Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo gets real on Olivia Miles' transfer, her unyielding faith in God and more (EXCLUSIVE)

Whatever the subject matter, Notre Dame sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo continuously referenced her Christian faith and how it shaped both her gratitude and resilience.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Hidalgo addressed becoming a finalist for the John Wooden award, her decision to return to Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish’s Sweet 16 loss and on senior guard Olivia Miles transferring to TCU.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

What does it mean to be one of the finalists for the Wooden award?

Hidalgo: “I’m humbled to be not just in a historic building with a lot of of great people to come through, but to be a part of the award and recognized is truly a blessing. It’s not just about basketball. When you’re nominated for this award, it’s also about who you are as a person outside of basketball with your character. That’s important.

It’s also about being a good person. It’s not just all about basketball. It’s about the relationships you build and how you are to other people and how you interact with people. It’s the relationships and the friendships. It’s truly important. It’s not just about your sport. It’s who you are outside of basketball. You know who you are when the ball stops bouncing.”

In your article for the Players Tribune, you hit on a lot of things, including your decision to return to Notre Dame. What was the process that led you to want to return?

Hidalgo: “Of course, it’s tough. We’re going through a lot of adversity right now. The big thing was about trusting God. God is going to provide for me. Just knowing that and being rooted in my faith, I know that God has my back. It’s also about loyalty. It’s also about being loyal to my coach. She has done so much for me. She has treated me so well. She has been through a lot of ups and downs with me. And she’s been consistent throughout the whole process. She’s given so much to me, and I want to be able to give back to her. I want to be at a program where I’m at for four years. That’s my goal. That was my goal coming into college, and that’s still my end goal.”

What has Coach [Niele] Ivey done to help you?

Hidalgo: “It’s how she carries herself. What you see is what you’re going to get. She’s consistent. She’s always talking. She always has a smile on her face. She’s tough coaching me on the court. And then off the court, she’s coming to me and inviting us over and showing love. That’s so important because I want to play for somebody who cares for me, and doesn’t just care what I’m providing for them on the court. It’s more than that. It’s more than basketball and bigger than basketball. She’s always taught me to get to the next play. She’s always encouraging me. It’s just so helpful for me to play for a coach like that.”

What do you take away from your individual and team success as well as falling short in the Sweet 16?

Hidalgo: “For our success, it’s a matter of everybody putting pride aside and coming together and playing as one. I think it’s important to have good leaders who are going to put themselves aside when they are having a bad day. It’s like, ‘Okay, I still have to be present for my team, regardless of what I’m going through outside of basketball.’ I think now we have those leaders that are going to do that. They’re going to put themselves aside and forget about everything else that’s going on. They’re going to be able to hold not just themselves accountable, but their teammates accountable as well.”

What was your reaction when you learned the news that Olivia is transferring to TCU?

Hidalgo: “Umm, you know it was her decision. If that’s what she thought the best decision for her was, then that’s that is best for her. I don’t know what’s best for her. Only she knows what’s best for her. So whatever she has going on, I wish her all the best. But I’m really focused on what me and my teammates have going on right now.”

She addressed a fan question on whether you all are good and she said ‘we’re fine.’ What did it mean to you for her to clear the air about that?

Hidalgo: “Umm, it was good for her that she addressed it. However, she wanted to address it, it was good for her to address whatever the fan had said.”

Beyond winning a championship next season, what are your goals for next season?

Hidalgo: “I think for us, it’s so important to get players that just want to win and who don’t care who’s having a great game or if they’re not having a great game and that they just want to win. That’s ultimately going to be the biggest goal. At some point, it’s important to get players that are dogs like that and just want to win.

When you have players that are going to work hard, it’s all you can ask for. If they’re diving on the floor for loose balls and if they’re going and getting every rebound, that is something that is so big for us now to focus on that and making sure we’re all just giving it our all.”

With how open you have been about your faith, in what ways has that helped you through success and setbacks?

Hidalgo: “Absolutely, I think there have been a lot of ups and downs. So it’s just about being able to come back to my foundation. When we’re winning, I’m giving Christ glory and thanking him in our victories. Even in our losses, such as when we lost in the Sweet 16, I’m still saying that I thank God for the opportunity to play the game of basketball and to be in this position. That’s really hard. Not a lot of players are able to play in the Sweet 16. But it was truly a blessing. I thank God, regardless of my wins and my losses.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.