ATLANTA — As the watch lists continue to get shorter, Hannah Hidalgo isn’t going anywhere.
On Tuesday, Hidalgo was named to the 2024 Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Team. The squad is composed of 30 players, and just three are freshmen: Hidalgo, Texas forward Madison Booker and USC guard JuJu Watkins. Hidalgo was also recently named to the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist.
The New Jersey rookie’s name is plastered all over national rankings and statistics. She ranks third in the nation in points per game (25.1) and leads all Division I players with 5.1 swipes every time she sees the court. She leads all ACC rookies with 5.6 assists per game, and she ranks second overall in the conference. Hidalgo and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark are the only major conference players averaging at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. When you add in the 5.1 steals per game, Hidalgo stands alone.
Additionally, the list of records Hidalgo has broken thus far is lengthy and ever-growing:
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ACC single-season freshman steals
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ACC Rookie of the Week awards
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Notre Dame single-game freshman scoring
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Notre Dame single-season freshman scoring
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Notre Dame single-game steals*
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Notre Dame single-season steals
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Notre Dame consecutive 20-point games
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Notre Dame freshman 30-point games
* indicates tied record