Hannah Hidalgo Officially Announces Her Return to Notre Dame

In today's world, it's almost like you have to announce something on social media for it to be official, and that's exactly what Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo did.

Hidalgo said she was returning to South Bend after the Fighting Irish got smoked by UConn in the Elite Eight, but on Thursday, she announced via social media that she will be back at ND for her final year of college eligibility.

running it back pic.twitter.com/ulroHjQjCc
— Hannah Hidalgo (@HannahHidalgo) April 9, 2026

If Hidalgo were eligible for the WNBA Draft, she probably would have turned pro, and I suppose some thought she might transfer like former ND guard Olivia Miles did, but I just didn't see that happening.

Hidalgo has accomplished so much in South Bend, and it sounds like she genuinely likes the campus, the fans, her teammates, and head coach Niele Ivey. And the crazy thing is, she could still accomplish so much next season as a senior.

Even though Hidalgo wasn't named the Player of the Year - that went to UConn's Sarah Strong. Instead, Hidalgo had to settle for Point Guard of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

So, maybe that should be one of her goals for next season, along with setting the NCAA career steals record and reaching the Final Four.

And considering the fact she's only 193 steals shy of breaking the career steals record and set a single-season record with 202 steals this past season, she should be able to do it as long as she stays healthy.

As for the Irish reaching the Final Four, well, she needs Notre Dame to land a few more stars via the portal.

With Hidalgo Returning, Notre Dame Can Reach the Final Four

Notre Dame ON SI's Nick Shepkowski mentioned Iowa State transfer Audi Crooks could be a player to keep an eye on - she would mean everything to the Irish if they could sign her.

It was a bit surprising that Crooks entered the portal after dominating the competition the last three years at ISU, but that's the new world of college sports.

Crooks is the best post player in the portal and has the accolades -- All-American, Lisa Leslie Award Finalist, First Team All Big-12 Selection, etc. -- and the stats -- second leading scorer in the nation, Big 12 scoring leader, etc. -- to back it up.

Notre Dame lacked a true post presence this year, and her and Hidalgo could potentially be the best guard-center duo in college basketball if Crooks picks ND.

Imagine Crooks and Hidalgo in a pick-and-roll. They'd be unstoppable and create so much space on the outside for others.

Notre Dame also needs to land a sharp shooter via the portal, especially if they get Crooks.

Hidalgo isn't the best three-point shooter, and teams like to attack her with multiple double teams, so adding another outside threat is a must.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson immediately comes to mind. Johnson was second in the ACC behind Hidalgo in scoring and is a career 35.5% from deep. She's a big-time player and arguably the best perimeter shooter in the portal.

If the Irish land both players, which could happen, there's no reason they can't make the Final Four next year.