National Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo electrifies South Bend, returning to lead Notre Dame with her unmatched scoring and defensive prowess for another championship run.
Notre Dame got some major news tonight as star guard Hannah Hidalgo announced her intention to return for a final season with the Fighting Irish. Hidalgo is a record setting player for the Irish and her return bodes well for the Irish next season.
Hidalgo is not old enough to declare for the WNBA Draft, but she should have chosen to enter the portal for her final season, like we saw last season with Olivia Miles. Hidalgo has been one of the nation's best guards since she arrived at Notre Dame, and she was the driving force behind Notre Dame's Elite Eight run this season. She was brilliant in Notre Dame's 67-64 Sweet 16 win over Vanderbilt, recording a triple double (31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals). She was just three assistants away from a quadruple double in that game.
Hidalgo finished third in the nation this year in scoring, averaging a career-high 25.3 points per game. She also led the nation in steals at 5.6 per game, with the next closest player coming in at 4.2 steals per game. Only two other players averaged at least 4.0 steals per game after Hidalgo. She also averaged 6.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game, winning ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season. Hidalgo has also been named an All-American in each of her three seasons in South Bend, earning first team honors with the AP in 2024 and 2025, and first team honors with the USBWA in 2025 and 2026. Hidalgo was also named the nation's Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and won the Nancy Lieberman Award (nation's top point guard) after the 2025-26 season.
By announcing her return this early, Hidalgo allows the Notre Dame coaching staff to aggressively pursue top portal targets in hopes of pairing them with their star guard. Notre Dame will likely target at least one top post prospect, but it could also look for depth at guard with Vanessa DeJesus and Iyana Moore exhausting their eligibility. Notre Dame also returns senior KK Bransford and should get a healthy Leah Macy next season. Macy, a five-star recruit and the No. 16 player in the country in the 2025 class, missed this past season with a knee injury that she suffered in high school.
Notre Dame will also welcome one of the best recruiting classes in the country, landing an elite five-person class in 2026. McDonald's All-Americans Jaci Abii and Jenica Lewis lead the way. Abii is a 6-2 forward that can play down low and also knock down outside shots. Lewis is a 5-10 guard that can handle the ball and also has dynamic scoring ability. They aren't the only standouts in the class, with Notre Dame also landing 6-2 forward Amari Byles, the nation's No. 22 overall player, and 6-2 guard Bella Ragone, the nation's No. 24 overall player. Notre Dame also landed 6-3 post Isabella Sangha, who also plans to play volleyball for the Irish. She is ranked as the No. 78 overall player in the country.
The return of Hidalgo, Bransford and Macy combines with the elite incoming freshman class to give the Irish a strong foundation for next season. If Notre Dame can add a top level portal class to this group the Irish could put their best team under Niele Ivey on the court next season. Expect the Irish to be aggressive in the portal to put some very important finishing touches on next season's roster.
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