We Speak Women's College Basketball

Notre Dame Sweeps ACC Women’s Basketball Honors as Hidalgo and Abii Lead Opening Week

Published

2 hours ago

November 10, 2026

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo in action during the opening week of the season

Hannah Hidalgo in action for Notre Dame. Photo by Michael Caterina/University of Notre Dame.

Notre Dame opened the season with two wins and a sweep of the ACC’s first weekly honors. Hannah Hidalgo averaged 29.5 points and passed 2,500 career points, while freshman Jacy Abii averaged a double-double in her first two college games.

Notre Dame senior guard Hannah Hidalgo has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, while Notre Dame guard/forward Jacy Abii earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for games played during the opening week of the regular season.

ACC women’s basketball weekly honors are nominated by the respective schools and determined by a vote of the Blue Ribbon Panel.

PLAYER – Hannah Hidalgo, Sr., G, Notre Dame (Merchantville, New Jersey)

Averaged a conference-best 29.5 points in two victories over Villanova and Stonehill last week.
Scored a game-high 32 points to go along with seven rebounds, eight assists and three steals in a season-opening win over Villanova in Rome, Italy.
Led the Fighting Irish with 27 points, six rebounds and 10 steals in Friday’s victory over Stonehill.
Surpassed 2,500 career points on Friday, becoming the sixth player in ACC history to eclipse the mark.

FRESHMAN – Jacy Abii, Fr., G/F, Notre Dame (Dallas, Texas)

Averaged a double-double with 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in wins over Villanova and Stonehill.
Opened her collegiate career with 10 points and eight rebounds in a 99-75 win over the Wildcats in Sunday’s season opener in Rome, Italy.
Finished 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from the field and scored 17 points to go along with a team-high 14 rebounds in Friday’s win over Stonehill.
Added seven assists, six steals and four blocks in just 25 minutes against Stonehill.
Became the only player in the country last week to register a 10-10-4-4-4 game.

Women’s Basketball Notes

ACC teams combined for a 41-7 (.854) record through the opening week of the regular season.
Four ACC teams are ranked in the latest AP Top 25: No. 5 Duke, No. 7 Louisville, No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 23 North Carolina. NC State and Virginia are receiving votes.
A total of 30 victories by ACC teams have been by 20 points or more, tied for the most among all conferences.

2026-27 ACC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Nov. 9 – Hannah Hidalgo, Sr., G, Notre Dame

2026-27 ACC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week
Nov. 9 – Jacy Abii, G, Notre Dame

We Speak Women's College Basketball

ACC Women’s Basketball Piles Up 41 Nonconference Wins With Four Ranked Teams And A UConn At Louisville Showdown Ahead

Published

52 minutes ago

November 10, 2026

We Speak Media

Louisville guard Deniya Prawl follows through on a free throw during the game against Stetson at the KFC Yum Center on November 3.

Deniya Prawl makes a free throw during the game against Stetson at the KFC Yum Center on November 3. Photo by University of Louisville Athletics.

ACC women’s basketball has compiled 41 nonconference victories through the opening week, the most of any conference, with four teams in the AP Top 25 and a Sunday showdown between No. 4 UConn and No. 7 Louisville closing the week.

Upcoming Schedule (All Times ET)

Tuesday, November 10
Lindenwood at #7 Louisville | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Detroit Mercy at #13 Notre Dame | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Delaware State at Pitt | 7 p.m. | ACCNX

Wednesday, November 11
West Florida at Florida State | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Siena at Syracuse | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Drexel at Virginia | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
UMass Lowell at Boston College | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
Liberty at NC State | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
NC Central at #23 North Carolina | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
LIU at SMU | 7 p.m. | ACCNX

Thursday, November 12
UNCW at Wake Forest | 11:30 a.m. | ACCNX
Charleston at California | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
Virginia Tech at VCU | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
UMES at Georgia Tech | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Saint Peter’s at Miami | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
#5 Duke at Norfolk State | 7 p.m. | MEAC Network
#1 South Carolina at Clemson | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
#7 Louisville at Ball State | 8 p.m. | CBSSN

Friday, November 13
Stanford at Santa Clara | 10 p.m. | ESPN+

Sunday, November 15
NC State at Seton Hall | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgia State at Georgia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
La Salle at Virginia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
Virginia at Old Dominion | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Elon at Wake Forest | 3 p.m. | ACCNX
Marshall at #5 Duke | 3 p.m. | ACCN
Gonzaga at Stanford | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
Stetson at Clemson | 5 p.m. | ACCN
#4 UConn at #7 Louisville | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
Nicholls at SMU | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
Canisius at Syracuse | 7 p.m. | ACCN

ACC Quick Hits

ACC teams have compiled 41 non-conference victories through the opening week, the most among all conferences.
Notre Dame senior guard Hannah Hidalgo has been named the ACC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week, while Notre Dame guard/forward Jacy Abii earned ACC Freshman of the Week honors for games played during the opening week of the regular season.
The Player of the Week honor is Hannah Hidalgo’s 15th of her career, the second-most in conference history surpassing former Virginia Tech standout Elizabeth Kitley.
A total of 30 victories by ACC teams have been by 20 points or more, tied for the most among all conferences.

ACC Teams in the Top 25

Four ACC teams are in the latest Associated Press (AP) Top 25: No. 5 Duke, No. 7 Louisville, No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 23 North Carolina. NC State and Virginia are receiving votes.

Preseason Outlook

Duke was picked first in the annual ACC Predicted Order of Finish, receiving 49 of 76 first-place votes. Louisville finished second with 22 first-place votes, while North Carolina (one first-place vote) and Notre Dame (four) landed third and fourth, respectively.
Eight All-ACC First Team selections from a season ago, as selected by the Blue Ribbon Panel and coaches, were named to the 10-member Preseason All-ACC Team.
Among each Division I conference’s top 15 scorers from 2025-26 (minimum 15 games played for rankings), no conference has a higher percentage returning to the same team than the ACC (73.3%, 11 of 15). Of the four who did not return, two transferred within the ACC. (STATS Perform)
ACC teams are scheduled to play 65 games against teams from the Power 4 and BIG EAST, with the potential for additional games through MTEs. A total of 31 games are slated against SEC teams, including the annual SEC/ACC Challenge. The 65 games are tied with the SEC for the most among all leagues.
ACC teams are scheduled to play 16 nonconference games against teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Preseason Poll, four more than any other conference. When considering the entire top 25, the ACC’s 30 scheduled nonconference games rank second behind the SEC (32).
ACC teams are scheduled to play 56 nonconference games against teams that were in last year’s NCAA Tournament field, the second most of any Division I conference behind the SEC (62).

Preseason Honors

Naismith Trophy Watch List: Imari Berry (Louisville), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Toby Fournier (Duke), Kate Harpring (North Carolina), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Uche Izoje (Syracuse), Kymora Johnson (Virginia), Khamil Pierre (NC State), Tajianna Roberts (Louisville), Lulu Twidale (California), Talayah Walker (Georgia Tech)
Wade Trophy Watch List: Toby Fournier (Duke), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List (Top PG): Zamareya Jones (Louisville), Gal Raviv (Miami), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
Ann Meyers Award Watch List (Top SG): Lulu Twidale (California), Riley Nelson (Duke), Tajianna Roberts (Louisville) and Taryn Barbot (Pitt)
Cheryl Miller Award Watch List (Top SF): Jadyn Donovan (Duke), Mackenly Randolph (Louisville) and Achol Akot (North Carolina)
Katrina McClain Award Watch List (Top PF): Grace Oliver (Boston College), Toby Fournier (Duke), Carys Baker (Louisville) and Khamil Pierre (NC State)
Lisa Leslie Award Watch List (Top C): Arianna Roberson (Duke), Amiya Joyner (Louisville), Ciera Toomey (North Carolina) and Uche Izoje (Syracuse)

ACC and the NCAA Tournament

The ACC had a conference-record nine teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, breaking its previous record of eight teams, which had been set nine times since 2014.
Clemson, Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech earned bids.
Since 2018, the ACC has earned 65 bids to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the most of any conference.
The ACC sent five teams to the Sweet 16 in 2026, the second-most of any conference and tied for the league record set in 2015.
At least one ACC team has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the past 24 NCAA Tournaments, with Duke and Notre Dame earning berths last season. It is the longest active streak of any conference; the next-longest is 17.
Last season marked the third time in the past five years that the ACC had multiple teams reach the Elite Eight (2023, 2022), tied for the second most of any Division I conference in that span behind the SEC (four).
After entering the NCAA Tournament with four wins against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, ACC teams earned six wins over ranked opponents during the tournament.
ACC member institutions have won three NCAA championships and made 24 trips to the Final Four. Nine different institutions have represented the ACC in the Women’s Final Four, while 10 current ACC members have earned a spot in the national semifinals.

ACC & the WNBA

Four former ACC standouts were selected in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13. Duke’s Taina Mair was selected in the first round by Seattle, while Notre Dame’s Cassandre Prosper (Washington), Duke’s Ashlon Jackson (Golden State) and North Carolina’s Indya Nivar (Atlanta) were selected in the second round.
A total of 38 players from current ACC teams were on WNBA Opening Day rosters, while 23 alums earned a spot in the WNBA Playoffs.
Six standouts from ACC schools were named to the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, the most among all conferences.

On The Sidelines

Three new head coaches are on ACC sidelines this year: Kate Popovec-Goss (Boston College), Robin Harmony (Pitt) and Aaron Roussell (Virginia).
Current ACC schools have earned 12 WBCA Coach of the Year awards since 1989. Six of the 10 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards have gone to current ACC schools.
NC State head coach Wes Moore ranks second among active Division I coaches with 882 career wins. The next closest ACC coaches are Louisville’s Jeff Walz (518) and Miami’s Tricia Cullop (511).
Duke head coach Kara Lawson led the USA Basketball Women’s National Team to a gold medal at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in September. Lawson and former ACC standouts Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), Chelsea Gray (Duke) and Jackie Young (Notre Dame) finished a perfect 7-0 in the competition.

ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament

The 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament moved to Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia, marking the first time the tournament was played at a neutral site outside of the Carolinas.
Duke won the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament for its second straight ACC title. The Blue Devils are the first team to repeat as ACC champions since NC State won three straight championships from 2020-22.
After defeating Louisville in the first overtime championship game since 2009, Duke claimed its 10th all-time title, tying Maryland for the most in ACC history.
Duke senior guard Taina Mair was named Tournament MVP.
Duke became the first team to win both the outright regular-season and tournament titles since NC State swept both titles in 2022.
The 50th edition of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first time since 1999. It will be the first time the event will be played inside an NBA arena, as it heads to Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets.
The ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament is the longest-running Division I women’s conference basketball tournament in the country.

SEC/ACC Challenge Returns for Fourth Season

The women’s side of the SEC/ACC Challenge will begin on Wednesday, December 2, and conclude on Thursday, December 3. Games will air across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network and stream on the ESPN App.

ACC Network

ACC Network will highlight more than 70 women’s basketball games during the 2026-27 season, beginning on Nov. 4. The ACC Network action tips off with Campbell at No. 25 NC State at 6 p.m., followed by Stetson at No. 7 Louisville at 8 p.m. ACC Network Extra will stream more than 180 additional games throughout the season. ACCN will also offer extensive studio coverage of ACC women’s basketball through its daily flagship studio show, ACC PM; the ACC Network Basketball Podcast; and its signature basketball show, Nothing But Net. Each will offer insight and analysis on the latest news, storylines and highlights from around the league.