← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
The Athletic All-Access: Notre Dame's Niele Ivey and Hannah Hidalgo
00:25:16
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- [00:02]
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- [04:57]
Sabrina Merchant
I'm Sabrina Merchant and this is the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. Welcome to the Athletic Women's Basketball Show. I'm Sabrina Merchant, joined today by Chantelle Jennings. Today, Chantelle and I have two very special guests from the acc. We have one of the top freshmen in the country. She's the nation's leader in steals with five per game, a 12 time ACC Rookie of the Week and the reigning USA Basketball Female Athlete of the year, Hannah Hidalgo. And joining Hannah is the head coach of Notre Dame since 2020. She's a national champion at Notre Dame, both as a player and a coach. Neal Ivey. Neil and Hannah, thank you so much for joining the show today.
- [05:50]
Neil Ivey
Thank you for having us.
- [05:52]
Hannah Hidalgo
Thank you.
- [05:52]
Sabrina Merchant
All right, so we like to start these off with just a couple of silly questions about your relationship with basketball. So just really quickly, first answer you can think of. Hannah, we'll start with you. What is your favorite basketball sound on game day?
- [06:07]
Hannah Hidalgo
My favorite basketball sound on game day? The net. Swish. Of course.
- [06:11]
Sabrina Merchant
Neil, she took my.
- [06:12]
Neil Ivey
So I'll say the crowd like the crowd erupting.
- [06:14]
Sabrina Merchant
Okay, Neil, what is your favorite basketball move?
- [06:18]
Neil Ivey
Old school moves. You're gonna embarrass me in front of Hannah. I used to. In high school, I used to love just to spin move. Like that was like my go to. That was my move.
- [06:29]
Sabrina Merchant
Hannah.
- [06:30]
Hannah Hidalgo
I would say jab and then cross. Just a quick just.
- [06:36]
Sabrina Merchant
I was going to expect something defensive, honestly, so this is a surprise. All right, Hannah, what is coach's most used phrase or saying when she's talking to you on the court?
- [06:47]
Hannah Hidalgo
I would say something along the lines of like, next play. Next play for sure.
- [06:52]
Sabrina Merchant
And then yell. What does Hannah say the most when she's on the court?
- [06:58]
Neil Ivey
What, like to me or just on the court?
- [07:00]
Sabrina Merchant
Just on the court.
- [07:02]
Neil Ivey
She's actually like. I feel like it's like her clapping. Yeah, I would say clapping because she's one that kind of leads by her example. So I feel like that's like a non verbal thing for her. So like, I mean, like, if that means, like, let's go or you know, kind of getting herself like recentered, I would say clapping.
- [07:19]
Sabrina Merchant
Got it. And then Hannah, what is your biggest basketball.
- [07:22]
Chantelle Jennings
Ick.
- [07:23]
Hannah Hidalgo
Bad refs. Bad refs.
- [07:28]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah.
- [07:29]
Chantelle Jennings
Be careful. We're in the acc. We're in the acc. We've seen what happens when coaches talk about ref.
- [07:34]
Neil Ivey
Yeah, we're very aligned with that. I'm agree with panel with that one.
- [07:42]
Sabrina Merchant
Okay, and then last one. If you weren't in basketball, what is a profession that you would like to, you know, be in if you were not a basketball coach, Neil.
- [07:49]
Neil Ivey
Oh, basketball coach. Not a basketball coach. I would like to be in like tv, you know, like something with television. So that could be analyst or just something. Something around television with sports, though.
- [08:03]
Sabrina Merchant
Okay. And then Hannah, if you weren't a basketball player, what would you like to do?
- [08:07]
Hannah Hidalgo
If I wasn't a basketball player either. Soccer. Because I was my other Sport. But if, like, it was no sports, I would say I wanted to be an actor.
- [08:13]
Sabrina Merchant
Actress. Excellent.
- [08:15]
Neil Ivey
I can see that. So we did a show. She's an actress. I could be the producer.
- [08:23]
Sabrina Merchant
Something to think about. Off season stuff.
- [08:26]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah.
- [08:26]
Chantelle Jennings
I don't know what the plans are for the off season, but it sounds like Ashton is going to have her hands just now. We could do a miniseries.
- [08:32]
Neil Ivey
Yes.
- [08:33]
Chantelle Jennings
Sounds like a good plan. All right, well, why don't we dive into a little bit of basketball stuff here. Let's take it back to the beginning of the season. I was so excited, Hannah, for your college debut, because, you know, we had seen the high school, we had seen Team USA stuff, we had seen your play, and I think with every incoming freshman, it's like, how is this going to translate to the next level? But specifically for you, it's like in France, on this stage, ESPN game against South Carolina. Like, take us back to that moment. How you processed all of that for your first game as a college basketball player.
- [09:11]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah, I mean, it was truly an honor and a blessing to, like, kind of be involved in that, you know, historic moment just to be in Paris, you know, for the first time, playing against the number one ranked team. And obviously, kind of going into that game, I don't feel like I was nervous at all. I was constantly praying, and I know I had my support system who helped me throughout the whole, you know, preseason and just getting me prepared. So I had so much confidence and so much trust in my teammates and my coaches just going into that game. So I was very poised and I was calm.
- [09:39]
Chantelle Jennings
Not surprising given how you played in that game, that you were so poised and calm. And I don't know if we've seen anything that you could even remotely call nerves from you this season. Um, but, Neil, for you as a coach, when you have, you know, I think there's a lot of different ways coaches schedule. And I know it's not just the coaches that schedule. I hear from ads about that. But when you have a game like that right out the gates, how much do you. Is that something you enjoy? Something you're like, man, I wish this was the third game of the season. Like, how. How do you sort of look at that as a measuring stick when it is your first game with a team and you are starting some young players?
- [10:14]
Neil Ivey
Yes, well, that was the first time I've ever been a part of starting out the season, obviously on international soil, but starting off with playing number one team in the country, because, like you mentioned, you normally have a couple of games before some of your biggest non conference matchups. And so like, that was the first time I've ever been a part of that as a player, as an assistant, as a head coach. I felt like it was just an opportunity that we could not pass up. You know, historically, you know, something that I thought was going to grow the game, women's basketball, put us on a bigger, larger scale. And it was something that was really important for us to be a part of. And so. And I also felt like this was a great, like you mentioned, measuring stick for our program. We had the opportunity to play overseas, so we had three games overseas. So I got a chance to practice and we got a chance to put a lot of stuff in early. And again, nothing could honestly prepare you for a matchup like that. You just have to go, go in it, like she said, with confidence. And we were ready, we were prepared and. But I think it was the best thing for us. And it's something that I'm going to look to do for the future, not, you know, wait for games. If it's opportunity to play someone really good early, I'm going to do it.
- [11:25]
Sabrina Merchant
What do you feel like you learned about your team that day?
- [11:27]
Neil Ivey
Yeah, I mean, just when you play a team like the number one team in the country, which we saw early and everyone sees now, it just gives you an idea of the level that you need to be at, you know, the standard, the having to prepare to be an elite team. That the pace of that game, the physicality of that game really is something that I feel like I learned from. We went back, we played New Jersey Institute of Technology and we got better. You know, that week we got better. We had film to help us get better. So I learned a lot offensively, defensively. But some things that I feel like we really took away from was the pace and the physicality of the game. Because when you match against players like that, it shows you where you need, the level you need to be at. And I was really impressed with Hannah because I felt like she was at that level in her first game. So that speaks volumes. And it gave you a preview of what she's doing now and what she did, what she's doing all season long.
- [12:20]
Sabrina Merchant
And then Hannah, when you start the season like in Paris against South Carolina, you know, first game of the year, how do you not have a letdown after that? Because it's such a, you know, monumental way to start things off. Like, how do you keep that same level of energy going forward?
- [12:34]
Hannah Hidalgo
I mean, I feel like we Knew that it was, you know, the early in the season, and it just kind of motivated me because I saw, you know, the potential that we had, you know, kind of like what we can do. And just going up against, you know, South Carolina, I was able to get a taste of, you know, where we're at. And just we had so much more room for growth. So it was exciting to see.
- [12:54]
Chantelle Jennings
And I think we should note Hannah definitely didn't have a letdown because she had 12 steals the next game. Some players don't even get that in a season. And Hannah had it in one game. I don't know. I don't think you even played the full 40 minutes of that game. I don't. You probably had like a steal every minute and a half. Before we move on from Paris, I am just curious, what was the best thing you both did in Paris that had nothing to do with basketball while you were there?
- [13:17]
Hannah Hidalgo
Shopping. I went. I went out. I went out into, you know, the. All the. The stores, went to the malls and kind of went shopping for a couple hours.
- [13:25]
Neil Ivey
Yes, I would say the shopping. And I love museums. And so having the opportunity to go to the Louvre, I thought that was amazing.
- [13:32]
Chantelle Jennings
Awesome. So I'm curious, Neil, you obviously, you and Hannah have a really close relationship. And you've. You've coached college players before. You've played college basketball. You've coached NBA players before. You kind of have the unique experience of having two early enrollees in recent years with Olivia and Cassan. How did that experience of working with them when they, you know, could have been seniors in high school and. And could have been younger. And obviously, Hannah, we know you're not an early enrollee, but having worked with younger players and developing them early in that way, has that changed at all? Sort of how you've gone through this season of having such a high usage player like Hannah, who's a freshman?
- [14:13]
Neil Ivey
Yeah, I mean, I think it has really helped me just learn how to communicate with them with her. You know, just. Again, they've all had just very unique scenarios. You know, Olivia was a unique scenario coming in. It was my first year Covid, you know, being in the fire. We talk about that a lot as our team and program and learning, learning through being in without having the example ahead of her, you know, having the ball in her hands. As an early enrollee, you learn by being in the moments. And she did that. And then CASP17, when she came in last year, and she came in in a time where we. We really needed her. We lost. We had two starters that went out with injuries, and I inserted her right into that lineup. And she was in the fire as well, not being a point guard, but also. But, you know, contributing coming from high school is very, very different. And I thought I had that experience with coaching Olivia and trying to implement her, you know, in our system. And now with Hannah, again, like you mentioned, she's not an early enrollee, but she was in the fire right from the beginning. And taking on an assignment like that and with a schedule like ours is not an easy task for anyone. And I. I was. I've been impressed by all three of them. It's. It's a lot of confidence. It's a lot of trust, and they've all shown that to me.
- [15:29]
Sabrina Merchant
Hannah, I'm sure when you committed, you know, you thought, Livia Miles is the point guard at Notre Dame, like, I'm going to have an opportunity to learn from her and play next to her and behind her. What is that, like? Shift been like, you know, being thrown into this. I'm the starting point guard right away.
- [15:43]
Chantelle Jennings
Yeah.
- [15:43]
Hannah Hidalgo
I mean, especially, you know, kind of before I got here, just seeing how Liv went out, and I knew it was going to be kind of a lot of weight on my shoulders, so I didn't know kind of what to expect coming in. But, you know, I. I trusted in God and, you know, I picked the right, you know, coaching staff, and so I trusted in, obviously, the coaches to, you know, prepare me and just to have my back going into every game. So I feel like prior to coming here, I was a little nervous with how it was going to be and how everything was going to work out. But as I got on campus and I saw how the coach were preparing me and how. How much trust my teammates had in me right from the jump. It was. It made everything so easy.
- [16:20]
Sabrina Merchant
What's the relationship with Olivia been like, even just, you know, her being on the bench? I imagine she's got to be like another coach for you, right?
- [16:26]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah. Yeah, she definitely is. She's. She's very vocal, and she just helps, even though she's. She's not on the court. And I just can't wait, like, how it'll be, you know, that backcourt when she does get here.
- [16:36]
Sabrina Merchant
Anything in particular, like, you've picked up from her?
- [16:38]
Hannah Hidalgo
Just. Just kind of her vocal leadership and she. She could score the ball. I mean, just. Just watching her playing practice, she's just. She's tough. I'm excited you guys are going to be in for a treat, for sure.
- [16:49]
Chantelle Jennings
That's an understatement. I just want to say I think everyone is, you know, as fun as you guys have been able to watch, as fun as you, Hannah, have been to watch this year, I think everyone's like, oh my God, next year, Olivia and Hannah and the backcourt for Notre Dame is going to be scary good. But speaking of, I guess this year our staff, I think everyone is just sort of in awe of the play of freshmen across the country. Hannah, you're leading the nation in steals with five a game. I'm going to pull up the stats because I went back and looked, I was like, you know, not only are you averaging five steals a game, but you're doing it with three or fewer fouls per game, which I think is an important thing to note here. And since 2009, only 13 players in all of Division 1 basketball have averaged four or more steals a game with three or fewer fouls a game. Like, you are in elite company in terms of being able to defend in that way, but like, you're there. Juju Watkins is at usc. Madison Booker is at Texas. Michaela Williams at lsu. Like, it just sort of feels like there's so many talented freshmen. Now that we're speaking with one of those freshmen and their coach solve this mystery for us. Like, why are the freshmen so good this year? Because it feels different than years past. Like, we've seen really good freshmen before. What is different about it this year? Maybe, Neil, we can start with you. Have you seen changes through like the EYBL system or the way that Team USA is preparing players or individual trainers? Like, what is, what is the difference and the shift right now that we're seeing this?
- [18:15]
Neil Ivey
Well, I think, I mean, our game is evolving in a positive way. I think I'll start off with that. Just women's basketball in general, so everyone coming up, they're bigger, stronger, faster, more elite, more skilled. But I think this, this freshman class, like you have certain classes where you just like, there's just the cream of the crop in those classes. And I think this just happens to be a class that has more than one generational talent in. And I'm blessed that I have one of them sitting right here with me. You know, they have just, it's a God given talent that this class has, that she has. And you come across these, these type of classes every once in a while. Sometimes you'll get just one superstar or two superstars every couple classes, you know, and we just happen to have five that have come in and made an incredible Impact on the ncaa, on the women's game. So I think it's just. It's really cool to see because it shows you what the future is going to be like with women's basketball.
- [19:07]
Chantelle Jennings
Hannah, as you look back at sort of now that you have so many games under your belt, like, what are the things that you did through eybl, through Team usa individually? I know your dad coached you for in high school for a while and even before that, like, what were the things you did that you think best prepared you for this level and allowed you to make such an easy transition?
- [19:26]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah, I feel like what helped me most was just. Just constantly putting hours in the gym and just, I think spending a lot of time playing against my brothers. My dad would have us go full court, just like one on one, just. Just playing, like. Which really, like, worked on not only my stamina, but, like, how physical it would be because he's 64 and like, you know, 180. So it's like going up against that constantly, just breaking. Yes. That. I feel like it really helped me, you know, prepare me for, you know, this college game and how physical it would be and, you know, how fast it would be.
- [19:56]
Sabrina Merchant
Chantel mentioned this too, but Team USA, right? Like, you obviously played on the U19 World cup team before you got to Notre Dame this year. I'm just curious, like, what you think that experience did for you in terms of being ready to go right away.
- [20:10]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah, I mean, overseas is like, it's a different. It's a different game. Just kind of the style of play that, you know, the other teams, you know, had. And I feel like I was in a different position where I had to be strict to the point guard and just feed, you know, everyone. So I was in a different position and, you know, it's completely different from how it is here. And I feel like, especially that gold medal game, just the atmosphere, which is so different. It was just. Everyone was cheering for Spain and it just felt like, you know, everyone was against you and it was only a couple people from USA kind of cheering for us. So, I mean, the environment was just different. I feel like it really helped me, helped prepare me for games like UConn, you know, hostile environments.
- [20:51]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah. If there was ever an indicator that Hannah was going to be just a steel maven right away, the fact that you got like the game winning steal against Spain in the World cup final is probably a good nod of what was to come for Notre Dame season.
- [21:03]
Chantelle Jennings
I also feel like full court, one on one. I don't Want to brush over that fact? That sounds horrible. The amount of running that needs to happen in full court, one on one, the you averaging 35 minutes a game and looking as crisp as you do at the end of games just makes a lot more sense to me now. So thanks for clearing that up. All right, well, I feel like we can't have the leader in steals here without diving into how this all happens, because I think it's. It's just incredible to watch you obviously, on the offensive side, but defensively, you know, I think that's usually a place that sometimes it takes freshmen longer to transition to the speed and the pace and the physicality of the game. And you have stepped in and been able to defend at such an elite level so early, I guess. What has allowed you to do that and how much communication, Neil, is there between the two of you in terms of, like, risk versus reward? Like I said, you're. You're not fouling a ton, but in terms of you jumping into those passing lanes or going, you know, trying to pick someone's pocket or how much before a game or through a game, are you saying, like, okay, like, take the risk, don't take the risk? And how has that changed through the season? I realize that's a lot of questions all at once, but I want to hear both of your thought processes on this. Maybe, Hannah, you can start.
- [22:18]
Hannah Hidalgo
When I was younger, I feel like I've always taken pride in, you know, my defense, just being the smallest one on the court and having girls so much bigger than me. Like, I didn't know, like, how to score yet and, like, different ways I could score. So I knew that you can never really have, like, a bad defensive game if you're, you know, kind of lock in. So I. I always took pride in my defense. And I was always so small, so I was a little quicker, my hands were quicker, and people, you know, kind of weren't expecting me to, you know, steal the ball the way I did. And so just growing up, people, like, I was once told that, you know, defense was championships, so I kind of has always stuck with me. So that's kind of where I get my energy from. It's just, you know, getting stops, getting steals and getting a fast break in ones and just kind of screaming. And I feel like that's how I get my. My teammate type, too. Just, you know, when I'm playing defense, I feel like it encourages my teammates to want to play defense, too, when they see me diving on the floor and, you know, just kind of giving that energy and risk versus reward. I could work on that a little bit. You know, sometimes I gamble a little too much. And Coach Ivey's always telling me, you know, you know, stay locked in. Like, don't. Don't reach. Don't reach in the back court. Like, know when to go. My dad's always yelling at me from the stands to, like, know when to go. You know, jab and fake. You can't always steal the ball, which, you know, kind of is always my mindset. Mindset. Go steal the ball. So I can work on that a little bit.
- [23:32]
Chantelle Jennings
Neil, you're laughing through that. I want to hear what you think. Let's hear from the coach.
- [23:36]
Neil Ivey
She's just saying exactly what I said to her. But I feel like when you're a dynamic defender, like she is and has that mindset, it's very. You don't see that very often. You know, she's different in that way, and I appreciate that. And I always tell her, I just want you to be you. And that's one of her superpowers, you know, and so I let her go in that. But I also. She's receptive to me reeling her in sometimes. And I'm saying, like, all right, you know, Hannah, you know, stay locked and, you know, just be. You know, we have our moments where I allow her to kind of. We scramble off. And we've done a great job, I think, in the team. They've done a great job adjusting to her energy defensively, and it's something that just. You just build chemistry wise within the rotations. But she does. She does a great job of listening when I. When I need her to reel in. But. But again, you know, the 12 steals don't happen if she doesn't have that flexibility to be able to do what she does best.
- [24:26]
Chantelle Jennings
Hannah, how much do you, like. Does the ball just look, like, huge to you, like, right before you go? Like, what are you seeing? Because it's like, there are times when you, like, jump into passing lanes where I'm like, how did she get there? Like, I. You clearly watch a ton of film, and so you see tendencies and your IQ is so high for the game. But, like, there are just times when I'm like, okay, how did she do that? Like, do you see it differently than everyone else? I assume so, yeah.
- [24:51]
Hannah Hidalgo
So I. I read, you know, the defender's eyes, which could be especially off ball when I'm, you know, kind of jumping the passing lanes out. I'll read the person who has the ball, read their eyes which could be a blessing and a curse because while I'm watching them, somebody might come back door. But a lot of times I'm kind of reading, you know, what they do and I'll see if they're about to pass and then I'll go jump that. But as of on ball defending, I feel like I make a lot of contact and I kind of feel, you know, where the ball handler is, you know, kind of going to go next. And I kind of read it so I can get my hand in there before they make the move.
- [25:22]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, I feel like sometimes I think Hannah has been screened and then all of a sudden you're just like, with the rolling big already and like taking the ball away. And I just. I don't know how that happens, but. Yeah, that's an I thing, I guess. But I do have a question just about like, you know, reeling in, I guess, Hannah's aggressiveness. Like, you guys have been playing zone a lot more recently, and I wonder, Neil, how you sort of came to that, that, like, I guess zone is by nature a little bit more conservative. So how do you do that and still let Hannah be what she needs to be at the point of attack?
- [25:49]
Neil Ivey
Yeah, I mean, in ACC play, I kind of go off of what I think is going to be best for each opponent. You know, so there's certain teams that get downhill and, you know, want to get to the paint. So sometimes zone is very scout driven, very strategic, and so I mix it back, back and forth. Sometimes it's to protect us if we have foul trouble. So there's different reasons why I run zone. Um, but even within the zone, you know, she still has. She still finds ways like she's mentioning to. To get steals. You know, sometimes it's off rotation in the zone. She got a lot of steals, you know, Monday night from just end zone getting rotations. And so I think she does a great job of timing, you know, just having quick hands, but also the timing of the way that she impacts the ball, because you can still. There's still opportunities that have one on one within the zone, you know, and then we. We shift really well. So she does a great job of. And helps high defense to get steals.
- [26:42]
Chantelle Jennings
Awesome. Well, I think we're going to end the show with a thing that we've been doing with a lot of players and coaches called one word scout. We're going to give you guys and Neil, this is fun because you're also a former player, so we'll be able to give you some players as well. But it'll be players. You've seen players. You know the first word that comes to mind when you think of them? I think we can. We'll start with Hannah and then we'll end with Neil.
- [27:04]
Sabrina Merchant
Why don't we start with Tanaya Latson?
- [27:08]
Hannah Hidalgo
I say one word.
- [27:09]
Chantelle Jennings
One word.
- [27:10]
Hannah Hidalgo
Score.
- [27:11]
Chantelle Jennings
Raven Johnson.
- [27:13]
Hannah Hidalgo
Raven. I say. I say she's leader.
- [27:18]
Chantelle Jennings
North Carolina's Daisha Kelly.
- [27:22]
Hannah Hidalgo
I calm.
- [27:23]
Sabrina Merchant
What about Deja Fair from Syracuse Elite?
- [27:26]
Chantelle Jennings
Notre Dame's Olivia Miles.
- [27:28]
Hannah Hidalgo
I would say she's. She's different.
- [27:33]
Sabrina Merchant
I think it's Neil's turn.
- [27:35]
Neil Ivey
Good job. Out the hot seat.
- [27:37]
Sabrina Merchant
All right, Neil, somebody you played during your career. Sue Bird, legendary. Tamika Catchings, hall of Famer.
- [27:44]
Chantelle Jennings
All right, here's a tough one. Jade and Ivy Dog.
- [27:47]
Sabrina Merchant
How sweet was that picture of Jaden and Tamika from All Star Weekends?
- [27:51]
Neil Ivey
Oh, my God, there's so many baby pictures that I found. That's so sweet.
- [27:55]
Sabrina Merchant
I had no idea that they had such a long history together, but I'm so glad that they kept showing it on the broadcast.
- [27:59]
Neil Ivey
Oh, yeah.
- [28:00]
Sabrina Merchant
I do have one more question for you, Hannah. Not a. Not a one word scout, but what was a tougher environment to play in Madrid during the final or against UConn?
- [28:10]
Hannah Hidalgo
I would say probably. I would say Spain just because, like, it was, like, so short. And so I feel like here with UConn, I had a lot more chemistry in my team and I had a lot more, you know, trust in my teammates. And then, you know, kind of playing with the usa, it's very. It's very short, so it's really hard to build that chemistry and that trust. And it's just like a whole bunch of different individuals kind of coming together in a short period of time to play for a gold medal. So I felt like it was. It was a lot tougher than being here.
- [28:42]
Neil Ivey
I would agree, and that's not my question, but I was sweating over there. It was so loud in Madrid. Oh, my gosh. It was different. Crazy.
- [28:52]
Chantelle Jennings
Yeah. You've been in a lot of loud gyms and arenas, like, loudest you've ever been in.
- [28:57]
Neil Ivey
Not the loudest, because I've been in a lot, but top five like that. That. It was. It was an amazing atmosphere. I mean, they had the drums and it was. It was loud. So like the LED lights that you guys saw on All Star Weekend, it started there.
- [29:12]
Hannah Hidalgo
Yeah.
- [29:12]
Neil Ivey
So. And so you. You know, just the energy of that. It was just. It was. It was back. It was amazing atmosphere.
- [29:18]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah. I can't even imagine having to play a home country like in their stadium for a gold medal that just like the stakes are just one on top of the other.
- [29:27]
Hannah Hidalgo
It would have been crazy if they would have won. I mean.
- [29:31]
Sabrina Merchant
I mean, I feel like that's part of the reason why, why you and like so many of those other freshmen have had such a, like, good launching pad from them like you and Madison and Chloe. Well, I guess Chloe's not a freshman, but she's still in your class. Jaden and Brea, too. I mean, I can't even imagine, like everything must seem just a little bit calmer after going through that experience over the summer.
- [29:49]
Hannah Hidalgo
For sure. It prepared me for sure.
- [29:51]
Sabrina Merchant
Thank you so much to Neil and Hannah for taking the time to talk with us today. Make sure to keep checking out the bracket watch and the bubble watch on the athletic.com along with all of our women's basketball content heading into the tournament. And we will catch you next week as we head into the playoffs. It's safe to assume there will be.
- [30:16]
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Sabrina Merchant
So make a good call for your.
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- [31:31]
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- [31:35]
Chantelle Jennings
Here's a show that we recommend.
- [31:39]
Neil Ivey
Hey guys.
- [31:40]
Sabrina Merchant
Welcome to Giggly Squad, a place where we make fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves.
- [31:44]
Hannah Hidalgo
I'm Paige Desorbo. I'm Hannah Berner.
- [31:47]
Sabrina Merchant
Welcome to the squad Giggly Squad started.
- [31:49]
Hannah Hidalgo
On Summer House when we were giggling during an inappropriate time. But of course we can't be managed.
- [31:54]
Sabrina Merchant
So we decided to start this podcast to continue giggling. We will make fun of pop culture news, we're watching fashion trends pep talks.
- [32:02]
Hannah Hidalgo
Where we give advice, mental health moments and games and guests listen to Giggly Squad on ACAST or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [32:11]
Sabrina Merchant
ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.