HOUSTON, Texas — Irish (basketball) eyes are smiling.
Five-star Notre Dame signee Hannah Hidalgo has been named co-MVP of the 2023 McDonald’s All American Games, which was played Tuesday night at the Toyota Center in Houston. The point guard out of New Jersey set a new scoring record for the event, notching 26 total points. The previous mark was set by former Oregon guard and current New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionesca (25).
Additionally, Hidalgo tied the single-game steals record with 8, and she added 5 assists. Her buzzer-beating shot from near-mid court to close out the third quarter was reminiscent of the two famous Arike Ogunbowale shots from the 2018 Final Four.
The No. 5 recruit in the nation played for the East Team, which fell 110-102 to the West Team. USC commit JuJu Watkins was the MVP from the West.
Fellow Irish signee Emma Risch was also on the East Team. The Florida native hit an early shot from downtown and had a couple of clutch steals on the night, at one point dishing the ball to Hidalgo down the court. Risch is the No. 20 recruit in the 2023 class.