Niele Ivey on retaining Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame roster: 'They know my heart'
As Notre Dame rattled off a third straight run to the Sweet Sixteen under Niele Ivey, Hannah Hidalgo became the Fighting Irish’s breakout star. The freshman guard won the Dawn Staley Award while also bringing home ACC Defensive Player of the Year to cement her place as one of the game’s rising stars.
For Ivey, though, the big challenge came after the season. The transfer portal window opened after Selection Sunday, and with one of the best players in the nation on her roster, she knew keeping Hidalgo – and the rest of her team – would be paramount.
“Roster retention is real,” Ivey said on SiriusXM College. “I think that was a big part of, right after the season. You never know. You never know the conversations. For me, I just rely on my relationship. My relationship with the players, it’s solid. They know my intent, they know my heart. So I kind of relied on that.
“And I was more, if she wanted to have a conversation with me, I had individual player development meetings [to] kind of talk about what areas I needed them to work on, those type of things. Just having that communication and transparency is what I try to have with them and with her.”
Hannah Hidalgo put up impressive numbers as a freshman at Notre Dame. She averaged 22.6 points, which ranked sixth in the nation, and her 4.6 steals per game led the country.
But away from the court, Niele Ivey said Hidalgo keeps things in perspective. They also have a unique bond, and that was important when the portal opened and players started to search for new homes. Once the window closed, the star guard was like everyone who stuck with the Irish – ready to roll.
“She’s a very humble star,” Ivey said of Hidalgo. “She’s very humble. Again, we have an incredible relationship. I just relied on my relationship with her, and I feel like what she’s looking for, it still aligns with what Notre Dame has. She’s a Notre Dame kid, and I’m just grateful that I get a chance to coach her. But it’s part of it, to be honest. It’s definitely something I feel – especially a high-caliber player like that – I know it’s part of it.
“So it’s just, you’ve got to get over those couple weeks. And then, when you really realize what your roster’s gonna look like and you have a team that’s committed and loyal, and that’s what she is. I’m really grateful with that. But it goes back to our relationship, and I’m grateful for her.”