Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo wins ACC Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year
Hannah Hidalgo added two season-long accolades to her ever-growing treasure chest on Tuesday. The Notre Dame freshman point guard was named the ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year by league coaches and the Blue Ribbon Panel this afternoon.
Hidalgo is the second player in ACC history to win both awards in the same season. She joined Duke’s Elizbeth Williams (2012) in that regard.
Hidalgo led the ACC in scoring at 23.8 points per game, good for third nationally, and led the nation in steals (141) and steals per game (4.9). Still, she finished third in ACC Player of the Year voting behind back-to-back-to-back winner Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech and Dyaisha Fair of Syracuse.
Hidalgo is on the All-ACC first team with Kitley, Fair, Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore, Florida State guard Ta’Niya Latson, North Carolina guard Deja Kelly, NC State guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, Florida State forward Makayla Timpson and Pitt forward Liatu King.
Notre Dame senior forward Maddy Westbeld was the top vote getter for the All-ACC second team. Irish junior guard Sonia Citron got the third-most votes of all second-team members. Citron is second on the Irish roster at 16.3 points per game this season. Westbeld nearly averages a double-double with 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds, the latter of which leads Notre Dame ahead of Hidalgo’s mark of 6.5.
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The Notre Dame veterans share second-team space with Clemson forward Amari Robinson, North Carolina guard/forward Alyssa Ustby, Louisville guard Kiki Jefferson, Virginia guard Kymora Johnson, Georgia Tech guards Tonie Morgan and Kara Dunn, Duke guard Reigan Richardson and Louisville forward Olivia Cochran.
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey did not appear in the top three for ACC Coach of the Year voting after winning the award a year ago. Syracuse’s Felisha Legette-Jack was bestowed the honor ahead of Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks and NC State’s Wes Moore.
Notre Dame enters this week’s ACC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Irish will not play until 11 a.m. ET Friday. Possible opponents include No. 5 seed Louisville, No. 12 Clemson and No. 13 seed Boston College.
According to ESPN analytics, Notre Dame has a 60.0 percent chance of winning the ACC Tournament. ESPN analysts Charlie Creme and Alexa Philippou both picked the Irish to win the trophy. Their colleague Michael Voepel chose NC State. The tournament championship game is Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
