Chainkeen Exchange-What to know about Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame's freshman star and ACC rookie of the year

The Chainkeen ExchangeNotre Dame women's basketball team is going dancing.

Freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo led the Fighting Irish to a 55-51 win over the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the ACC championship game to secure Notre Dame an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Hidalgo, who scored 22 points, six rebounds, six assist and two steals in the win, was named the 2024 ACC Tournament MVP and named to the All-Tournament First Team.

"LIKE THAT!!! You were amazing," said Notre Dame coach Niele Ivy, who last led the Fighting Irish to a national championship in 2018. "Congrats Hannah. So proud."

The ACC tournament accolades are just the tip of the iceberg for Hidalgo, whose stellar freshman campaign has also earned her national recognition. Here's everything to know about the freshman standout:

Who is Hannah Hidalgo?

Hidalgo, 19, is a freshman guard for Notre Dame.

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Where is Hannah Hidalgo from?

Hidalgo is a New Jersey native and played basketball at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, New Jersey under her father Orlando Hidalgo, who serves as the head coach for the girl's basketball team. Hidalgo averaged 28.8 points, 7.3 steals, 6.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game during her senior season and was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year. Hidalgo participated in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Game and was named co-MVP alongside JuJu Watkins (USC).

Hidalgo was a five-star recruit coming our of high school and ranked as the No. 5 player in ESPN's 2023 class. She committed to Notre Dame after receiving offers from Michigan, Stanford, Duke, Ohio State and UCF.

Hannah Hidalgo's stats

In her freshman year, Hidalgo averaged 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 4.6 steals in 32 games this season, while shooting 45.3% from the field. She leads the ACC in scoring (23.3 points per game) this season and tops the nation in steals (147) and steals per game (4.59).

Hannah Hidalgo's awards

Hidalgo was named the ACC defensive player of the year and ACC rookie of the year following her impressive freshman campaign. She becomes only the second player to win both honors in the same year, joining former Duke standout Elizbeth Williams in 2012. Hidalgo was named to the All-ACC first team, All-Defensive Team and All-Freshman Team.

Does Hannah Hidalgo play on the national team?

Hidalgo's awards don't stop there. She won gold with the U.S. women's national under-17 basketball team at the 2022 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Hungary, where she averaged 7.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game in the national team's 7-0 run.

She won gold again at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Spain, where she averaged 10.7 points, 5.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds per game and 3.1 steals and was named to the all-tournament team. Hidalgo was also named the 2023 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year at age 18, becoming only the second teenager to win the honor.

Notre Dame's next game in NCAA Tournament

Hidalgo and the Fighting Irish are the Albany Regional 1's No. 2 seed. Their first opponent will be Kent State (21-10), whom they will play Saturday, March 23 at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana. The winner of that game will take on the winner of No. 7 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Marquette.

The No. 1 seed in Notre Dame's region is undefeated South Carolina, which they would not have to play until the regional final.