MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame Coach Sends Strong Message to Hannah Hidalgo on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 1:37 PM ET

Notre Dame Fighting Irish women’s basketball head coach Niele Ivey is gearing up for the AmeriCup trials as a part of Team USA alongside one of her standout players.

Ivey, 47, is heading into her first season as an assistant coach with the national team following her run with last year’s U18 team as an assistant. Fighting Irish guard Hannah Hidalgo was invited to compete in the AmeriCup Team Trials as a part of one of 21 prospective players selected by a national team committee. Her coach couldn’t be more proud of her.

“Such a blessing to be a part of @usabasketball and to support and watch Hannah compete,” Ivey wrote on X Thursday. “Proud of you @HannahHidalgo ☘️ .”

Such a blessing to be a part of @usabasketball and to support and watch Hannah compete !! Proud of you @HannahHidalgo ☘️ pic.twitter.com/ifsvi3RbM9
— Niele Ivey (@IrishCoachIvey) June 19, 2025

The competition started Tuesday, and if Hidalgo performs well, she will be added to the tournament's 12-player women's roster for the FIBA AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile, from June 28 to July 6, according to On3 writer Tyler Horka. Playing in a competition of this level might not be much of a challenge for Hidalgo, who has already won gold on the U17 (2022) and U19 (2023) Women’s World Cup teams.

She also won the 2023 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award following a successful tournament run in which she averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 assists per game to lead help lead her team to the gold medal in Madrid.

During the tournament, Hidalgo broke the single-game steals and assists records by recording eight steals and 13 assists, which earned her a spot on the tournament’s All-Star 5 list.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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