LOS ANGELES— Hannah Hidalgo has been selected to the John R. Wooden Award Watch List as announced on Wednesday afternoon. The junior guard has already been named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year and an AP Preseason All-American prior to the season.
The guard currently leads the country in scoring, averaging 28.8 points per game. Hidalgo has already garnered national attention this season for setting the NCAA DI record for steals in a game with 16 in the win over Akron. She also set the program record for points in a game with 44 in the win over Akron.
Hidalgo is coming off of another record-breaking campaign last year. She averaged 23.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.7 steals per game. She was the only player on the men’s or women’s side to average at least 20.0 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game and 3.0 steals per game while shooting at least .400 from three-point range and .850 from the free throw line since 2000.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Women’s Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
Celebrating its fiftieth year, the Wooden Award will feature special programming throughout the season with first winner and ambassador Marques Johnson, culminating in the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal. Winners and All Americans will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Notre Dame is back at Purcell Pavilion at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 21 as it takes on Southern Cal in a marquee non-conference matchup. The game will air on ESPN.