Records are often a reflection of relentless ambition, but Hannah Hidalgo sees something more behind her latest milestone. The Notre Dame star’s passion has become a defining part of her game, yet, according to her, it comes from a simple place: gratitude for the opportunity to play basketball.
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“I’m just so blessed to be able to play the game of basketball,” Hidalgo told NBC Sports per an X post. “I’m super excited. I don’t ever take a game for granted, and so you know, me showing my passion is just my way of showing how blessed I am to play the game of basketball.”
For Hidalgo, the celebrations and energy are not separate from her appreciation for the sport. Even as her achievements continue to put her among the most accomplished players in college basketball, she’s approaching every game with a sense of privilege.
The interview came after Notre Dame’s 108-84 win over DePaul at the SoFi Shamrock Classic on November 14. Hidalgo was explosive that game, finishing with 31 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and two blocks. According to ESPN Insights, she became the first player in both men’s and women’s Division 1 history to log 2,000 points and 500 steals over her career since steals started being tracked in 1987-88.
However, Notre Dame’s official recap revealed an even more impressive achievement. In their review of the game, the team revealed that Hidalgo had become the first player to log 2,500 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds, and 500 steals over her career.
Notably, Hidalgo is only the fifth D-I women’s basketball player to reach 500 career steals, after already having set the single-season steals record last season with 202. She also holds the single-game record for steals, when she logged 16 takeaways against Akron on November 12, 2025.
“This is the same defense I’ve been playing for the past four years,” Hidalgo said after the game. “I’m just trying to be as consistent as possible. I’m trying to make the game as easy as possible for my teammates, and that’s me picking up full court and trying to turn over the offensive player so they don’t even get into their sets.”
However, she wasn’t the only Fighting Irish player making history during the game. Anaya Hardy grabbed 16 rebounds in the game, including a program-record 12 offensive rebounds. The win against DePaul pushed Notre Dame to 4-0 on the season.
The win against DePaul also marked the third consecutive game that the Irish have scored over 100 points for the first time in program history.
After the game, even head coach Nieve Ivey was stunned by Hidalgo’s record-breaking production. When asked about Hidalgo by reporters, Ivey broke it down.
“It’s hard to put into perspective,” Coach Ivey said. “I said it to the team afterwards, and we talked about how that is an incredible stat for any college player, not just a gender…It’s such an incredible accomplishment. It’s really hard to record 2,500 points, 500 rebounds, assists, and steals. And it’s phenomenal the way she impacts the game on both sides of the ball with the consistency as she’s been here at Notre Dame. It’s just an incredible statistic, and I’m really proud of her.”
Hidalgo has a lot of opportunities to make history this season. She is now just 54 points behind Arike Ogunbowale’s mark for the all-time highest scorer in Notre Dame history, and she sits just 149 steals behind Chastadie Barr’s all-time D-I record of 649 career steals.
Next up for Hidalgo and Notre Dame, they will face off against the Southern Jaguars on November 18 and the Davidson Wildcats on November 24, looking at an easy chance to extend their early-season record to 7-0.