Hannah Hidalgo Has Entered Senior Season at Notre Dame

The point guard aims for the all-time Division I career steals record in her final year.

Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Basketball

Hannah Hidalgo Has Entered Senior Season at Notre Dame

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Notre Dame point guard Hannah Hidalgo has entered her senior season after earning three consecutive ACC defensive player of the year awards. She is now positioned to challenge the career steals record held by Chastadie Barrs.

Why it matters

Hidalgo has become a national force by anchoring the Irish defense, and her performance this season will determine if she solidifies her spot in the NCAA record books.

Hidalgo is projected to reach 3,369 career points and 683 career steals, surpassing the previous career steals record of 648. She has averaged 4.7 steals per game throughout her collegiate career.

The players

Hannah Hidalgo

She is a point guard for Notre Dame who has been named ACC defensive player of the year in each of her first three seasons.

Chastadie Barrs

She is a former collegiate athlete who established the NCAA career steals record while playing from 2016 to 2019.

Niele Ivey

She is the head coach at Notre Dame and a former player who won an NCAA title with the school in 2001.

The details

Standing five feet seven inches tall, Hidalgo uses a heart over height mindset to aggressively target opposing ballhandlers and disrupt play. She has already set an NCAA single-season steals record and boasts program-record performances of 44 points and 16 steals in single games.

Niele Ivey won an NCAA title as a player in 2001.
Chastadie Barrs established the career steals record between 2016 and 2019.
Hidalgo secured a gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup.
Hidalgo represented Notre Dame at the ACC Tipoff media days in October 2026.

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Season Trajectory

Hidalgo chasing the all-time steals record provides a significant narrative focus for the ACC as she looks to build on her three-year dominance as a defensive force. Her pursuit highlights the competitive balance shift as she matures from a standout freshman into a record-chasing senior.

Hidalgo is on pace to set a new career steals mark of 683, requiring consistent defensive output throughout the full schedule to overtake the record. Her scoring pace suggests she will finish her career with 3,369 points if she matches her previous season averages.

The takeaway

Hidalgo's success demonstrates how a specialized focus on defensive disruption can define an entire collegiate career. Fans should watch her ability to anticipate passing lanes to see if she reaches the career record.