As well-represented as Notre Dame was among the various preseason All-ACC women’s basketball honors released Tuesday, the omissions were eyebrow-raising as well.
It’s probably more of a math problem than the eye test. Just 10 players from the now 18 ACC teams were selected to the preseason All-ACC team. And the Irish had three of them — preseason Player of the Year and reigning first-team All-American Hannah Hidalgo as well as senior guards Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles.
Notre Dame also had two players, Marquette grad transfer forward Liza Karlen and freshman center Kate Koval, make the ACC newcomer watch list, for a total of five honorees. Only one other school, NC State with three, had more than two players mentioned.
Forward Maddy Westbeld, a grad senior forward who will miss the first couple of months of the season with a leg injury, was a second-team postseason All-ACC selection last March. And Pitt grad transfer forward Liatu King was a first-team selection and ACC Most Improved Player last season.
Karlen, incidentally, was a unanimous All-Big East selection last season at Marquette.
Meanwhile, Hidalgo broke the ACC freshman scoring record, led the country in steals, was named an AP All-American, and won the Dawn Staley Award for nation's best point guard, among other honors.
Hidalgo is just the third player in ACC history to win ACC Rookie of the Year and be the preseason Player of the Year the following season, joining Duke's Alana Beard and Notre Dame's Brianna Turner.
Notre Dame was picked as the preseason winner of the ACC, receiving 70 of 79 first place votes from the Blue Ribbon Panel of coaches and select media members. It’s the first time since 2018 that the Irish have been the preseason favorite.
The Irish play an Oct. 30 exhibition game at home against Davenport, then officially open the season on Nov. 4 at home against Mercyhurst.
The ACC has sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons, as those 48 teams are the most among all conferences in that span. Current membership has appeared in eight Final Fours in the last six seasons, capped off by NC State’s trip a season ago.
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 222
Imari Berry, Fr., G, Louisville 180
Kate Koval, Fr., F, Notre Dame 177
Zamareya Jones, Fr., G, NC State 116
Liza Karlen, Gr., F, Notre Dame 109
Predicted Order of Finish (79 voters)
1. Notre Dame (70), 1726
2. NC State (8), 1617
3. Duke, 1446
4. Louisville, 1370
5. Florida State, 1335
6. North Carolina, 1279
7. Stanford (1), 1214
8. Miami, 883
9. Virginia, 877
10. Georgia Tech, 855
11. Syracuse, 801
12. Virginia Tech, 786
13. Clemson, 553
14. California, 546
15. Boston College, 533
16. SMU, 274
17. Wake Forest, 259
18. Pitt, 233
It’s probably more of a math problem than the eye test. Just 10 players from the now 18 ACC teams were selected to the preseason All-ACC team. And the Irish had three of them — preseason Player of the Year and reigning first-team All-American Hannah Hidalgo as well as senior guards Sonia Citron and Olivia Miles.
Notre Dame also had two players, Marquette grad transfer forward Liza Karlen and freshman center Kate Koval, make the ACC newcomer watch list, for a total of five honorees. Only one other school, NC State with three, had more than two players mentioned.
Forward Maddy Westbeld, a grad senior forward who will miss the first couple of months of the season with a leg injury, was a second-team postseason All-ACC selection last March. And Pitt grad transfer forward Liatu King was a first-team selection and ACC Most Improved Player last season.
Karlen, incidentally, was a unanimous All-Big East selection last season at Marquette.
Meanwhile, Hidalgo broke the ACC freshman scoring record, led the country in steals, was named an AP All-American, and won the Dawn Staley Award for nation's best point guard, among other honors.
Hidalgo is just the third player in ACC history to win ACC Rookie of the Year and be the preseason Player of the Year the following season, joining Duke's Alana Beard and Notre Dame's Brianna Turner.
Notre Dame was picked as the preseason winner of the ACC, receiving 70 of 79 first place votes from the Blue Ribbon Panel of coaches and select media members. It’s the first time since 2018 that the Irish have been the preseason favorite.
The Irish play an Oct. 30 exhibition game at home against Davenport, then officially open the season on Nov. 4 at home against Mercyhurst.
The ACC has sent eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons, as those 48 teams are the most among all conferences in that span. Current membership has appeared in eight Final Fours in the last six seasons, capped off by NC State’s trip a season ago.
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 222
Imari Berry, Fr., G, Louisville 180
Kate Koval, Fr., F, Notre Dame 177
Zamareya Jones, Fr., G, NC State 116
Liza Karlen, Gr., F, Notre Dame 109
Predicted Order of Finish (79 voters)
1. Notre Dame (70), 1726
2. NC State (8), 1617
3. Duke, 1446
4. Louisville, 1370
5. Florida State, 1335
6. North Carolina, 1279
7. Stanford (1), 1214
8. Miami, 883
9. Virginia, 877
10. Georgia Tech, 855
11. Syracuse, 801
12. Virginia Tech, 786
13. Clemson, 553
14. California, 546
15. Boston College, 533
16. SMU, 274
17. Wake Forest, 259
18. Pitt, 233
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