Stephen A. Smith's 'Feisty' Hannah Hidalgo Stance Speaks Volumes at NCAA Tournament
The No. 6-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team is facing off against the No. 2-seeded Vanderbilt squad in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 27.
Both of these teams have bona fide superstars on their roster. For Notre Dame, this is junior point guard Hannah Hidalgo, and it's sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes for Vanderbilt. Blakes led the country in points per game this year, with 27, while Hidalgo was third in the country (only behind Iowa State Cyclones center Audi Crooks) with 25.2.
Blakes knows how tough a matchup Hidalgo is. She conveyed this by saying, "She's really good, and I feel like one thing about the both of us is we never get denied the ball. We're always finding a way to the ball," in a March 26 article from ESPN's Andrea Adelson.
Stephen A. Smith's Strong Hannah Hidalgo Stance Turns Heads Before Notre Dame-Vanderbilt NCAA Tournament Game
Hidalgo isn't just a weapon because of her elite two-way skills. She plays with a passion and intensity that energizes her team and shapes their gritty, blue-collar identity.
This seems to have caught ESPN media personality Stephen A. Smith's attention, which he conveyed in a March 27 segment of "First Take".
"I love that girl, Hidalgo! I mean, I love her! Little feisty thing going out there balling! I can't take my eyes off of watching her play. I just wanted to say that, I just wanted to say that before we started this discussion. I really, really like her. She can ball a little bit. Little feisty thing, I like that." Smith said, per an X post from @GrandTheftDalgo.
Andraya Carter said this was one of the smartest things she has heard Smith say and added, "You are on point with that one. She is electric, she is exciting, and a two-way player. I know you've been talking about defense a lot lately in the NBA. We respect defense around here, and Hannah Hidalgo gets it done on both ends of the floor. She's got a big assignment today, going against Vanderbilt. But that's quality analysis on your part, Stephen A. That's a good one."
“I can’t take my eyes off of watching her play.” 👀
— H ☘️ (@GrandTheftDalgo) March 27, 2026
— Stephen A. Smith on Hannah Hidalgo@FirstTake 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/JANQWhTJZZ
Hidalgo is already off to a fast start against Blakes and the Commodores on Friday. She has tallied a staggering 7 steals in the first half alone, which broke the NCAA Division I single-season steals record.
doing what she does best @HannahHidalgo has set the NCAA single-season steals record#GoIrish // @MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/WXWKfrMEU8
— Notre Dame Women's Basketball (@ndwbb) March 27, 2026
A victory against them would likely lead to an Elite Eight showdown against Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and the undefeated UConn Huskies.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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