Notre Dame women's basketball roundup: Hannah Hidalgo wins ACC Player of the Week

Hannah Hidalgo did it again.

For the third time this season, Notre Dame’s junior point guard won ACC Player of the Week honors. She averaged 22.5 points, 5.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game in the Fighting Irish’s matchups with Ole Miss and Florida State. The Irish lost the former but won the latter.

Even in defeat in Oxford, Hidalgo had a game-high 28 points. She got the Irish off to a hot start, but they couldn’t hold on to a 19-point lead in a 69-62 loss. In a 93-58 Notre Dame bounce-back win over Florida State on Sunday, three days after going down vs. the Rebels, Hidalgo had 17 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds.

Notre Dame is 6-2 entering a sleepy stretch of the schedule. The meat of the non-conference slate is behind head coach Niele Ivey’s team outside of a Jan. 19 trip to No. 1 UConn. Over the next three weeks, the Irish play games vs. Morehead State, James Madison and Bellarmine before getting back into ACC play vs. Pittsburgh on Dec. 29.

Whatever happens for the Irish in league play largely hinges on the shoulders of Hidalgo. She leads the team with 25.9 points per game, which ranks third nationally. Hidalgo is the nation’s leader in steals per game at 5.5, a full steal per game clear of the second-best player in the country in that statistical category.

The only other two returning Notre Dame players from last year’s roster, Cassandre Prosper and KK Bransford, are the only other two Irish to currently average double digits in points per game. Prosper is sitting at 14.3. Bransford is at 10.6. For reference, they only combined for 4 between the two in the loss to Ole Miss. Hidalgo needs more help than that in the remaining big games on Notre Dame’s schedule.

Here’s a look at the latest NCAA women’s basketball AP Top 25.

Dec. 8 NCAA Women’s Basketball AP Top 25: Notre Dame No. 19

1. UConn (9-0)
2. Texas (10-0)
3. South Carolina (9-1)
4. UCLA (9-1)
5. LSU (10-0)

6. Michigan (8-1)
7. Maryland (11-0)
8. TCU (10-0)
9. Oklahoma (9-1)
10. Iowa State (10-0)

11. Iowa (9-0)
12. North Carolina (9-2)
13. Baylor (9-1)
14. Vanderbilt (9-0)
15. Kentucky (10-1)

16. USC (7-2)
17. Ole Miss (8-1)
18. Tennessee (6-2)
19. Notre Dame 6-2)
20. Washington (8-1)

21. Ohio State (7-1)
22. Louisville (8-3)
23. Oklahoma State (10-1)
24. Nebraska (9-0)
25. Michigan State (8-1)