Miles is a real basketball savant, somebody who admits she doesn’t have a selected method in the case of her fashion of play, however as a substitute sees the courtroom as her canvas. “I see basketball as artwork,” she says. “I believe I’ve a canvas, and I can be the artist and use my creativity in ways in which you do not actually see fairly often. Hannah does just a little little bit of the identical. We have now such nice, nice gamers on our staff that even have nice imaginative and prescient. So, it is simply enjoyable to play with individuals who can discover you and be artistic with the sport, as a substitute of simply, like, move, shoot, layup. We wish to make it enjoyable as a substitute of so elementary on a regular basis.”
Hannah describes Miles’ recreation as “clutch and flashy,” but it surely’s truthful to say we haven’t seen Miles at her most artistic simply but. She reveals that she doesn’t even really feel absolutely again, which is to be anticipated from somebody who was on the sidelines for a yr. How precisely will she know when she’s her full self once more on the courtroom? “Not being sore mid-game or, like, eager to die within the fourth quarter. That is undoubtedly a begin,” she says. “I believe making it by way of a full recreation could be very tough, and anybody getting back from an harm is aware of that. I believe there are ranges to this, and I am barely even midway by way of the season but, so I am simply giving myself grace. I am trusting I will be again in due time.”
The yr Miles was out was the identical yr Hidalgo arrived. To carry your individual as a freshman is one factor, however to be tasked with main the staff and bringing power again to this system with its star out? That takes somebody on a completely completely different wavelength.
The excellent news for the Irish is that Hannah is an entity. As a drive of nature, Hidalgo wasn’t afraid of the second. She owned it. “I believe coming into school, I [knew] it was gonna be loads, particularly with Liv taking place,” she says. “It was gonna be a variety of taking over such a dominant staff, such a powerful staff and simply main that staff as a freshman. Coach Ivey, she had instilled a variety of belief in me earlier than I even acquired right here. She had instructed me she was giving me the keys and it was going to be loads, however she knew what it was and knew who I used to be, and he or she had trusted me loads.”
Throughout coaching and exercises in the summertime main as much as this season, Liv took on the function of mentor with Hidalgo. She’d convey Hannah to their 6:00 a.m. staff exercises and lifts and, most notably, helped her put together her for what was forward. “Being a freshman, not understanding anyone, having Liv there to say, You’ll be able to’t get this individual the ball after they’re working right here, they don’t seem to be gonna be capable of catch it. Or, Sonia likes the ball on this spot. That is what this participant likes. That is how it is best to search for this participant. It was actually useful.”
All of the whereas, Miles knew that in some ways, Hidalgo additionally needed to simply go on the market and determine issues out. “I undoubtedly let Hannah form of determine it out, be taught on her personal,” Miles tells us, including: “I have been in her footwear earlier than she was right here, but it surely was simply unimaginable to form of see what she did in that rookie yr—main such a robust staff, as she mentioned, and figuring it out alongside the way in which.”
And he or she undoubtedly did. With unmatched velocity and flexibility on each ends of the ground, Hidalgo put the school basketball world on discover along with her all-around recreation. She packed the stat sheet with numbers nobody had ever seen earlier than: from quite a few 30-pieces, together with in opposition to UConn and Georgia Tech, to program single-season information of twenty-two.6 factors and 4.6 steals per recreation (the latter of which additionally led the nation). That season, she totaled 160 steals, which broke a program report beforehand set by none aside from Diggins-Smith. Talking of which: “She simply acquired it right here [pointing to her heart],” Sky mentioned just lately about Hannah whereas on Angel Reese’s podcast, Unapologetically Angel. “Simply fearless, can play each side of the basketball, cares about each side of the basketball. That’s not at all times the case.”
Reese clearly agreed: “A killer.”
Miles has used—and tweeted—the phrase “menace” to explain Hidalgo’s recreation. She performs in a method that’s so unafraid, it actually doesn’t matter who she’s guarding or who’s guarding her. HH goes to get a bucket (or a steal) each single time.
“It’s simply probably the most insane power performs,” Miles says. “In that tweet, I mentioned, I simply be laughing. I am at half-court—like, examine the movies. I simply chuckle, as a result of it is simply humorous what she does to folks and simply in her cute little, like, uppity self, she simply runs round after which will get again on protection instantly. Simply so unassuming. That’s simply such a menace to me. You get fired up.”
Whereas everybody sees greatness in her, what issues most is that Hidalgo sees it in herself. She’s taken her recreation to a very completely different stage in her sophomore season, presently averaging 25.7 factors on 50.4 % taking pictures from the sphere. She ranks second within the nation in factors per recreation. “I believe probably the most deadly half [of my game] is my capability to attain over greater defenders, and my protection, after all,” she says.
“Duh,” Liv chimes in.
“Protection is sort of a misplaced artwork in and of itself. Not lots of people wish to play each side of the ball,” Hidalgo continues.
They’re each artists in their very own methods, distinctive and artistic. However what occurs on the courtroom after they’re collectively is the results of pure collaboration. Their reads to one another appear to be linked by an invisible string, like when Olivia despatched a full-court hail mary move to Hidalgo in opposition to Wake Forest, or the time Hidalgo dished out a behind-her-head move to Miles for a fastbreak layup. It’s loopy to suppose that that is solely their first yr enjoying collectively.
“It is exhausting to explain,” Miles says, when requested about their fashion of play collectively. “It simply occurs.” To which Hidalgo provides: “I believe it is simply two prime guards studying one another. While you’re enjoying with one other nice guard, it is one thing that you’d do additionally. You are prepared for it. You are anticipating it, in comparison with, like, a giant who won’t have performed with one other prime guard.”
As for what occurs subsequent, solely time will inform. Miles has but to announce whether or not she’ll declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft or return to Notre Dame subsequent yr, however that’s neither right here nor there. What the Irish are centered on proper now’s profitable all of it.
“The job is simply beginning, it is not completed but,” Miles says. “Consistency is the most important assertion we will make. We have struggled with that in years prior, going out early within the event, not once we ought to have, dropping to groups that we most likely should not have as properly. Simply being constant and bringing our similar id each day is a press release for us.”
Provides Hannah: “This yr is the time to take all of it the way in which and win all of it.”
