Notre Dame women's basketball ranked No. 15, Hannah Hidalgo named ACC Preseason Player of the Year

Notre Dame will begin the 2025-26 women’s basketball season as the No. 15 team in the Associated Press Poll, which was released Tuesday. The Fighting Irish also have the ACC Preseason Player of the Year in junior guard Hannah Hidalgo, who won the league’s player of the year award as a sophomore.

The AP Top 25 ranking might be viewed by some as a generous one for the Irish, who lost many of last season’s key contributors to the WNBA and transfer portal. The losses include draftees Sonia Citron, Maddy Westbeld and Liatu King as well as former five-star signees Olivia Miles and Kate Koval.

Hidalgo is far and away the team’s leader and No. 1 scoring option. She’s going to need a lot of the pieces Notre Dame plucked from the portal to come into their own and round out the regular lineup.

Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said last week at ACC Tipoff she’s confident that will happen.

“We just brought in the right pieces that fit our culture,” Ivey said. “But just their work ethic, their experience, and everyone has gotten better. I think that’s something I’m really excited about. Everybody has come in working on a different skill that’s going to help us succeed this season.”

In two seasons at Notre Dame so far, Hidalgo has averaged 23.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.2 steals per game. Where there is a Hidalgo, there is a way, no matter what the roster looks like around her. Just how much that roster is capable of will present itself as the season gets going and goes along.

Notre Dame opens the regular season against Fairleigh Dickinson at home on Nov. 5.

The following are results from preseason voting as selected by the ACC’s head coaches and a Blue Ribbon Panel consisting of 70 media members.

Preseason All-ACC Team

Hannah Hidalgo, Jr., G, Notre Dame 833
Zoe Brooks, Jr., G, NC State 606
Kymora Johnson, Jr., G, Virginia 577
Toby Fournier, So., F, Duke 535
Ashlon Jackson, Sr., G, Duke 333
Tajianna Roberts, So., G, Louisville 326
Khamil Pierre, Jr., F, NC State 285
Reniya Kelly, Sr., G, North Carolina 276
Nunu Agara, Jr., F, Stanford 275
Laura Ziegler, Sr., F, Louisville 78

Preseason ACC All-Freshmen Team

Emilee Skinner, G, Duke 415
Hailee Swain, G, Stanford 324
Nyla Brooks, G, North Carolina 310
Lara Somfai, F, Stanford 185
Aliyahna “Puff” Morris, G, California 114
Leah Macy, F, Notre Dame 79

Preseason ACC Women’s Basketball Poll

1. Duke (40), 1525
2. NC State (25), 1487
3. North Carolina (1), 1374
4. Louisville (2), 1276
5. Notre Dame (2), 1255
6. Stanford, 1041
7. Virginia, 987
8. Miami, 889
9. Florida State, 857
10. Virginia Tech, 813
11. Clemson, 738
12. California, 669
13. Syracuse, 540
14. SMU, 483
15. Georgia Tech, 447
16. Pitt, 299
17. Boston College, 211
18. Wake Forest, 157

2025-26 NCAA women’s basketball preseason poll

1. UConn (27)
2. South Carolina (4)
3. UCLA
4. Texas
5. LSU
6. Oklahoma
7. Duke
8. Tennessee
9. NC State
10. Maryland
11. North Carolina
12. Ole Miss
13. Michigan
14. Iowa State
15. Notre Dame
16. Baylor
17. TCU
18. USC
19. Vanderbilt
20. Louisville
21. Iowa
22. Oklahoma State
23. Michigan State
24. Richmond
25. Kentucky