Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo has been one of the most talked-about players in all of college basketball this season. She’s put on a show night in and night out.
The tiny sophomore is shooting the ball at a 50.7% clip and 45.8% from beyond the arc, and her explosive outbursts have become more common as she gets settled in.
However, she’s not that moved by her scoring prowess. If anything, the 5-foot-6 player recently said on the “Sometimes I Hoop” podcast that, given her lack of size, she’s always taken pride in her defense.
Hannah Hidalgo says she’s driven by defense, not offense
“I get my energy from my defense, especially being a smaller guard,” Hidalgo said. “Always being a smaller guard, I had to figure out how to do something else, because scoring wasn’t always my thing, especially playing against bigger girls.”
Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) reacts to a play against the UConn Huskies on December 12th, 2024, at the Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Indiana.
Hidalgo admitted that she didn’t have much of a physical edge over her competition. As such, she had to become a crafty scorer and, more importantly, a lockdown defender.
“I was so small I didn’t know how to finesse and score over taller girls. So, I was always told that defense wins championships, so I always took pride in my defense,” she added.
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Of course, her defense has been notorious, but her 25.7 points per game would make people think of her as an offensive-driven player, even though she also averages 4.1 steals per game.
