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Irish Breakdown

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo Earns Major Honor After Fantastic Season

Notre Dame junior guard Hannah Hidalgo was named the Naismith Women's College Basketball Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.
Jared Shlensky|
Mar 29, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) shoots a free throw during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) shoots a free throw during the second half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

The Notre Dame's women's basketball season came to an end as expected on Sunday against undefeated UConn in the Elite Eight, but that didn't stop superstar Hannah Hidalgo from collecting some more hardware.

As expected, the junior guard was named the Naismith Women's College Basketball Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday.

Hidalgo set multiple NCAA steals records this year, including the single-season steals record of 202, and became the first women's or men's player to reach the 200-steal milestone in a season since steals became an official stat in 1988. Hidalgo also set the record for most steals in a single Tournament with 29 despite only playing in four tournament games.

Initial Reaction

This isn't a surprise whatsoever, but you know what is? Hidalgo did not win Player of the Year Honors.

No knock on Sarah Strong, but Hidalgo had a better season than her. Hidalgo averaged more points, assists, and steals than Strong, yet the sophomore forward got more votes than Hidalgo. Plus, Hidalgo almost recorded a quadruple-double on multiple occasions during the NCAA Tournament.

It certainly helps Strong's case that she's the best player on an undefeated team, but statistically, she didn't have a better season than Hidalgo, which is why I think Hidalgo ultimately got snubbed.

But back to Hidalgo being named the Defensive Player of the Year. This was a no-brainer. The better question is whether Hidalgo will go down as the best defensive player in women's college basketball history when her career is over. And considering she still has one more year of college left, there's a pretty good chance she will.

She's a three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year award winner and 168 steals away from breaking Chastadie Barrs career record for steals. So, assuming Hidalgo stays healthy next year, she should have no problem breaking that record.

But Hidalgo's defensive presence goes way beyond the numbers. She is as good as any player ever at pressuring the ball, and even if she doesn't record a steal, she consistently forces the ballhandler into either making a bad pass or missing the open player by holding the ball too long.

Hidalgo's Reaction

One of the best things about Hidalgo is her humility. Her reaction to winning the award is in the link below, and if you've followed her entire college career, you shouldn't be surprised. Hidalgo didn't boast whatsoever but instead focused on how grateful she was. Simply a first-class response from a first-class player.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

Jared Shlensky is a contributing writer for On SI and a freelance play-by-play broadcaster. Jared was previously a sports betting writer for Yardbarker, an On-Air YouTube Personality for the Sports Geek and a minor league play-by-play broadcaster

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