Notre Dame Voted ACC Women’s Basketball Preseason Favorite, Hannah Hidalgo Named Player of the Year
Notre Dame has been voted as the preseason favorite to win the 2024-25 Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball title, marking the first time since 2018 that the Fighting Irish have held that distinction. The ACC’s Blue Ribbon Panel and head coaches cast their votes, giving Notre Dame 70 of the 79 possible first-place votes, reaffirming the program’s strong outlook for the upcoming season.
The Fighting Irish are coming off a successful campaign that saw them win the ACC tournament as a No. 4 seed and advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. The team’s sophomore star, Hannah Hidalgo, has been named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year. Hidalgo had an impressive freshman season, earning both ACC Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors. She led the nation with 4.57 steals per game and ranked second in the ACC in scoring with 22.6 points per game, earning her the 2023-24 Dawn Staley Award for the best point guard in the nation.
Notre Dame’s roster is stacked with talent, with three players landing on the Preseason All-ACC Team. In addition to Hidalgo, junior guards Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles were selected. Citron averaged 17.3 points per game last season and was a key contributor during the ACC tournament run, while Miles returns from an ACL injury after being a finalist for ACC Player of the Year in the 2022-23 season. The Irish also have two players on the Newcomer Watch List: freshman Kate Koval, a McDonald’s All-American, and graduate transfer Liza Karlen, who was a standout at Marquette.
NC State and Duke Round Out the Top 3
Fresh off a Final Four appearance, NC State was voted second in the ACC Preseason Poll, receiving eight first-place votes. The Wolfpack are led by guards Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James, both named to the Preseason All-ACC Team. Rivers, a defensive force, and James, an offensive leader, will be key as NC State aims for another deep tournament run. Freshman guard Zamareya Jones, another promising talent, was included on the Newcomer Watch List.
Duke was picked third in the poll and will look to senior guard Reigan Richardson to lead the charge. Richardson, the lone Blue Devil on the Preseason All-ACC Team, will be tasked with elevating Duke after an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance last year. Duke also boasts top freshman recruit Toby Fournier, who earned the most votes on the Newcomer Watch List.
Other ACC Teams to Watch
Louisville, picked fourth in the poll, will open its season with a high-profile game against UCLA in Paris as part of the “Oui Play” event. The Cardinals are led by freshman standout Imari Berry, named to the Newcomer Watch List. Florida State, which placed fifth, has two Preseason All-ACC honorees: guard Ta’Niya Latson and forward Makayla Timpson. The Seminoles will look to build on a strong season after an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Stanford, a new addition to the ACC, was picked seventh and garnered one first-place vote. The Cardinal will look to make an immediate impact in a competitive conference. Other teams rounding out the top 10 are North Carolina, Miami, Virginia, and Georgia Tech.
The ACC continues to solidify its place among the nation’s top conferences, with eight teams making the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons. Notre Dame, ranked No. 6 in the AP Preseason Poll, leads the charge as the conference prepares for another exciting year of women’s basketball.
The 2024-25 season kicks off on Monday, November 4, featuring 15 ACC teams in action. A highlight of the day will be Louisville’s game against UCLA in Paris, France, as part of the “Oui Play” event, airing at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. This marks the second consecutive year that an ACC team starts the season in France, following Notre Dame’s matchup with South Carolina in the 2023-24 opener.
Preseason Player of the Year
- Hannah Hidalgo, So., G, Notre Dame
Preseason All-ACC Team (First-place votes – 79 voters)
- Hannah Hidalgo So., G, Notre Dame 921 (62 first-place votes)
- Ta’Niya Latson, Jr., G, Florida State 734 (9 first-place votes)
- Saniya Rivers, Sr., G, NC State 527 (2 first-place votes)
- Aziaha James, Sr., G, NC State 473 (1 first-place vote)
- Olivia Miles, Jr., G, Notre Dame 457 (4 first-place votes)
- Sonia Citron, Jr., G, Notre Dame 331
- Makayla Timpson, Sr., F, Florida State 315
- Alyssa Ustby, Gr., G/F, North Carolina 308
- Reigan Richardson, Sr., G, Duke 202
- Kymora Johnson, So., G, Virginia 193 (1 first-place vote)
Newcomer Watch List
- Toby Fournier, Fr., F, Duke
- Imari Berry, Fr., G, Louisville
- Kate Koval, Fr., F, Notre Dame
- Zamareya Jones, Fr., G, NC State
- Liza Karlen, Gr., F, Notre Dame
Predicted Order of Finish (79 voters)
- Notre Dame (70), 1726
- NC State (8), 1617
- Duke, 1446
- Louisville, 1370
- Florida State, 1335
- North Carolina, 1279
- Stanford (1), 1214
- Miami, 883
- Virginia, 877
- Georgia Tech, 855
- Syracuse, 801
- Virginia Tech, 786
- Clemson, 553
- California, 546
- Boston College, 533
- SMU, 274
- Wake Forest, 259
- Pitt, 233
