March 25, 2024 • 28 mins
March Madness is off and running, and we’ve got another freshman superstar on the show, none other than the ACC ROY and DPOY – Hannah Hidalgo! The duo gets into Hannah’s incredible rookie season and Notre Dame’s tournament potential. Tune in!
- Notre Dame finishing the season stronger, ACC Tournament (2:00)
- March Madness, Notre Dame’s region, Hannah’s approach to her first March (5:00)
- Hannah’s basketball roots in Jersey, dominating AAU, the insane talent in her class (16:00)
- Choosing Notre Dame, her relationship with Skylar Diggins, running the offense as a Freshmen (19:30)
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The fans really get me going.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
When it's a big game, the crowd is sold out,
and you know, everybody's just excited, they're cheering, and we
get that first three, especially being at home, when we
get that first three and it goes in and the
crowd he erupts, it just like it feeds, and you know,
it really feeds into me, and you know it makes
me like even more excited or even being away if
we get an inn one and the crowd is silent
and we just hear our fans section, who seems like
(00:23):
they fill the gym. Kind of that energy that you know,
the fans bringing, that, the coaches bring, the bench brings,
it's just like it's big.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Welcome back to sometimes.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I hope we've got a freshman genome Today on the pod,
Quick Humble brag about our superstar shattered the ACC freshman
scoring record. Third is scoring in the NCAA with twenty
three point three a game, leading the NCAA steals with
four point six a game. ACC Ricky of the Year,
Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All American. You're
always catching her rocking some gold hoops, none other than
(00:58):
Notre Dame's Hanna Hidalgo.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you propping on the pod.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Absolutely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
No, I'm so excited to have you here, presented by Wendy's.
We're heading into tournament time, which is the most exciting
time of the season. So what song do we have
on repeat right now?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'm really I'm really listening to gospel. I'm onto the
gospel soul right now. I feel like is Hosanna by
Kirk Franklin.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Oh that's good. I feel like I remember you saying
Melody's from Heaven. But also that's one of your go tos.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
That's a go see.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Also, Okay, for sure that's one of mine too, anything Kirk,
if we're being honest, But jumping into just the landscape
right now, women's college basketball, it's insane. I mean, you
were ACC champs, close went over NC State first ACC
Tournament title under coach Neil So what were the vibes
like after the game, before the game, just what was
(01:57):
it like winning.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Your first ACC title?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah? I think just.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Going into the game, especially with Kylie going down, we
were playing for something bigger than ourselves, and you know,
we were playing for not only each other, but really
a lot for Kylie too. And so you know, we
know we had nothing to lose, and obviously we played
NC State before and so we kind of wanted I
get back a little bit kind of the way we
went we went down that game, and so we came
up with so much energy and we were just you know,
(02:22):
playing for each other. We had trusted each other and
we were all clicking. And you know, my team and
I we started clicking at the right moments, and so
we just came in with energy and we were fired up.
And you know, after the game, everyone was a static,
especially coach Ivy being you know, her first win as
a head coach and you know, she's done it as
a player, she's done as an assistant and now just
being a head coach and being able to do it.
And I feel like, you know, she was hype, and
(02:44):
we were all just high, just for each other and
just for her too.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, And I mean, I think you said it perfectly.
You're picking at the right time, like this is the
time when you want everything to be clicking, no matter
what happened in the regular season preseason, like this is
when you wanted to be going. And so before we
get into the brackets, talk about your many awards real
quick that we have going on AEC Rookie of the
Year and Defensive Player of the Year. You're the second
ACC player to ever do that in the same season.
(03:09):
So talk to me about your approach on defense. How
are you getting these steals I got to see at
Georgia Tech. It's timing, it's quick hands, it's all these
different things. How do you just stay on top of
that every single game?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I get my energy from my defense, especially just being
a smaller guard. I always being a smaller guard, I
had to figure out how to do something else because
scoring wasn't always my thing, especially playing against bigger girls.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And I was so small.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I didn't know how to finess and score over you know,
taller girls, and so I was always told that defense
was championships. So I always took pride of my defense,
and I feel like it not only gives me energy,
but it also gives energy to my teammates. When we're
able to get stops and we're able to run a transition,
like that's really our bread and butter. And so when
I'm able to do that, it makes it easier for
my teammates.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I mean, we.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
See it night in and night out, you get hyped
off the defensive end, you get steals, all these different things.
I feel like your teammates feed off that energy too.
But moving from high school to college, it's an adjustment,
And so did you feel like, you know, there were
adjustments that had to be made obviously on the offensive end,
but on the defensive end where you're really making these
amazing strides as a freshmen, Like, you know, what have
(04:13):
you learned? What are those adjustments that you had to
make living, you know, playing in the note Dame system,
all those different things.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, just going up in high school, I was able
to take the ball so easily, and it might look
like now it's so easy for me, but I've learned
and I'm still learning how to, you know, not reach
every time. Like in high school, I was able to
reach every time and still be able to recover. But
you know, now girls they're bigger, the stronger, they're faster,
and so I have to be able to learn how
to you know, contain and not always put out my hands.
(04:40):
Especially when we have low numbers, we're not able to
sub as much. So I have to learn how to,
you know, stay out of foul trouble, which is something
that I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning how
to you know, play without my hands, but just being
able to contain and not overdo it.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Well, I mean, it looks like the transition was seamless
for you. It looks like it's been going great.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So love that for you.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
But I mean, now we heard in the tournament time
and before we get into the brackets, selection Sunday is special.
It's so much fun, you know, having the whole watch party,
the whole thing going on. So when you guys found
out you were a two seed, what were the vibes like?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Was it excitement? Did you expect me that I have
a seed? What was it like?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, I mean just we have so many pictures of
everybody just like shocked, Like everybody's mouth was wide open,
that people were covering their their mouths and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
So everyone was just shocked.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And uh were a lot of people were saying, we're
gonna get the five seeds of the four seed, and
so for us to just show up as you know,
the two seeded, it really shows to how much we've
grown as a team and you know, how well we're doing,
you know, on the court and just playing together so
everybody was just I think everybody was shocked.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, to be predicted of four or five
and the two I would be hyped up.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Like that's a big jump.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And I think you guys deserve it, like you were
stall in the regular season and winning the tournament really
speaks a lot moving about talking about the momentum and whatnot.
But the brackets are tough, and Albany won with you
guys were in South Carolina, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregan State,
Ole Miss, and y'all like that's hefty, and I think
that goes for every single region. And so how do
(06:10):
you feel about the region? Is there a certain matchup
that's catching your eye or you know Ole Miss got
us last year, so they're always so body I got
my eye on.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So yeah, what do you feel about your region?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You know, I mean I'm excited, and you know there's
a lot of good teams, there's a lot of athletic teams,
and you know, we're just excited to come in and play.
Of course, we're excited for that. You know, South Carolina
matchup prayerfully, we you know, we do well. Of course
we played South Carolina our first game of the whole
season and just us being a completely new team and
you know, trying to learn each other. I think it's
going to be you know, a lot different now now
(06:41):
that we're clicking with each other and we know each
other a lot better now. So we're excited for that matchup,
but really we're just taking it one game at a time.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So when we play.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Can't when we play Kanstate, you know, just playing for
forty minutes, playing you know, each quarter and playing every
possession like it's our last possession, and just just going hard,
you know, every game.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yeah, I feel like the tournament is so interesting because
likebviously you have Final four in your sites. Yeah, all
these different big matchups, but like you got to take
care of business every single round because every game is
somebody's last game, which is so crazy to think about.
But talking about some of these other regions, Texas took
the one seed, and I think Portland for what do
we feel.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
About Texas being in number one?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
You know, they won the Big twelve title, just as
you guys did in the tournament. I feel like that's
another good matchup. You have Stanford anti State, possible Sweet sixteen.
Tennessee's in that region as well, like another hefty one.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
So what do we think about that one?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, Texas are a phenomenal team, and of course I
go my Madison. She plays, so of course I'm rooting
for her. I will love to be able to you know,
see her and kind of play against her. But you know,
the regions I tough the brackets and stuff. I saw
the brackets, especially with like you know, LSU and Iowa one.
You see like like, oh, I'm that one bracket, Like
that's a you know, a tough bracket. But I'm excited
because you never know, like a sixteen you know, to
(07:50):
come and take you know, somebody else and beat there.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
You never know, like there's the.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Way that people step up during you know, March Madness
and just come to play.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
It's just it's crazy. So you never know who is
gonna be.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Upset, seriously, And I feel like the other region with
both Virginia Tech and Syracuse, that's acc kind of royalty
right there, and they had great seasons.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
But with Virginia Tech.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Losing Elizabeth Kitley, you know, how do you feel like
that impacts them moving through the rest of the tournament.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, you know, Liz is a great player and she
really leads that team. But you know, the little point
guard what mm hm Georgia, Georgia, Georgia. She's tough and
so she's doing a great job of being able to,
you know, take that team and put her on her
shoulders and kind of carry it. You know, she has
a lot of pressure on her, and you know, with
(08:37):
with Liz being out, it puts a lot more pressure
on her. But you know, she's a great guard and
she I think she'll do a great job and you
no leading her team.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And then the last region, which I feel like has
kind of gotten everybody going crazy, Iowa, Colorado, LSU, UCLA
in one corner is literally insane.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
So do you feel like that's the hardest corner of
the bracket.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That's a lot of talents, but that's that's a lot
of time, a lot of athleticism, and a lot of
guys who can just.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Float out ball.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
And so there's a lot of dogs over there in
that little region. And so Finny who comes out on top,
because you know those are the top you know, four teams,
but you never know somebody else who's lower, who's not
talked about.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Ul just come and shock somebody.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So you seriously, never know there's a Cinderella team every
single tournament. Absolutely thinking about the tournament. I want to
get into the madness a little bit. And these next
questions are brought to you by a lovely sponsor, Wendy's. So,
which teams outside the ACC made you do a double take?
And you think could be a dark horse headed into
the tournament that came out of nowhere that impressed you,
that has just been like making upsets or making a
(09:38):
name for themselves.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, I think who I was most impressed to watch.
I don't know if they're like underdogs, but like utah't.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Really impressed me.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Like Peelee, like the way I think we'd a couple,
you know, bring teams. They really shocked me. Like the
way that Peelee kind of carries her team on her
shoulders and she just scored forty against some some top team.
Like the way that they they they kind of they
play is like tough and obviously usc too. They have
a lot of dogs and how they you know, at
(10:11):
the beginning of the season they will run ranked and
didn't know anything about them, and now they shoot up
and now they're in the top talk every single week,
and so that they're also a top team.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
No, I agree, Peelee's a bucket watching her do it
shit against South Carolina at her size, like insane to
be doing that against Camilla and all these other players and.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
They yeah, har being undersized.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yes, oh my god. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
But you know, talking about Peelee, are there any other
players that have been standouts to you? I know your
freshman class has kind of insane this year, So is
there any other standouts across the country that you've really
been impressed with?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Who else?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I like?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Of course I like watching you know, kind of like
the freshman I like especially girls that I grew up
you know, kind of playing against, the kind of playing with,
like you know, MICHAELA. Williams and how she contributes to
you know, her team, and you know, Malaysia for a while.
Ye I watched you know them play against Tennessee. She
was cooking, but you know, yeah, as a booker, she
had to take on a big role as Texas as
(11:05):
the point guard went down. So just watching kind of
these girls that you know, I played against and you know,
grew up playing with and stuff like that, it's just
great to see how they're making an impact just as
freshmen and you know against these top girls.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yeah, I mean the freshman class is literally insane.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Like as you continue to name people, it's just like, wow,
they're kind of start their team right now, Like they
all took on these huge roles, just like you did
at Notre Dame. But before we get into you a
little bit more, I want to talk about I feel like,
you know, just with the level of talent that we
talked so much about, fan bases are really rallying behind that,
right and it's.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
So much fun. They're sellouts every weekend.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
I know Notre Dame, you guys have huge crowds, but
you know, a lot of times moving into the tournament,
neutral sites don't really feel very neutral fan bases travel.
I know last year seeing all of Baton Rouge in
Dallas with the final four was crazy. So in your experience,
what fan base do you feel like has the craziest fans.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
The craziest fans.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
To me, Yukon had the craziest fans, but that was
that was that Especially it was that one was home,
so it was like, of course there's gonna be a
lot of fans there, but like I know, my parents
were up in the stands and my people were up
in the stands and they're going back and forth with
their little fans section. Their whole student section was yelling
back and forth to our So there's there's was crazy
(12:23):
newspapers and everything like. That was just a crazy atmosphere
to walk in and see just everything was white. Everything
was white. And then of course that was just a
small little section of green in our little corner. But
that was crazy. And of course the ACC Championship that
was crazy too. Of course North Carolina, so they had
a big fan section and it felt like a home
game for them, and so I'm proud of my team
(12:44):
how we were able to, you know, go through that
adversity in that hostile environment.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I didn't even realize that the a SEC was the
title was in North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I bet they had a lot of fans.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
The Notre Dame Ucon rivalry is always there as well,
So I bet that energy was just you watching on TV,
It's like, oh, that place is jumping.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Right now, it's rocking.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
It was.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
But talking about the ACC a little bit, the guard
players insane. You got people like dsh Fair, Dajah, Kelly,
George Amore, the list goes on. So who do you
feel like is one of the toughest guards for you,
because you're always picking up the best player on the
other team, right, So who's one of those tough guards.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I see the toughest guards probably top Fair, of course,
and then Georgia Jimo, those were the toughest.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I mean, yeah, we were.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
We were throwing for Fair, we were throwing everything at her,
like everything, and she was hitting step back threes and
all that. I'm like, man, this girl's tough.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
She let her team, she let her team really well.
It was it was tough to guard her both times.
First time and the second time was probably tougher. And
of course Georgia we were able to contain her. You know,
first half, I think she only had like three points,
and then second half she just went off and then
we started throwing everything at her. We were trapping, we
were blitzing, and she was just getting her shot out,
(13:59):
whether it was all this time basket or just pull up.
I mean, both of those guys are tough.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Scar.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
I mean, it's crazy watching just how deep it is
on every single team, because I feel like probably when
you were in high school, when I was just starting
out in college, it's like, you know, there's a player
on every team every few you can skip a few teams,
but like nowadays, it's so deep. You got people coming
off the bench, you got whoever it is. But I
feel like the acc guard play. We didn't even talk
about tonight Latin at Florida State. Like all these different
(14:27):
bucket getters.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That we have on every team before we talk about you.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
We have a little switch up in our vibe here
my question of the day that I love to ask
our guests to really help me get to know you.
And so it's gonna be a lot of left field.
But my question for you is what's the largest animal?
You feel that you could be in a fistfight with
no weapons and you're in that animal's terrain.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And I would win.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Yeah, yeah, like one you can win, Like you have confidence,
you have a big ego here, Like what could you be?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Okay, could beat I think I feel you're gonna say
something crazy right now.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Oh I think I could beat a giraffe?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Oh my god, that's mine.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I literally I say it every week. Okay, but let
me hear why why giraffe?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Because I have my reasoning.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I think their neck is so long, like they wouldn't
be able to see me, Like, I feel like I
can go under them maybe like push them over, and
then they went like they would just be down and
they would not see me.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
No. I think the same thing, like if you go
for the knees and then get on the ground, they're done.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
They're done.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Oh wow, Wow, We're just we're here too, right here, right,
we're right here here. So now we're gonna lock back
into you. Taking it back to the roots. Grew up
in New Jersey. What's the basketball culture like New Jersey?
Because I feel like there's a lot of hoopers that
come out of there.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, there's definitely a lot of tough hoopers that come
out in this like Jersey, New York Philly area.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Like it's just like dogs.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think we just have this chip on our shoulder,
like we played with this this different type of grit,
and you know, playing in you know where I'm from
that area, it was just like playing against all these
tough girls who like nobody knew about but they were
just gritty.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And they were just dogs, and so we kind of
played with this fire. It's just different.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
N I can see that, Like y'all the DMV y'all
play with a certain ship on your shoulder. I feel
like it's all very much the same vibe. But growing up,
did you feel like you modeled your game after any
college players, any w players who did you kind of
find that inspiration from.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, growing up, I didn't watch too much women's basketball
until like I started, like my junior year.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Started really getting interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And that was like the year that Airy started going off,
and so I was watching her a lot. She won
her run, and so just her being a smaller guard
and her ability to be able to score over girls
who were so much taller than her, and how she
was able to lead her team. Like, of course I
watched her in that little that run that she went on.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, well I don't have to tell her she was
my teammate last year. She would be, so do you
hear that?
Speaker 4 (17:01):
But oh my god, she was a dog. We had
to play her three times that year. Every time I
was like I don't want to deal with this. Like,
first of all, back up, why are you never getting tired?
You know, like, yeah, she's like somebody give her a
water break. And I feel like that's the same way
you are, Like you are relentless, you never stop going right,
which I'm short as a teammate, I would love it.
(17:23):
I'm playing against you, I'm like, girl, catch your soup,
Catch your soup. But we talked a little bit about
your freshman class and it being just insane with talent.
So who are some of those other top players that
we're seeing killer now? You remember going head to head
with in high school in AU, at USA trials, all
those different places.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, of course a lot of girls at USA, Charles,
it was like Malaysia, Juju, Mikayla, you know, Madison Brea, Jada,
like all those girls are Puliae Scott, you know, with
these girls Zoe Brooks, Zoy Brooks is also another you know,
tough guard. But just to be able to see kind
of what they're doing on their team now, and like
(18:02):
you talk about the depth and kind of even Zoe Brooks,
her coming off the bench was she's such a talentive player,
how she's able to score and how she's able to
move and finish over bigger girls, like she's another you know,
tough guard. And so those were the girls who are
making a big impact on their team and just.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
As freshmen, you guys are all amazing and like seeing
you guys blow up on overtime and all these different
things like when you were younger, and see it carry
through in the college.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
It's not amazing to see you.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
But you're a Notre Dame now, as we all know, superstar,
you are a number five in your class. What made
you choose Notre Dame Because I know I saw you
at Stanford. We wanted to get you. But I'm so
like happy to see you thriving and it seems it
seems like you made the right decision.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
So what set that apart for you?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Yeah, Coach Ivy.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Just after you know, all the experience that I kind
of went through, like with USA basketball in high school,
Like I knew what I wanted, you know, kind of
a coach, and I wanted to have that player coach relationship.
And you know, I'm big on family, so I wanted
to be in a family environment where I felt that home.
And you know, talking to Coach Ivy throughout the whole
recruitment process, she was just so you know, consistent. You know,
(19:08):
she treated me as one of her own and she
just recruited me. And you know, of course I asked
outside sources because you're only going to get so much
from you know, the inside sources, and so I asked
outside sources and I always got the same answer that
you know, with me, what you see is what you're
gonna get. And so you know she's she's genuine and
she's such a player's coach. And of course I saw
that when I came on my visit, and you know,
I really fell at home.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Well, I mean we also heard you had another guest
on your visit with Skylar Diggens. How was that. Yeah,
you didn't have a super star on your visit.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, that was awesome, and just to hear kind of
you know how she talks and you know how she
sees the game, and you know why she came to
Notre Dame too, and you know this being Guard University
and like the connections that she built and that she
still has, you know, even with coach Ivy and just
you know kind of playing here was just big.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And that was you know another reason I came.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I mean to shoot, that would send anybody over there
like that. I can just imagine my high school self
saying Salary's I would be like, oh my god, yeah
that was big, Like I get I'll clammy, but no,
I bet. I thought that was really cool.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
But talk to me about like you get to Notre Dame,
you know you have somebody like Olivia Miles, she's out
for the season, right, so you come in, you're taking charge.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
When do you feel like.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Was that time where you got comfortable? So I talked
to me a little bit at Georgia Tech and she's
talking about how she has so much trust in you. Right,
you're another coach out there. Did that come immediately?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Did it take time?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
What was that adjustment like getting into being starting point guard?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah, just coming right in the first day I stepped
on campus, like, I feel like the coaches and my
teammates just and still so much trust in me. Like
coming in with summer workouts, they were just like, hey,
shoot the ball, like but talk more like we're looking,
we're looking to you, like we need you on the
court to be our point guard and you know, to
kind of lead us. And so just coming in as
a freshman, you know, right out of high school and
(20:49):
just taking on, you know, that responsibility and kind of
hearing the upperclassmen and the older girls kind of saying.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Like, look, we need you to lead us. Just that
was just like big because and it gave me so
much confidence.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
And of course it could be like a lot being
a freshman and kind of taking on that role, but
just also having that trust from you know, the coaches
and even my teammates. It just it gave me so
much confidence to be able to go out and kind
of do what I did, like you know, in Paris
and just you know, throughout the whole season.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
So that was big. Like the trust they instilled in me.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
I think that means so much.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Like it's really the people that you surround yourself with
heavily impact how you're going to perform, how you feel
as a person, And so I think that's so special
when you have, like even older teammates being to shoot
the ball like we need you to do this because
you all have that common goal of a final four,
of winning acc title, And so I think that means
so much. And you know, you're built for the big games.
They instilled that for you. But you you came out
(21:41):
the game, you're having thirty one against South Carolina, thirty
four against Yukon. What is it you know about the
big games that just brings it out of you? You
have it every night, but there's something about those big
games handa that we see. You know, what is it
that gets you so hyped up to play that way?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Just the energy. I think that atmosphere of the fans
really get me going.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
When you know it's a big game, the crowd is
sold out and you know, everybody's just excited, they're cheering,
and we get that first three, especially being at home,
when we get that first three and it goes in,
the crowd erupts, it just like it feeds, and you know,
it really feeds into me, and you know, it makes
me like even more excited or even being away if
we get it in one and the crowd is silent
and we just hear our fans section who seems like
(22:22):
they feel the gym and just kind of kind of
that energy that you know the fans bring and that
the coaches bring, the bench brings. It's just like it's
big and you know, it really gets me going.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, I mean, I love like fans.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
The momentum that it gives you is actually insane. Yeah,
And I feel like you don't really realize it until
it starts happening. It's like, oh wow, you're not going
your head's up. But a little bit about those older
teammates that you were talking about, You, Sonya, and Maddie
are kind of the big three, and you do have
a great like supporting cast and all these people that
bring so much. But talk about the connection that the
(22:54):
three of you have, because it seems like that chemistry
is just undeniable. Like if I was like the team,
I'd be so annoyed. You know, maybe one of you
starts off slow and the next one gets going that
you feel on each other.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
So what is it like having those two to really
rely on.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, it's big, and it's it's so helpful that you know,
they're upperclassmen, so they know the system and you know
they've been in moments like this, They've they've been in
you know, these kind of situations, and so we need,
of course, we need everybody. It's not just three against five,
but we need the other role players who are going
to do their job. And you know, of course, if
one of us is not hot, the other two you
know they're going to be hot. And so it's hard
(23:28):
to guard, you know, all three of us because you know,
we're different positions and we bring something you know, different
to the game.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
And so when all three of us are going.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
When all five of us are going and you know,
we're just kind of connecting and we're clicking. It just
makes it We're just we're a tough team, and so
we just we need that from everyone.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
And I mean now we're heading into the tournament and
it's unlike anything else, it's really hard to prepare for it.
It's similar to the ACC setup where you know you're
playing so many games in a weekend, but what are
you doing to prepare yourself for this first March Madness run.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Yeah, just just saying locked into every practice. You know,
we're practicing how we're gonna play, and you know, we're
just bringing so much energy in every practice. We're going
game speed, we're being physical, we're talking to each other,
we're encouraging each other. We're just bringing that energy just consistently,
and I think that'll really help us, especially with this
long break that we're on, just you know, right after
the AEC tournament, we have this long break, and so
(24:21):
we're just trying to be consistent and you know, taking
every practice as seriously as possible and just being intentional
with every practice.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
I mean we already talked about you guys are peaking
at the right time. So my last question before we
get into our rapid fire here is I heard that.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You and Scarlet have a bet going on. Are we
allowed to hear what the bet is? Is this true?
Is there a bet with you and Skyler have a bet?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Me and Scarlet park at the beginning of the season
before anything, and she told me, like, you need to
be leading the acc and steals, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Okay? Did that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
So that was that was from what I know.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I'm okay, okay, we'll leave it that.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
But our last thing is our vibe check, which is
going to be rapid fire answers.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Ready, okay, okay, what's the drill?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Don't be scared? Don't be scared. What's the drill you
never want to see on the practice plan? Uh?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
I say triangle rebounding right.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
That just sounds like a lot and we gotta run in.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
A circle and then one of the coaches shoot the
ball and then we have to find a body in
box out and that's when the.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Men are coming full. Yes, I don't really like that.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, we did a similar thing like if they get it,
then you're running like no, and if.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
You if you don't get it three times, then everybody's gone.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Everybody, Okay, yeah, this sounds horrible. Next one game winning
shot or game winning steel shot. Okay, and one or
three pointer and one Yeah, those get you hyped up?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
All right? Group TikTok or solo TikTok group.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Group all my tiktoks are they're all group duo are
me and the team?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
So all right?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Was the biggest trash talker? It could be on your
team or anyone you've played against.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
The biggest trash talker. That has to be a player.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, if it's someone else, you can see someone else.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
My mom is the biggest I've met in my in
my whole life, talk about anything.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I feel like doing that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
It has to be. It has to just be a
mom thing.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Yes, it is all right.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Who's the biggest flopper, the biggest slopper on my team?
A D A D Yeah, she man And she's a
little dramatic too. If you touch her a little bit,
she's gone.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
She's all right. What's your biggest basketball.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I would say? A bad call? Okay, bad, a bad call?
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Bad?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Who can't explain to me what why he called it
or why she called it?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Yeah? Or like when they don't give you one and
then the rest are like you can handle it bad.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I missed it that one. That one really gets me.
I got your time. I'm like, no, I wanted it.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
I wanted it now there, right now? Yeah, thank you? Okay.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Who is someone you'd want to play two on two with?
And it can't be one of your teammates.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I'm gonna take on two uh, anyone. I'm gonna do
a record.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Oh okay, that's good. We just talked about guard you,
so I feel like that's a good one. Okay. What's
your favorite pregame hype song?
Speaker 1 (27:29):
That's tough. I don't really have a.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
We can go back to Kirk anything, ye like any anything, anything.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Kirk really gets me going.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Like you said, least from Heaven. I'm personally also a
big like love Theory fan.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I feel like that.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
One never Hannah. Okay, okay, before after practice, listen to it.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I listened. That's in the practice. I listened to it.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah yeah, no, no, no, it's gonna be good. It's gonna
be good. Okay. Our last question is what's your best
impersonation of coach Ivy.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I can't do an I don't have the heels on,
but she she'd be stumping her heel, and I have
seen that she's summer heel.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Okay, I'm gona have to look out for it. Maybe
we'll get like an audio of the heel.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Starck put it over right now, yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, Well, Hannah,
this has been so great. We're gonna need to get
you on it a couple of years when you're graduating
headed into the league.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
But thank you so much for coming on. It's been
such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Absolutely, it's been nice to you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I'm so excited to watch you kill in the tournament too.
Thank you so much. I'm thank you everybody for listening.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Stay tuned for another episode of Sometimes I Hope the
Players Tribute dot Com
The fans really get me going.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
When it's a big game, the crowd is sold out,
and you know, everybody's just excited, they're cheering, and we
get that first three, especially being at home, when we
get that first three and it goes in and the
crowd he erupts, it just like it feeds, and you know,
it really feeds into me, and you know it makes
me like even more excited or even being away if
we get an inn one and the crowd is silent
and we just hear our fans section, who seems like
(00:23):
they fill the gym. Kind of that energy that you know,
the fans bringing, that, the coaches bring, the bench brings,
it's just like it's big.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Welcome back to sometimes.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
I hope we've got a freshman genome Today on the pod,
Quick Humble brag about our superstar shattered the ACC freshman
scoring record. Third is scoring in the NCAA with twenty
three point three a game, leading the NCAA steals with
four point six a game. ACC Ricky of the Year,
Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All American. You're
always catching her rocking some gold hoops, none other than
(00:58):
Notre Dame's Hanna Hidalgo.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Thank you propping on the pod.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
Absolutely, thank you for having me.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
No, I'm so excited to have you here, presented by Wendy's.
We're heading into tournament time, which is the most exciting
time of the season. So what song do we have
on repeat right now?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I'm really I'm really listening to gospel. I'm onto the
gospel soul right now. I feel like is Hosanna by
Kirk Franklin.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Oh that's good. I feel like I remember you saying
Melody's from Heaven. But also that's one of your go tos.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
That's a go see.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Also, Okay, for sure that's one of mine too, anything Kirk,
if we're being honest, But jumping into just the landscape
right now, women's college basketball, it's insane. I mean, you
were ACC champs, close went over NC State first ACC
Tournament title under coach Neil So what were the vibes
like after the game, before the game, just what was
(01:57):
it like winning.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Your first ACC title?
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah? I think just.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Going into the game, especially with Kylie going down, we
were playing for something bigger than ourselves, and you know,
we were playing for not only each other, but really
a lot for Kylie too. And so you know, we
know we had nothing to lose, and obviously we played
NC State before and so we kind of wanted I
get back a little bit kind of the way we
went we went down that game, and so we came
up with so much energy and we were just you know,
(02:22):
playing for each other. We had trusted each other and
we were all clicking. And you know, my team and
I we started clicking at the right moments, and so
we just came in with energy and we were fired up.
And you know, after the game, everyone was a static,
especially coach Ivy being you know, her first win as
a head coach and you know, she's done it as
a player, she's done as an assistant and now just
being a head coach and being able to do it.
And I feel like, you know, she was hype, and
(02:44):
we were all just high, just for each other and
just for her too.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
Yeah, And I mean, I think you said it perfectly.
You're picking at the right time, like this is the
time when you want everything to be clicking, no matter
what happened in the regular season preseason, like this is
when you wanted to be going. And so before we
get into the brackets, talk about your many awards real
quick that we have going on AEC Rookie of the
Year and Defensive Player of the Year. You're the second
ACC player to ever do that in the same season.
(03:09):
So talk to me about your approach on defense. How
are you getting these steals I got to see at
Georgia Tech. It's timing, it's quick hands, it's all these
different things. How do you just stay on top of
that every single game?
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
I get my energy from my defense, especially just being
a smaller guard. I always being a smaller guard, I
had to figure out how to do something else because
scoring wasn't always my thing, especially playing against bigger girls.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And I was so small.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
I didn't know how to finess and score over you know,
taller girls, and so I was always told that defense
was championships. So I always took pride of my defense,
and I feel like it not only gives me energy,
but it also gives energy to my teammates. When we're
able to get stops and we're able to run a transition,
like that's really our bread and butter. And so when
I'm able to do that, it makes it easier for
my teammates.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
I mean, we.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
See it night in and night out, you get hyped
off the defensive end, you get steals, all these different things.
I feel like your teammates feed off that energy too.
But moving from high school to college, it's an adjustment,
And so did you feel like, you know, there were
adjustments that had to be made obviously on the offensive end,
but on the defensive end where you're really making these
amazing strides as a freshmen, Like, you know, what have
(04:13):
you learned? What are those adjustments that you had to
make living, you know, playing in the note Dame system,
all those different things.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, just going up in high school, I was able
to take the ball so easily, and it might look
like now it's so easy for me, but I've learned
and I'm still learning how to, you know, not reach
every time. Like in high school, I was able to
reach every time and still be able to recover. But
you know, now girls they're bigger, the stronger, they're faster,
and so I have to be able to learn how
to you know, contain and not always put out my hands.
(04:40):
Especially when we have low numbers, we're not able to
sub as much. So I have to learn how to,
you know, stay out of foul trouble, which is something
that I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning how
to you know, play without my hands, but just being
able to contain and not overdo it.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Well, I mean, it looks like the transition was seamless
for you. It looks like it's been going great.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So love that for you.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
But I mean, now we heard in the tournament time
and before we get into the brackets, selection Sunday is special.
It's so much fun, you know, having the whole watch party,
the whole thing going on. So when you guys found
out you were a two seed, what were the vibes like?
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Was it excitement? Did you expect me that I have
a seed? What was it like?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, I mean just we have so many pictures of
everybody just like shocked, Like everybody's mouth was wide open,
that people were covering their their mouths and everything.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
So everyone was just shocked.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
And uh were a lot of people were saying, we're
gonna get the five seeds of the four seed, and
so for us to just show up as you know,
the two seeded, it really shows to how much we've
grown as a team and you know, how well we're doing,
you know, on the court and just playing together so
everybody was just I think everybody was shocked.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, to be predicted of four or five
and the two I would be hyped up.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
Like that's a big jump.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And I think you guys deserve it, like you were
stall in the regular season and winning the tournament really
speaks a lot moving about talking about the momentum and whatnot.
But the brackets are tough, and Albany won with you
guys were in South Carolina, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Indiana, Oregan State,
Ole Miss, and y'all like that's hefty, and I think
that goes for every single region. And so how do
(06:10):
you feel about the region? Is there a certain matchup
that's catching your eye or you know Ole Miss got
us last year, so they're always so body I got
my eye on.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
So yeah, what do you feel about your region?
Speaker 2 (06:20):
You know, I mean I'm excited, and you know there's
a lot of good teams, there's a lot of athletic teams,
and you know, we're just excited to come in and play.
Of course, we're excited for that. You know, South Carolina
matchup prayerfully, we you know, we do well. Of course
we played South Carolina our first game of the whole
season and just us being a completely new team and
you know, trying to learn each other. I think it's
going to be you know, a lot different now now
(06:41):
that we're clicking with each other and we know each
other a lot better now. So we're excited for that matchup,
but really we're just taking it one game at a time.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
So when we play.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Can't when we play Kanstate, you know, just playing for
forty minutes, playing you know, each quarter and playing every
possession like it's our last possession, and just just going hard,
you know, every game.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Yeah, I feel like the tournament is so interesting because
likebviously you have Final four in your sites. Yeah, all
these different big matchups, but like you got to take
care of business every single round because every game is
somebody's last game, which is so crazy to think about.
But talking about some of these other regions, Texas took
the one seed, and I think Portland for what do
we feel.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
About Texas being in number one?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
You know, they won the Big twelve title, just as
you guys did in the tournament. I feel like that's
another good matchup. You have Stanford anti State, possible Sweet sixteen.
Tennessee's in that region as well, like another hefty one.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
So what do we think about that one?
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, Texas are a phenomenal team, and of course I
go my Madison. She plays, so of course I'm rooting
for her. I will love to be able to you know,
see her and kind of play against her. But you know,
the regions I tough the brackets and stuff. I saw
the brackets, especially with like you know, LSU and Iowa one.
You see like like, oh, I'm that one bracket, Like
that's a you know, a tough bracket. But I'm excited
because you never know, like a sixteen you know, to
(07:50):
come and take you know, somebody else and beat there.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
You never know, like there's the.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Way that people step up during you know, March Madness
and just come to play.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
It's just it's crazy. So you never know who is
gonna be.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Upset, seriously, And I feel like the other region with
both Virginia Tech and Syracuse, that's acc kind of royalty
right there, and they had great seasons.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
But with Virginia Tech.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Losing Elizabeth Kitley, you know, how do you feel like
that impacts them moving through the rest of the tournament.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Yeah, you know, Liz is a great player and she
really leads that team. But you know, the little point
guard what mm hm Georgia, Georgia, Georgia. She's tough and
so she's doing a great job of being able to,
you know, take that team and put her on her
shoulders and kind of carry it. You know, she has
a lot of pressure on her, and you know, with
(08:37):
with Liz being out, it puts a lot more pressure
on her. But you know, she's a great guard and
she I think she'll do a great job and you
no leading her team.
Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
And then the last region, which I feel like has
kind of gotten everybody going crazy, Iowa, Colorado, LSU, UCLA
in one corner is literally insane.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
So do you feel like that's the hardest corner of
the bracket.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
That's a lot of talents, but that's that's a lot
of time, a lot of athleticism, and a lot of
guys who can just.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
Float out ball.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
And so there's a lot of dogs over there in
that little region. And so Finny who comes out on top,
because you know those are the top you know, four teams,
but you never know somebody else who's lower, who's not
talked about.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Ul just come and shock somebody.
Speaker 4 (09:17):
So you seriously, never know there's a Cinderella team every
single tournament. Absolutely thinking about the tournament. I want to
get into the madness a little bit. And these next
questions are brought to you by a lovely sponsor, Wendy's. So,
which teams outside the ACC made you do a double take?
And you think could be a dark horse headed into
the tournament that came out of nowhere that impressed you,
that has just been like making upsets or making a
(09:38):
name for themselves.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah, I think who I was most impressed to watch.
I don't know if they're like underdogs, but like utah't.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Really impressed me.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Like Peelee, like the way I think we'd a couple,
you know, bring teams. They really shocked me. Like the
way that Peelee kind of carries her team on her
shoulders and she just scored forty against some some top team.
Like the way that they they they kind of they
play is like tough and obviously usc too. They have
a lot of dogs and how they you know, at
(10:11):
the beginning of the season they will run ranked and
didn't know anything about them, and now they shoot up
and now they're in the top talk every single week,
and so that they're also a top team.
Speaker 4 (10:20):
No, I agree, Peelee's a bucket watching her do it
shit against South Carolina at her size, like insane to
be doing that against Camilla and all these other players and.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
They yeah, har being undersized.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Yes, oh my god. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
But you know, talking about Peelee, are there any other
players that have been standouts to you? I know your
freshman class has kind of insane this year, So is
there any other standouts across the country that you've really
been impressed with?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Who else?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I like?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
Of course I like watching you know, kind of like
the freshman I like especially girls that I grew up
you know, kind of playing against, the kind of playing with,
like you know, MICHAELA. Williams and how she contributes to
you know, her team, and you know, Malaysia for a while.
Ye I watched you know them play against Tennessee. She
was cooking, but you know, yeah, as a booker, she
had to take on a big role as Texas as
(11:05):
the point guard went down. So just watching kind of
these girls that you know, I played against and you know,
grew up playing with and stuff like that, it's just
great to see how they're making an impact just as
freshmen and you know against these top girls.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Yeah, I mean the freshman class is literally insane.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Like as you continue to name people, it's just like, wow,
they're kind of start their team right now, Like they
all took on these huge roles, just like you did
at Notre Dame. But before we get into you a
little bit more, I want to talk about I feel like,
you know, just with the level of talent that we
talked so much about, fan bases are really rallying behind that,
right and it's.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
So much fun. They're sellouts every weekend.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
I know Notre Dame, you guys have huge crowds, but
you know, a lot of times moving into the tournament,
neutral sites don't really feel very neutral fan bases travel.
I know last year seeing all of Baton Rouge in
Dallas with the final four was crazy. So in your experience,
what fan base do you feel like has the craziest fans.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
The craziest fans.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
To me, Yukon had the craziest fans, but that was
that was that Especially it was that one was home,
so it was like, of course there's gonna be a
lot of fans there, but like I know, my parents
were up in the stands and my people were up
in the stands and they're going back and forth with
their little fans section. Their whole student section was yelling
back and forth to our So there's there's was crazy
(12:23):
newspapers and everything like. That was just a crazy atmosphere
to walk in and see just everything was white. Everything
was white. And then of course that was just a
small little section of green in our little corner. But
that was crazy. And of course the ACC Championship that
was crazy too. Of course North Carolina, so they had
a big fan section and it felt like a home
game for them, and so I'm proud of my team
(12:44):
how we were able to, you know, go through that
adversity in that hostile environment.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I didn't even realize that the a SEC was the
title was in North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
I bet they had a lot of fans.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
The Notre Dame Ucon rivalry is always there as well,
So I bet that energy was just you watching on TV,
It's like, oh, that place is jumping.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
Right now, it's rocking.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
It was.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
But talking about the ACC a little bit, the guard
players insane. You got people like dsh Fair, Dajah, Kelly,
George Amore, the list goes on. So who do you
feel like is one of the toughest guards for you,
because you're always picking up the best player on the
other team, right, So who's one of those tough guards.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
I see the toughest guards probably top Fair, of course,
and then Georgia Jimo, those were the toughest.
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I mean, yeah, we were.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
We were throwing for Fair, we were throwing everything at her,
like everything, and she was hitting step back threes and
all that. I'm like, man, this girl's tough.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
She let her team, she let her team really well.
It was it was tough to guard her both times.
First time and the second time was probably tougher. And
of course Georgia we were able to contain her. You know,
first half, I think she only had like three points,
and then second half she just went off and then
we started throwing everything at her. We were trapping, we
were blitzing, and she was just getting her shot out,
(13:59):
whether it was all this time basket or just pull up.
I mean, both of those guys are tough.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Scar.
Speaker 4 (14:04):
I mean, it's crazy watching just how deep it is
on every single team, because I feel like probably when
you were in high school, when I was just starting
out in college, it's like, you know, there's a player
on every team every few you can skip a few teams,
but like nowadays, it's so deep. You got people coming
off the bench, you got whoever it is. But I
feel like the acc guard play. We didn't even talk
about tonight Latin at Florida State. Like all these different
(14:27):
bucket getters.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
That we have on every team before we talk about you.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
We have a little switch up in our vibe here
my question of the day that I love to ask
our guests to really help me get to know you.
And so it's gonna be a lot of left field.
But my question for you is what's the largest animal?
You feel that you could be in a fistfight with
no weapons and you're in that animal's terrain.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
And I would win.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
Yeah, yeah, like one you can win, Like you have confidence,
you have a big ego here, Like what could you be?
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Okay, could beat I think I feel you're gonna say
something crazy right now.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Oh I think I could beat a giraffe?
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Oh my god, that's mine.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I literally I say it every week. Okay, but let
me hear why why giraffe?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Because I have my reasoning.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
I think their neck is so long, like they wouldn't
be able to see me, Like, I feel like I
can go under them maybe like push them over, and
then they went like they would just be down and
they would not see me.
Speaker 4 (15:32):
No. I think the same thing, like if you go
for the knees and then get on the ground, they're done.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
They're done.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Oh wow, Wow, We're just we're here too, right here, right,
we're right here here. So now we're gonna lock back
into you. Taking it back to the roots. Grew up
in New Jersey. What's the basketball culture like New Jersey?
Because I feel like there's a lot of hoopers that
come out of there.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, there's definitely a lot of tough hoopers that come
out in this like Jersey, New York Philly area.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
Like it's just like dogs.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think we just have this chip on our shoulder,
like we played with this this different type of grit,
and you know, playing in you know where I'm from
that area, it was just like playing against all these
tough girls who like nobody knew about but they were
just gritty.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
And they were just dogs, and so we kind of
played with this fire. It's just different.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
N I can see that, Like y'all the DMV y'all
play with a certain ship on your shoulder. I feel
like it's all very much the same vibe. But growing up,
did you feel like you modeled your game after any
college players, any w players who did you kind of
find that inspiration from.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
Yeah, growing up, I didn't watch too much women's basketball
until like I started, like my junior year.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
Started really getting interesting to me.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
And that was like the year that Airy started going off,
and so I was watching her a lot. She won
her run, and so just her being a smaller guard
and her ability to be able to score over girls
who were so much taller than her, and how she
was able to lead her team. Like, of course I
watched her in that little that run that she went on.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yeah, well I don't have to tell her she was
my teammate last year. She would be, so do you
hear that?
Speaker 4 (17:01):
But oh my god, she was a dog. We had
to play her three times that year. Every time I
was like I don't want to deal with this. Like,
first of all, back up, why are you never getting tired?
You know, like, yeah, she's like somebody give her a
water break. And I feel like that's the same way
you are, Like you are relentless, you never stop going right,
which I'm short as a teammate, I would love it.
(17:23):
I'm playing against you, I'm like, girl, catch your soup,
Catch your soup. But we talked a little bit about
your freshman class and it being just insane with talent.
So who are some of those other top players that
we're seeing killer now? You remember going head to head
with in high school in AU, at USA trials, all
those different places.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
Yeah, of course a lot of girls at USA, Charles,
it was like Malaysia, Juju, Mikayla, you know, Madison Brea, Jada,
like all those girls are Puliae Scott, you know, with
these girls Zoe Brooks, Zoy Brooks is also another you know,
tough guard. But just to be able to see kind
of what they're doing on their team now, and like
(18:02):
you talk about the depth and kind of even Zoe Brooks,
her coming off the bench was she's such a talentive player,
how she's able to score and how she's able to
move and finish over bigger girls, like she's another you know,
tough guard. And so those were the girls who are
making a big impact on their team and just.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
As freshmen, you guys are all amazing and like seeing
you guys blow up on overtime and all these different
things like when you were younger, and see it carry
through in the college.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
It's not amazing to see you.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
But you're a Notre Dame now, as we all know, superstar,
you are a number five in your class. What made
you choose Notre Dame Because I know I saw you
at Stanford. We wanted to get you. But I'm so
like happy to see you thriving and it seems it
seems like you made the right decision.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
So what set that apart for you?
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Yeah, Coach Ivy.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
Just after you know, all the experience that I kind
of went through, like with USA basketball in high school,
Like I knew what I wanted, you know, kind of
a coach, and I wanted to have that player coach relationship.
And you know, I'm big on family, so I wanted
to be in a family environment where I felt that home.
And you know, talking to Coach Ivy throughout the whole
recruitment process, she was just so you know, consistent. You know,
(19:08):
she treated me as one of her own and she
just recruited me. And you know, of course I asked
outside sources because you're only going to get so much
from you know, the inside sources, and so I asked
outside sources and I always got the same answer that
you know, with me, what you see is what you're
gonna get. And so you know she's she's genuine and
she's such a player's coach. And of course I saw
that when I came on my visit, and you know,
I really fell at home.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
Well, I mean we also heard you had another guest
on your visit with Skylar Diggens. How was that. Yeah,
you didn't have a super star on your visit.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, that was awesome, and just to hear kind of
you know how she talks and you know how she
sees the game, and you know why she came to
Notre Dame too, and you know this being Guard University
and like the connections that she built and that she
still has, you know, even with coach Ivy and just
you know kind of playing here was just big.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
And that was you know another reason I came.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I mean to shoot, that would send anybody over there
like that. I can just imagine my high school self
saying Salary's I would be like, oh my god, yeah
that was big, Like I get I'll clammy, but no,
I bet. I thought that was really cool.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
But talk to me about like you get to Notre Dame,
you know you have somebody like Olivia Miles, she's out
for the season, right, so you come in, you're taking charge.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
When do you feel like.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Was that time where you got comfortable? So I talked
to me a little bit at Georgia Tech and she's
talking about how she has so much trust in you. Right,
you're another coach out there. Did that come immediately?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
Did it take time?
Speaker 4 (20:25):
What was that adjustment like getting into being starting point guard?
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Yeah, just coming right in the first day I stepped
on campus, like, I feel like the coaches and my
teammates just and still so much trust in me. Like
coming in with summer workouts, they were just like, hey,
shoot the ball, like but talk more like we're looking,
we're looking to you, like we need you on the
court to be our point guard and you know, to
kind of lead us. And so just coming in as
a freshman, you know, right out of high school and
(20:49):
just taking on, you know, that responsibility and kind of
hearing the upperclassmen and the older girls kind of saying.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
Like, look, we need you to lead us. Just that
was just like big because and it gave me so
much confidence.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
And of course it could be like a lot being
a freshman and kind of taking on that role, but
just also having that trust from you know, the coaches
and even my teammates. It just it gave me so
much confidence to be able to go out and kind
of do what I did, like you know, in Paris
and just you know, throughout the whole season.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
So that was big. Like the trust they instilled in me.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
I think that means so much.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Like it's really the people that you surround yourself with
heavily impact how you're going to perform, how you feel
as a person, And so I think that's so special
when you have, like even older teammates being to shoot
the ball like we need you to do this because
you all have that common goal of a final four,
of winning acc title, And so I think that means
so much. And you know, you're built for the big games.
They instilled that for you. But you you came out
(21:41):
the game, you're having thirty one against South Carolina, thirty
four against Yukon. What is it you know about the
big games that just brings it out of you? You
have it every night, but there's something about those big
games handa that we see. You know, what is it
that gets you so hyped up to play that way?
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Just the energy. I think that atmosphere of the fans
really get me going.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
When you know it's a big game, the crowd is
sold out and you know, everybody's just excited, they're cheering,
and we get that first three, especially being at home,
when we get that first three and it goes in,
the crowd erupts, it just like it feeds, and you know,
it really feeds into me, and you know, it makes
me like even more excited or even being away if
we get it in one and the crowd is silent
and we just hear our fans section who seems like
(22:22):
they feel the gym and just kind of kind of
that energy that you know the fans bring and that
the coaches bring, the bench brings. It's just like it's
big and you know, it really gets me going.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, I mean, I love like fans.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
The momentum that it gives you is actually insane. Yeah,
And I feel like you don't really realize it until
it starts happening. It's like, oh wow, you're not going
your head's up. But a little bit about those older
teammates that you were talking about, You, Sonya, and Maddie
are kind of the big three, and you do have
a great like supporting cast and all these people that
bring so much. But talk about the connection that the
(22:54):
three of you have, because it seems like that chemistry
is just undeniable. Like if I was like the team,
I'd be so annoyed. You know, maybe one of you
starts off slow and the next one gets going that
you feel on each other.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
So what is it like having those two to really
rely on.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, it's big, and it's it's so helpful that you know,
they're upperclassmen, so they know the system and you know
they've been in moments like this, They've they've been in
you know, these kind of situations, and so we need,
of course, we need everybody. It's not just three against five,
but we need the other role players who are going
to do their job. And you know, of course, if
one of us is not hot, the other two you
know they're going to be hot. And so it's hard
(23:28):
to guard, you know, all three of us because you know,
we're different positions and we bring something you know, different
to the game.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
And so when all three of us are going.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
When all five of us are going and you know,
we're just kind of connecting and we're clicking. It just
makes it We're just we're a tough team, and so
we just we need that from everyone.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
And I mean now we're heading into the tournament and
it's unlike anything else, it's really hard to prepare for it.
It's similar to the ACC setup where you know you're
playing so many games in a weekend, but what are
you doing to prepare yourself for this first March Madness run.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
Yeah, just just saying locked into every practice. You know,
we're practicing how we're gonna play, and you know, we're
just bringing so much energy in every practice. We're going
game speed, we're being physical, we're talking to each other,
we're encouraging each other. We're just bringing that energy just consistently,
and I think that'll really help us, especially with this
long break that we're on, just you know, right after
the AEC tournament, we have this long break, and so
(24:21):
we're just trying to be consistent and you know, taking
every practice as seriously as possible and just being intentional
with every practice.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I love that.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
I mean we already talked about you guys are peaking
at the right time. So my last question before we
get into our rapid fire here is I heard that.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
You and Scarlet have a bet going on. Are we
allowed to hear what the bet is? Is this true?
Is there a bet with you and Skyler have a bet?
Speaker 2 (24:43):
Me and Scarlet park at the beginning of the season
before anything, and she told me, like, you need to
be leading the acc and steals, you know.
Speaker 3 (24:51):
Okay? Did that? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (24:53):
So that was that was from what I know.
Speaker 3 (24:55):
I'm okay, okay, we'll leave it that.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
But our last thing is our vibe check, which is
going to be rapid fire answers.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
Ready, okay, okay, what's the drill?
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Don't be scared? Don't be scared. What's the drill you
never want to see on the practice plan? Uh?
Speaker 1 (25:13):
I say triangle rebounding right.
Speaker 3 (25:15):
That just sounds like a lot and we gotta run in.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
A circle and then one of the coaches shoot the
ball and then we have to find a body in
box out and that's when the.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Men are coming full. Yes, I don't really like that.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, we did a similar thing like if they get it,
then you're running like no, and if.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
You if you don't get it three times, then everybody's gone.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Everybody, Okay, yeah, this sounds horrible. Next one game winning
shot or game winning steel shot. Okay, and one or
three pointer and one Yeah, those get you hyped up?
Speaker 3 (25:50):
All right? Group TikTok or solo TikTok group.
Speaker 1 (25:53):
Group all my tiktoks are they're all group duo are
me and the team?
Speaker 3 (25:58):
So all right?
Speaker 4 (26:00):
Was the biggest trash talker? It could be on your
team or anyone you've played against.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
The biggest trash talker. That has to be a player.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, if it's someone else, you can see someone else.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
My mom is the biggest I've met in my in
my whole life, talk about anything.
Speaker 3 (26:18):
I feel like doing that.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
It has to be. It has to just be a
mom thing.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Yes, it is all right.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Who's the biggest flopper, the biggest slopper on my team?
A D A D Yeah, she man And she's a
little dramatic too. If you touch her a little bit,
she's gone.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
She's all right. What's your biggest basketball.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
I would say? A bad call? Okay, bad, a bad call?
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Bad?
Speaker 3 (26:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Who can't explain to me what why he called it
or why she called it?
Speaker 3 (26:53):
Yeah? Or like when they don't give you one and
then the rest are like you can handle it bad.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
I missed it that one. That one really gets me.
I got your time. I'm like, no, I wanted it.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
I wanted it now there, right now? Yeah, thank you? Okay.
Speaker 4 (27:06):
Who is someone you'd want to play two on two with?
And it can't be one of your teammates.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I'm gonna take on two uh, anyone. I'm gonna do
a record.
Speaker 3 (27:19):
Oh okay, that's good. We just talked about guard you,
so I feel like that's a good one. Okay. What's
your favorite pregame hype song?
Speaker 1 (27:29):
That's tough. I don't really have a.
Speaker 4 (27:31):
We can go back to Kirk anything, ye like any anything, anything.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
Kirk really gets me going.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
Like you said, least from Heaven. I'm personally also a
big like love Theory fan.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
I feel like that.
Speaker 4 (27:42):
One never Hannah. Okay, okay, before after practice, listen to it.
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I listened. That's in the practice. I listened to it.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Yeah yeah, no, no, no, it's gonna be good. It's gonna
be good. Okay. Our last question is what's your best
impersonation of coach Ivy.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
I can't do an I don't have the heels on,
but she she'd be stumping her heel, and I have
seen that she's summer heel.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
Okay, I'm gona have to look out for it. Maybe
we'll get like an audio of the heel.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Starck put it over right now, yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, Well, Hannah,
this has been so great. We're gonna need to get
you on it a couple of years when you're graduating
headed into the league.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
But thank you so much for coming on. It's been
such a pleasure.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Absolutely, it's been nice to you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
I'm so excited to watch you kill in the tournament too.
Thank you so much. I'm thank you everybody for listening.
Speaker 4 (28:33):
Stay tuned for another episode of Sometimes I Hope the
Players Tribute dot Com
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