Hannah Hidalgo is going for a blockbuster NCAA run this season, but between the games and wins, here’s a little something that she recently opened up about.

The Ohio State home crowd watched Notre Dame secure their 2^nd win of the tournament by handing the host team an 83-73 upset on March 24. And other than the hoops, Hidalgo also earned a nickname. But what does she actually feel about it?

“No, I'm not a villain, you know”, she said when asked about being a villain on the road and whether she was comfortable being associated with that tag. “I try not to be the villain. But it's fun. I think these moments are, they're so great.”

Though she laughed it off, the 20-year-old Fighting Irish star has averaged 24.5 points in her last 2 games. Against Ohio, she racked up 26 points and 13 rebounds. So, getting called a “villain” moniker for such heroic stats is pretty ironic.

Though she denied the name, Hidalgo is happy about the outcome as the team “really struggles with away games.” So being “able to do it on somebody else's floor” is a pretty solid deal, and the side's coach agreed with her.

Coach Niele Ivey Is Proud of Her Team

The Fighting Irish are entering the Sweet Sixteen for the 5^th consecutive season under coach Ivey, ever since her joining in 2020. She has worked with her girls, watched them work hard and grow. So, while there’s pride, there’s also acknowledgement.

“It's really hard to get past the first and second rounds”, she said postgame. “I love coming to work every day, working with this group. They're such an incredible group of young women. They work so hard. They love each other.  I'm really super satisfied, really grateful, and proud of our team."

And Hidalgo’s statement highlights the passion as well, who said that the team has “come a long way from playing away.” They have now “been able to figure out how to play in front of other people's fans and just being able to maintain that run and silence the noise."

That being said, do you think Hidalgo will be able to keep up her villainous yet heroic run when Notre Dame takes on No.2 Vanderbilt for their next game? Comment it down.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy