Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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48 OCT. 17, 2026 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED BY ERIC HANSEN T he potential hiccup those out- side the Notre Dame women's basketball team point to is some- thing three-time All-American Hannah Hidalgo sees as a strength. Freshmen. And the Irish, coming off an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight run, are rolling seven deep in them, with the recent addition of walk-on twin guards Mia and Bella Veith. "Just a lot of talent and heart," the 5-foot-7 senior point guard of- fered about the group led by guard/ forward Jacy Abii (the No. 9 recruit nationally per ESPN) and guard Jenica Lewis (No. 28). "They come into practice every single day and bring 100 percent. They defend; they score. They can do it all. They are categorized as freshmen, but I know that when they're on the court for games, they're not going to look like freshmen." Hidalgo was in Charlotte, N.C., Oct. 5 for the ACC Tipoff event, as were Notre Dame seventh-year head coach Niele Ivey and Princeton graduate transfer guard Madison St. Rose, one of the three other newcomers. Also new and surrounding Hidalgo on a team with heavy roster turnover are Louisville transfer forward Anaya Hardy and returning sophomore forward Leah Macy, who sat out last season rehabbing an ACL injury she suffered at the tail end of her high school senior season in late February 2025. Rounding out the freshman group are guard Bella Ragone (No. 35 prospect in the country), wing Amari Byles (No. 39) and post Isabella Sangha (No. 93), who also plays for the Irish volleyball team and will join the hoops team full time in December. The Irish, ranked No. 16 in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25, open the season Nov. 1 in Rome, Italy, against Villanova. That will be preceded by a tune-up ex- hibition game Oct. 26 at Purcell Pavilion against Truman State. The ACC's preseason order of finish, preseason All-ACC teams, preseason Player of the Year and preseason All- Freshman Team were set to be announced Oct. 13. Per Hidalgo's scouting report, the Irish should have plenty of worthy candi- dates for the freshman team. "They're sponges," said Hidalgo, a three-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year and two-time ACC Player of the Year. "That's what I really appreci- ate about them. They don't think they know it all, and they're ready to learn and they're going to do whatever Coach Ivey tells them. They're so coachable, and they're so skilled." A NEW TEAM, A NEW DIMENSION FOR HIDALGO Hidalgo was the nation's third-lead- ing scorer last season at 25.3 points per game and led the nation with 5.6 steals per contest. She also averaged 6.9 re- bounds and 5.2 assists per game. "She's even faster," Ivey offered when asked about the improvements Hidalgo made in her game during the offseason. "A big thing for me was figuring out how to get my teammates involved even more," Hidalgo said of her off- season focus. "Especially with the new team that we have, I'm making sure that everyone's comfortable and confident in themselves. I worked on being able to finish on different lev- els, just adding to my bag. "I'm able to score on all three lev- els, but I have worked on craftier finishes — whether that's off the three, off the dribble, behind ball screens — things like that — or fin- ishing more crafty around the rim." The two transfers, St. Rose and Hardy, figure to be fixtures in the starting lineup with Hidalgo. They also will share in the leadership piece with this team. St. Rose, a former AAU teammate of Hidalgo's back in their high school days in New Jersey, even refers to the Irish freshmen as "my kids." "I knew we were going to lose about five players," Ivey said of putting together almost an entirely new roster. "Cass Prosper went to the WNBA Draft, and we had four that were fifth-year seniors. So, the thought process was to bring in a really big freshman class, a class that we can re- ally grow with and develop with. "Every year, we are trying to bring in the right pieces that can complement what we have. Madison St. Rose was a no-brainer; somebody that can come in with her experience and really comple- ment Hannah in the backcourt. Anaya Hardy is somebody in the frontcourt with great athleticism. "That's pretty much the process — having the right complements and the right pieces that fit our culture on and off the court." The Irish finished 25-11 overall last season and No. 9 in the final Associated Press poll. This year's goal is even bigger. "Lord willing, a national champion- ship," Hidalgo said. "That's the reason I came here to Notre Dame. I feel like we've accomplished a lot. We've won the ACC Championship. We made it to the Elite Eight last year, and now the goal is to get all the way there." ✦ Hannah Hidalgo Sees Strength, Not Growing Pains, In Youth WOMEN'S B A S K E T B A L L Hidalgo has high praise for the freshman class, which includes two McDonald's All-Americans and five players in ESPN's top 100. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS