Weeks after Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo signs NIL deal with energy drink giant

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo is a rising star and has reportedly signed a NIL deal with Red Bull. After her contemporaries in LSU's Mikaylah Williams and Gamecocks' MiLaysia Fulwiley inked contracts with the energy drink giant earlier this year, Hidalgo has joined the fray.

The sophomore scorer made the announcement on her official Instagram page, where Hidalgo was cross-posted on a reel from @redbullusa that shows her doing different tricks with bowling pins and basketballs.

In another video she uploaded hours later, Hidalgo is then surprised by fellow Red Bull athlete and 2018 NCAA national champion with the Fighting Irish, Arike Ogunbowale. The former was being interviewed and asked about her thoughts on the latter's championship-clinching dagger before Ogunbowale unexpectedly appeared at Hidalgo's right side.

The Dallas Wings guard then popped a question to Hannah Hidalgo, asking who would win in a game between her Notre Dame team or the current 2024-2025 squad, to which Hidalgo responded:

"Imma go with us because I got a lot of faith in my team. I'm never gonna make us," as Hidalgo was motioning down on the floor. (0:35)

Interested in her answer, Ogunbowale then asked Hidalgo who would be guarding her. The 19-year-old confidently said that it'd be her as she crossed her arms to signal that she would lock the WNBA standout up.

Hannah Hidalgo is joining the likes of Ogunbowale as a part of the Red Bull roster of athlete representatives. The Austria-based company netted $10.9 billion dollars in sales heading into 2024, per Bloomberg, and has added to that number throughout the year. With new NIL players at bay, Red Bull can expect more of the brand's value to grow.

As Hidalgo's overall performances continue to rise, her stardom is following suit. For the season, she is averaging 24.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.1 steals per game. Her remarkable play has helped Notre Dame to a 7-2 record in the Atlantic Coast division.

A highly-anticipated matchup against UConn awaits Hannah Hidalgo's Notre Dame

A much-awaited meeting between the 7-2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the 8-0 UConn Huskies is scheduled for Thursday. This game could also determine who will be the No. 1 seed for the 2025 NCAA tournament.

With the stakes being higher than ever, Hannah Hidalgo and company will have to test themselves against fourth-year sensation Paige Bueckers, as well as freshman standout Sarah Strong. A win from this matchup may just propel Hidalgo's stardom even higher.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. ET. at the Purcell Pavilion in Indiana and will be available for streaming via fubo and ESPN.