"People used to warn me before I came here": Hannah Hidalgo gets 100% real on why she chose to play at Notre Dame

Hannah Hidalgo is considered one of the most lethal players in college basketball. She has been the leading force behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was one of the best prospects of the 2023 class. Despite having options like Duke, Ohio State and Stanford, she chose Notre Dame.

Hidalgo was sensational as a freshman but topped it off with an even better sophomore year. However, the Fighting Irish fell short in the NCAA Tournament. losing to TCU in the Sweet 16.

A week after Notre Dame crashed out of the tournament, Hidalgo wrote a column in Players' Tribune explaining her journey and highlighting her decision to join Notre Dame.

"People used to warn me before I came here: 'You’re taking a risk going to Notre Dame. It’s a football school.' Even with all the success this program has had over the years, and the growth in the women’s game, Notre Dame isn’t Notre Dame without football," Hannah Hidalgo wrote.

"But when I looked at Coach Ivey, the WNBA icons and Olympians it has produced, and the whole vibe of the program, I didn’t see risk. Maybe it was my stubborn little sister energy, but I was like, 'This is a basketball school. We’re about to do something really special.'"

In her past interviews, Hidalgo shared that Notre Dame feels like her "second home." She feels the warmth, which she doesn't feel anywhere else. Therefore, as several Notre Dame players entered the transfer portal, Hidalgo revealed that she would be back.

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Hannah Hidalgo had a sensational sophomore year at Notre Dame

Hannah Hidalgo (Syndication: South Bend Tribune - Source: Imagn)

Courtesy of Hannah Hidalgo, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were one of the top teams heading into the NCAA Tournament. They finished the regular season with a decent 28-6 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Hidalgo led from the front as she became the ACC's Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She also finished second to USC's JuJu Watkins in the Player of the Year voting.

The Fighting Irish had a lot of promise entering March Madness, but their journey came to a premature end with a loss to TCU in the Sweet 16.

Despite the defeat, one cannot discount Hannah Hidalgo's contributions this season. She averaged 23.8 points, 3.6 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game, shooting 40% from beyond the arc.