Hannah Hidalgo is quite aware of the lead that Mikayla Blakes has on her, as the Notre Dame guard trails her Vanderbilt counterpart at the 3rd position in scoring.

Speaking to the press ahead of their Sweet 16 matchup in the Fort Worth 1 Regional semifinal, Hidalgo acknowledged the challenge that Blakes posed, likening her to a popular WNBA star.

"The way she's able to put the ball in the hoop, it's like Caitlin-type of level," Hidalgo said. "She can score on all three levels, whether that's getting all the way to the basket, her midrange, or her three. Of course, that's always tough to guard."

And while this is one of the most anticipated faceoffs this season, Hannah Hidalgo made it clear that it wasn't personal.

"It's not about me versus Mikayla," she said. "It's about Notre Dame versus Vanderbilt."

Mikayla Blakes also acknowledged Hidalgo, highlighting a tendency that they both shared.

"She's really good, and I feel like one thing about the both of us is we never get denied the ball," Blakes said. "We're always finding a way to the ball."

However, this isn’t the first time the two have faced each other, as Hidalgo and Blakes share a history that goes back to the time they were in high school and AAU Basketball.

Hannah Hidalgo Recalls Past Battles Ahead of Blakes Showdown

In February 2023, Hannah Hidalgo led Paul VI High School to a 72–67 win over Mikayla Blakes’ Rutgers Prep in New Jersey.

The two have also competed against each ther in AAU summer league play during their high school years. Hidalgo has stated she won that matchup as well, describing the games as “always tough” due to Blakes running the offense.

They’ve also been teammates, playing together on the 2025 USA Basketball AmeriCup squad, which won a gold medal.

While Mikayla Blakes earned MVP honors at the tournament, Hannah Hidalgo was named to the All-Star Five.

Looking back at their high school matchup, Hidalgo said, "It was a show. Two dynamic guards. I had to guard her the whole game. I think just her ability to do what she does, you know, the things that she brings to her team is so different."

Are you looking forward to seeing Hannah Hidalgo and Mikayla Blakes go at each other? Let us know!

Written by

Sauramita Debbarma

Edited by

Arvind Rao