Notre Dame All-American guard Hannah Hidalgo left little doubt about her decision to return for her senior season.

"It was a no-brainer that I was going to come back for my senior year just because the family that I built here, I feel like I would never get what I have here at another school," Hidalgo told ESPN. "The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Everyone's always chasing the next best thing.”

She further talked about the connection she has with Notre Dame and her decision to stick with them.

“Another school is always going to have more and more. They're going to have more money, and they might have better players, a better system, whatever it may be,” said Hidalgo via ESPN. “But I wouldn't get all the things that I have here at Notre Dame."

The two-time ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year is the first player in league history to sweep both awards in consecutive seasons. Last year, she helped lead the Irish to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2019. 

Notre Dame enters the season with a younger roster after bringing in a large freshman class, and Hidalgo has embraced a larger leadership role as a result, helping newer players understand the standards and expectations that come with competing for the Irish and pushing deeper into the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Ivey on the team addition to support Hidalgo

Coach Niele Ivey has shaped the offseason roster with Hidalgo at the center. The most notable addition is Princeton transfer Madison St. Rose, a guard who previously played AAU basketball with Hidalgo in New Jersey. Hidalgo herself initiated the recruitment, personally calling St. Rose to encourage the move to South Bend.

"She is the perfect complement," Ivey said, as per the same ESPN article. "They played together before. They know each other really well. She's a three-level scorer, and she's also got great experience in the backcourt. She's extremely smart. She plays both sides of the ball, so she's a really good defender. She's got a good size. She's a big guard, and she has a great 3-point shot. I think that complements Hannah well."

Hidalgo’s return provides real continuity for a program that's steadily climbed under Ivey. Her combination of scoring, defensive intensity, and now vocal leadership positions Notre Dame as a serious contender once again. 

By choosing familiarity and culture over potential opportunities elsewhere, she's made clear that her unfinished business in South Bend comes first.

Do you think Notre Dame has the pieces this season to finally break through to a national championship?

Written by

Zaid Quraishi