Hannah Hidalgo injury update: Niele Ivey reveals when Notre Dame star will return to lineup

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo is expected to play against Georgia Tech on Thursday, according to coach Niele Ivey. Hidalgo was held out of a matchup against Clemson on Sunday for precautionary reasons as the Fighting Irish took care of business in a 67-58 win.

Her return to the lineup will be a welcome addition as she currently leads the team with 25.7 points per game in addition to 6.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.1 steals while shooting 45.8% from 3-point range.

Notre Dame (14-2) enters the contest against Georgia Tech (15-2) having won nine straight games. Hidalgo is second in the country in scoring behind only Ta’Niya Latson of Florida State and will look to pick up where she left off in her return to the court.

Hidalgo’s performance this year is only building upon her standout freshman campaign in 2023-24. She averaged 22.6 points and an NCAA-leading 4.6 steals per game on her way to earning first team All-American honors.

Ivey raved about her star player this season, saying she always believed in Hidalgo from the day she signed on.

“I knew that she was going to be a special player,” Ivey said. “She always played with a chip on her shoulder. She always wears her heart on her sleeve.

“Having that passion and that energy and the love and joy of the game — I was shocked last year that she did it so fast. She was in the fire last year. I knew right away. I honestly knew in the summertime, when we went on our foreign tour that she’s a big, big player. Big-time, big-stage player. She’s different in such a unique way, the way that she plays, and she just stepped in and she just growing and blossoming.”

Notre Dame earned a No. 2 seed last season behind the star power of Hannah Hidalgo, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. It will aim to get even further this year with the talented guard once again leading the charge.

Her all-around game both offensive and defensively give the Fighting Irish a weapon that few other teams in the country possess. They will continue their journey to climb the ACC standings when they host the No. 17 Yellow Jackets at 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.