to describe Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo: a menace," Philippou said (0:40 mark). "The 5-foot-6 sophomore from New Jersey is a nightmare for opponents to deal with as arguably the best two-way guard in the country. She's not just one of the country's best scorers but is an agent of chaos on the defensive end."

Philippou also addressed concerns about Hidalgo's fit alongside Olivia Miles, who returned this season after missing all of last year with an ACL injury. Contrary to doubts, Philippou said both players have thrived in the backcourt, with Hidalgo leading the way as Notre Dame secured its first No. 1 ranking in the AP poll since 2019.

The women's basketball analyst also praised Hidalgo’s performance in Notre Dame’s nonconference home victory over the then-No. 3 UConn Huskies, an 11-point win (79-68) in December.

"The Irish have some of the best ones of any team this season, beating USC, Texas and UConn, and Hidalgo has a lot to do with them. Her effort against the Huskies was perhaps most memorable as she dropped 29 points, 10 boards, eight assists and hit some back-breaking 3s to improve to 2-0 against UConn in her career," Philippou said. (1:42)

After being eliminated from the ACC tournament with a semifinal loss on Saturday, Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish now set their sights on the NCAA tournament, hoping to capture a national championship.

Hannah Hidalgo led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the 2025 ACC regular season title

Although Notre Dame fell short of the ACC tournament championship game, Hidalgo helped lead the Fighting Irish to their eighth ACC regular-season title under coach Niele Ivey. The team finished 16-2 in conference play and 26-5 overall.

In her sophomore season, Hidalgo has averaged a team-high 24.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and an astounding 3.7 steals per game for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The team is now focused on bringing home their first national title since 2018, which would be the third in program history.