gettyimages-2105330761-1-1.jpg
Getty Images

Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo has been an undersized basketball player for as long as she can remember. That posed difficulties when trying to score against bigger and taller players. However, the New Jersey native quickly realized that focusing on the aspect of her game she could control, defense, would be her competitive advantage. 

"I can't control my height or how I'm putting the ball in the basket," the 5-foot-6 guard told CBS Sports in the Notre Dame locker room at MVP Arena in Albany. "But my defense is something that I can always control."

Hidalgo and her teammates were searching through a large box of NCAA Sweet 16-labeled gifts placed in the center of the room when we caught up with her.

"Someone told me once when I was growing up that defense wins championships, and so I always took pride in my defense since then -- just bringing in the energy, being really physical, and just playing aggressive," Hidalgo said. 

Years later, her focus on defense caught the eye of Notre Dame. 

"She always just separated herself. She plays with a level of passion that you don't see very often," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said Thursday. "The passion that she played with, I thought she was really going to change the game."

And she was right. 

In her first season, Hidalgo earned ACC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as ACC Tournament MVP. She is averaging 22.9 points and 4.6 steals per game for Notre Dame. Her 780 points and counting is a Notre Dame and ACC freshman scoring record. She scored 31 points in her collegiate debut against South Carolina, the most ever in Notre Dame women's and men's Basketball history.

Ivey would know a player capable of Notre Dame greatness. 

"I've been around it," Ivey said. "Skylar Diggins at Notre Dame, she changed our culture right from the beginning [when] she stepped on campus."

Ivey was an assistant coach under Muffet McGraw and overlapped with now WNBA veteran Diggins-Smith from 2010-2013. What's more, some of Diggins-Smith's Notre Dame records were first held by Ivey herself. Coming into the 2023-24 season, Diggins-Smith is the all-time leader in points, steals, minutes played and double-figure scoring games at Notre Dame. Heading into the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Hidalgo has already beaten Diggins-Smith's record for steals in a single season (147) and number of games with 6+ steals (nine). So, how does Diggins-Smith feels about her records being broken?

She knew it was coming. In a recent article, Hidalgo stated not only did she have a chance to speak to Diggins-Smith as part of her recruitment process, but the two guards spoke before the season. 

"I was just talking on the phone with Sky and she was like, 'I want you to be leading the ACC in steals,'" Hidalgo said. It's obvious Hidalgo took that directive and ran with it.

On Friday, Hidalgo will have another opportunity to swell her historic freshman year numbers. However, winning against Oregon State and advancing to the program's 10th Elite Eight is the immediate goal for the freshman. 

The Beavers average 71 points per game while holding opponents to under 60 points. Much like Notre Dame in the ACC, Oregon State finished as a top-four team in a competitive Pac-12 conference. The Beavers too are fueled by their defense, and they outmuscle their opponents on the boards by 7.4 rebounds per game. 

The Fighting Irish have dealt with a depleted bench due to season-ending injuries to Olivia Miles (knee), Emma Risch (hip), and Kylee Watson (ACL). Additionally, Notre Dame has managed significant absences from Cassandre Prosper (lower body) and Sonia Citron (knee sprain). 

All the more reason meeting and talking to program alumnae has been critical for the team this season. Having access to Notre Dame alumna like Diggins-Smith and others invited in by Ivey has meant a lot to Hidalgo and her teammates. 

"It's truly a blessing to be able to be apart of a program where the woman come back and it's really empowering," Hidalgo said. "To see that relationship that they have, [and for] them to come back and talk to us really means a lot. So, that's big to us." 

Only time will tell if Hidalgo can lead Notre Dame to its third national title during her time in South Bend, Ind. The freshman is focused on a chance to advance Friday. It will be something Hidalgo and Ivey discuss at the end of the season, whenever that may be. 

Clear goals, hard work, the support of her team and family, and faith all help Hidalgo stay focused. Her family and former coaches are driving up from New Jersey to be at MVP Arena for Friday's matchup. Come tip-off, her coaches and teammates will be by her side. And Hidalgo will silence the noise and focus on her faith. 

"I have a great support system around me who keeps me focused," Hidalgo said. "I don't let the media get too much in my head because I know what God has placed in me, and I don't want to lose my focus."