Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo named top 10 player in women's basketball
ESPN ranked the top 25 players in women’s basketball this week. Notre Dame freshman point guard Hannah Hidalgo checked in at No. 10 on the list. She was the No. 2 freshman behind USC’s JuJu Watkins.
ESPN did not include players who have not played at least half of their team’s games this season. Notre Dame junior point guard Olivia Miles might’ve cracked the top 10 if the outlet did. However, it’s very possible Hidalgo is on her way to being even better than Miles.
That’s no small feat.
Hidalgo recorded her first triple-double on Thursday in her 10th career collegiate game. She basically flirts with one in every game. She’s averaging 23.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 6.0 steals per game. She had 26 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals in Notre Dame’s 84-47 victory over Western Michigan, the Irish’s last game before starting ACC play at Syracuse on Dec. 31.
Here is what ESPN said about Miles in the rankings piece, which was written before the Irish improved to 9-1 with the lopsided victory over the Broncos.
“Imagine telling someone in the preseason that by late December, Miles hadn’t yet played and Citron had been limited to three games … but Notre Dame was 8-1 and ranked No. 14. They would say, “How?” “Hidalgo” is the answer.
“Like USC’s Watkins, she wasn’t in our preseason rankings as a freshman, but has vaulted into the top 10. Hidalgo is making a huge impact on both ends of the court: She leads Division I in steals and ranks fourth in scoring average.”
Here is ESPN’s full top 25.
The top 25 players in NCAA women’s basketball per ESPN
- Caitlin Clark, Iowa
- Cameron Brink, Stanford
- Paige Bueckers, UConn
- Alissa Pili, Utah
- JuJu Watkins, USC
- Rori Harmon, Texas
- Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
- Aneesah Morrow, LSU
- Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
- Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
- Angel Reese, LSU
- Lauren Betts, UCLA
- Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
- Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
- Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
- Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
- Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
- Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
- Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
- Mikaylah Williams, LSU
- Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
- Saniya Rivers, NC State
- Kiki Rice, UCLA
- Aziah James, NC State
- Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Notre Dame is scheduled to play or has already played nine of the 24 players in addition to Hidalgo; Cardoso and Paopao of South Carolina, Bueckers and Edwards of UConn, Amoore amd Kitley of Virginia Tech, Rivers and James of NC State and Latson of Florida State.
