CHARLOTTE, NC — ACC commissioner Jim Phillips is scouring the hotel, searching for one of the most recognizable players in women’s college basketball.
The Hilton is hosting the conference’s annual media days ahead of the women's basketball season and Phillips has just met 18-year-old Laila McClary, who lives with an intellectual disability and loves all things basketball. When she tells Phillips her favorite player is Hannah Hidalgo, the two embark on a mission to find the Notre Dame point guard.
With McClary in tow, Phillips searches the second floor and comes up empty. He heads to the third floor, still no sign of Hidalgo. Then he reaches the fourth floor of the hotel where he spots the three-time All-American. McClary’s eyes lit up.
Hidalgo
walked over and gave McClary a hug, spent time with her, asked her questions, signed her shirt and book, took photos with her and shared laughs. It was a moment that Phillips, who has spent a lifetime in college athletics, won’t forget.
“The moment that Hannah laid eyes on Laila, she stopped what she was doing and came over and embraced her. You would have thought it was Hannah's best friend and that they had known each other for 10 years,” Phillips told USA TODAY Sports. “That, to me, trumps how incredible of a player she is — which she absolutely is. She’s must-watch TV. It's unbelievable, her accomplishments and what she's been able to achieve, but she's even a better human being.
“That pierced my heart. Everybody wants a piece of her.”
That moment with a fan at media day was further proof the ACC has a legitimate superstar in Hidalgo. It’s no coincidence the lone ACC game on ABC this season is between Hidalgo’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Duke Blue Devils, led by Team USA coach Kara Lawson.
She, too, has long been an admirer of Hidalgo. Lawson has had to game plan for the lighting-quick guard in each of the past three seasons, but also got to coach her in the summer of 2025 at the FIBA AmeriCup, where Team USA went undefeated and won gold comfortably.
“We connected really well because I think we have a lot of similarities in terms of being competitive and wanting to win,” Lawson told USA TODAY Sports. “That's what makes her tough to go against, her competitiveness. She wants to win every possession, wants to win every game and she has no letup.
"That physical ability, but also the mental ability, to focus in and compete at a high level every possession, sets her apart. There's just not a lot of players that do that.”
Where does Hannah Hidalgo rank?
Hidalgo is preparing for what could be her final season at Notre Dame, her last chance to leave her signature on the storied program.
The product of Merchantville, New Jersey, is already a two-time ACC Player of the Year and Nancy Lieberman Award winner. Last season, she broke NCAA record for steals in a season with 202. She also became Notre Dame’s single-season and single-game leading scorer and all-time leader in steals.
Even in a program that has produced countless All-Americans and won a pair of national championships, Hidalgo’s accomplishments are remarkable.
Hidalgo was also the Naismith and WBCA Defensive Player of the Year last season after leading the nation with 5.6 steals per game, patrolling the court and picking off passes like a free safety. Combined with her averaging 25.3 points per game, which ranked third nationally, it’s worth asking:
Is Hidalgo the best player in the country?
“That's a great question. If that's what the fans think, I mean, I wouldn't say that,” Hidalgo said with a laugh during an interview with USA TODAY Sports. “But I think I’m pretty good. I play both sides of the floor, defense and offense. I bring that energy every game.
"I definitely set the tone every time I step on the floor, in practice, in games, whatever it is.”
Coming off a year in which she powered the Fighting Irish to an Elite Eight appearance — a first in the tenure of head coach Niele Ivey — Hidalgo wants more.
But does Notre Dame have enough pieces around its star to return to the Final Four for the first time since 2019?
Hidalgo’s supporting class, role as leader
Last season, Hidalgo did everything for the Fighting Irish. She led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Playing 36.4 minutes per game, she barely took time for a breather.
Entering her seventh season at the helm of Notre Dame, Ivey added a pair of transfers in Anya Hardy from Louisville and Madison St. Rose of Princeton. Also a New Jersey native, St. Rose is expected to start right away. She was a two-time All-Ivy League selection, played in multiple NCAA Tournaments and averaged 15.8 points per game last season.
She could fit the role of Robin to Hidalgo’s Batman.
“Madison is a dog. She's like a silent assassin,” Hidalgo said. “She does what she needs to do for us offensively and defensively. She can score on all three levels, and she can pick up and defend. She's a great addition to the team.”
Ivey also brought in a heralded high school recruiting class, landing five players ranked inside ESPN’s top 100 . The group is headlined by the ninth-ranked player, 6-foot-2 wing Jacy Abii.
As a senior — and one of the top players in the country — it will be up to Hidalgo to guide the youngsters and newcomers, showing them what Notre Dame basketball is all about.
“I'm a very passionate leader. I'm pushing my teammates, but also communicating with them. I'm extremely vocal. They're all looking for me first and they're feeding off of me,” Hidalgo said. “We’re going to be fast, we’re going to be extremely competitive defensively and just extremely intense. It's going to be a fun season.”
Notre Dame opens season in Rome: ‘It’s a business trip’
Hidalgo has a chance this season to join elite company. Should she win another ACC Player of the Year award, she will be only the fourth player to earn the honor three times. Alana Beard, Alyssa Thomas and Elizabeth Kitley are the others.
But there’s also a chance this season is not Hidalgo’s last in a Notre Dame uniform.
In June, the NCAA changed its eligibility structure to an age-based model, referred to as the five-in-five rule. Beginning with the day a student-athlete enrolls or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first, current and future college athletes will have five years to play five seasons of their sport.
“Of course, it's in the back of my mind a little bit,” Hidalgo said of playing a fifth season. “But I haven't put too much thought into it because I have a whole season left.”
While the ACC would love to have Hidalgo back for another season, her opponents might not be as thrilled.
“She’s an amazing player. She’s a dog,” Cal guard Lulu Twidale told USA TODAY Sports. “She gets after it on the defensive end. She’s so quick and she can get a shot off really fast.”
Immediately ahead for Hidalgo is a trip to Italy. Notre Dame will face Villanova on Sunday, Nov. 1, for the first women’s college basketball game of this season.
Hidalgo said the team hasn’t made plans for sightseeing in Rome. In her mind, Villanova is the first opponent of the season and the first opportunity the Fighting Irish have to set the tone.
“It’ll be really exciting, but no, this is a business trip,” Hidalgo said. “We haven't focused on anything outside of playing Villanova. That's our goal, to go out there and win.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hannah Hidalgo can do everything. Can she take Notre Dame to Final Four?
