Notre Dame women’s basketball signee Hannah Hidalgo breaks McDonald’s All-American Game scoring record
A record-breaker is headed to Notre Dame this summer. Five-star Fighting Irish women’s basketball signee Hannah Hidalgo scored more points than anyone else has in the history of the McDonald’s All-American Game at the Toyota Center in Houston on Tuesday night.
Hidalgo’s 26 points for the East Team were one more than Sabrina Ionescu’s 25-point effort in 2016 and one more than USC signee JuJu Watkins’ 25 points for the West Team on Tuesday. Hidalgo and Watkins shared co-MVP honors in a 110-102 victory for the West.
The 5-6 Hidalgo stuffed the stat sheet with 8 steals, which was also a record for the prestigious game, and 5 assists. She also had 7 turnovers. She shot 7 of 11 (63.6 percent) from the field, 2 of 3 (66.7 percent) from three-point range and 10 of 12 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line. Her signature moment in the game was a drilled buzzer-beating three at the conclusion of the third quarter.
“Unlimited range for Hidalgo!” the ESPN play-by-play announcer exclaimed.
Haddonfield (N.J.) Paul VI’s Hidalgo was one of two Notre Dame signees who started in the game. The other was Melbourne (Fla.) Palm Bay’s Emma Risch. Hidalgo played 23 minutes to Risch’s 18, and the latter only attempted five shots. She went 1 of 5, including 1 of 3 from three. She grabbed 6 rebounds, came away with 3 steals and dished out 1 assist. The East Team was +5 in point differential with Risch on the floor. That was one point better than Hidalgo’s +4.
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Hidalgo and the 6-1 Risch have the talent to play right away for head coach Niele Ivey at Notre Dame. Hidalgo could get some starting reps at point guard if Olivia Miles’ recovery from knee surgery bleeds into November. Risch will be a solid depth add and could become Notre Dame’s best pure shooter upon immediately stepping onto campus.
Notre Dame welcomes its prized five-star recruits coming off a season in which the Irish went 27-6, won the ACC regular season conference championship outright and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year despite playing without two starting guards in Miles and graduate student Dara Mabrey in the NCAA Tournament. Hidalgo and Risch were two of three five-star guards signed by Notre Dame in this year’s class. Cassandre Prosper, who enrolled early and averaged 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 22 games, was the other.
