Notre Dame women’s basketball freshman Hannah Hidalgo makes USA U19 National Team
Hannah Hidalgo’s busy summer just got even busier. The incoming Notre Dame women’s basketball freshman will move to South Bend sometime in June. She’ll be off to Colorado Springs for USA Basketball U19 National Team training camp in early July.
Hidalgo qualified for the national team roster at team trials last week. Twenty-four players were vying for 12 coveted spots. Hidalgo, a five-star point guard and the No. 5 overall player in her class according to the espnW 100 recruiting rankings, snagged one of them.
Team USA will be coached by Texas A&M’s Joni Taylor alongside assistants DeLisha Milton-Jones of Old Dominion and Teri Moren of Indiana at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup from July 15-23 in Madrid. Here’s the full U19 roster that will represent USA.
- Madison Booker
- Aalyah Del Rosario
- Jadyn Donovan
- Joyce Edwards
- Hannah Hidalgo
- Londynn Jones
- Chloe Kitts
- Talana Lepolo
- Cotie McMahon
- Kiki Rice
- Grace VanSlooten
- Allie Ziebell
The U.S. is grouped with Chinese Taipei, Germany and Mali in Group B. There are 16 teams going for a gold medal, which the USA has won in eight of the last nine competitions.
Hidalgo is one of two incoming freshmen for Notre Dame this summer. She’ll be joined by Emma Risch, a fellow five-star guard. Both are do-it-all ball handlers, but they’ll likely play different roles for Irish head coach Niele Ivey.
Hidalgo is the heir to Olivia Miles, who has two years of eligibility remaining, at point guard. Risch might instantly be Notre Dame’s best three-point threat. The Irish lost sharpshooting guard Dara Mabrey to a knee injury and then to graduation, so they’re in need of someone who can stretch the floor. She might go through the expected freshman acclimation period, but if Risch is able to be a reliable shooter from the start then the entire Notre Dame offensive will be better for it.
Hidalgo has even more of a chance to make an impact right away, especially if Miles is not ready for the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery in early April. That could make Hidalgo the starting point guard for as long as Miles is out. If Miles is healthy and ready to go, Ivey has to find a way to get Hidalgo involved anyway. Five-star, top-five players aren’t geared toward sitting on the bench.
Hidalgo is a generational talent. Her spot on the U19 national team is evidence of that.
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