CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Notre Dame point guard Hannah Hidalgo has spent the better part of the last seven months contemplating what went wrong down the stretch last season — and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
The two-time Associated Press first-team All-American returns as the clear face of the Irish program — and perhaps all of women’s college basketball given that USC’s JuJu Watkins is out for the season with a knee injury — after backcourt mate Olivia Miles transferred to TCU.
“Knowing how much talent we had last year and underachieving like we did was something that was heartbreaking,” the junior said Tuesday at the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason media days.
Notre Dame was ranked No. 1 in the country last February before losing at N.C. State in a double-overtime thriller that sent them into a spiral. The Irish went 4-4 to close the year, knocked out in the NCAA Sweet 16 as a No. 3 seed by TCU.
The 5-foot-6 guard views this season as a “blank canvas” and vowed not to allow last year’s letdowns resurface. She pointed to lessons from last year about how to be a better leader, which include helping develop team chemistry. It’s the latest step in a journey that began with her finding immediate stardom as a freshman while Miles was sidelined by a knee injury.
“I know how to get the best out of my teammates,” Hidalgo said. “I know the steps that I need to take and the things that I need to do. One of the most important things is building that relationship and that connection with my teammates off the court. It’s bigger than basketball and when you’re surrounded by people who truly care about you and who want the best for you.”
Hidalgo downplayed any rift between her and Miles, including one social-media post by a fan where the two appeared to be in a heated discussion in the tunnel of a WNBA preseason game in May. She said she was surprised when Miles decided to leave South Bend, Indiana.
When asked about potential tension between the two Irish stars, Hidalgo said, “No, there’s nothing. She went her separate way and I’m still here at Notre Dame, so I wish her all the best.”
She’s the clear headliner in a changing ACC, where 11 of 15 players who earned first-team all-ACC honors last year didn’t return either to transfers, graduations or departures to play professionally. She’s also become a big draw — and at times a subject of public criticism — on social media as she looks to build her personal brand.
Notre Dame sixth-year head coach Niele Ivey said it’s her job to make sure Hidalgo’s focus is where it should be amid her time in the spotlight.
They’ve spoken about it, and feels like her point guard is in the right headspace.
“I know the weight of that is heavy, the crown is super heavy,” Ivey said. “But I feel like she has done a great job of surrounding herself with the right network, the Notre Dame network, but also her family. She is very grounded with her family and her faith.”
Hidalgo averaged 23.8 points, 3.6 assists, 3.7 steals and 5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 40% from 3-point range. And while it’s hard for Ivey and the Irish to ask for more than that, they almost certainly will need to. Notre Dame has seven new players and only five returners.
But with Miles gone, there will come additional challenges with Hidalgo expected to be the primary focal point of opposing defenses.
“I think this will really help grow my game,” Hidalgo said. “I can’t win a game by myself, so figuring out how to get all my teammates involved, when we haven’t scored a couple possessions, being able to take the ball, take control, and whether that’s me scoring a bucket or getting somebody open to score a bucket.
“I think it’ll really help extend my game and get me prepared for the next level.”