When will Hannah Hidalgo be eligible for the WNBA Draft?
Rising college basketball star, freshman Hannah Hidalgo, has been making waves with her exceptional performance for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish this year.
With a standout performance in a preseason game in Paris, where she scored a remarkable 31 points against South Carolina, Hidalgo quickly rose to prominence. Throughout her freshman season, she continued to impress, averaging 23.3 points per game and leading Notre Dame to their first ACC championship in five years where she earned the title of MVP of the tournament.
“All credit to my teammates because I wouldn't be able to do it without them,” she said in a postgame news conference after the ACC Championship, per AP News. “It's truly a blessing just to be here in this position.”
She's ranked third nationally in scoring (trailing Clark and fellow frosh JuJu Watkins at USC) while leading the country at 4.7 steals per game.
After current NCAA superstar Caitlin Clark’s decision to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, Hidalgo and USC Trojans’ Juju Watkins are poised to become the faces of women’s college basketball. Hidalgo is ranked third in scoring nationally after Clark and Watkins.
And as Hidalgo continues to make headlines with her stellar performances, the one question on everyone’s lips remains:
When will Hannah Hidalgo and declare for the WNBA Draft?
Eligibility for the WNBA Draft is contingent upon meeting certain criteria set forth by the league.
According to WNBA regulations, players must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible for the draft: be at least 22 years old during the year of the draft, have completed their college eligibility, have graduated from a four-year college, or be four years removed from high school.
Considering Hidalgo's birthdate of February 22, 2005, she will turn 22 in February 2027. Additionally, as she is currently a freshman at Notre Dame, she has not yet completed her college eligibility nor graduated from a four-year university. Therefore, Hidalgo will be eligible for the WNBA Draft in the year 2027, at the earliest.
Hidalgo's achievements extend beyond the college level, as she also played a pivotal role in leading the U.S. team to victory in the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup, where she averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 assists. She was also honored as USA Basketball's 5-on-5 Female Athlete of the Year in December.
Hidalgo is currently playing in her first NCAA tournament and she did not disappoint in her debut game against No. 15 Kent State. The freshman scored a double-double for No. 2 Notre Dame with 14 points, 11 assists, six steals, and two rebounds. The Fighting Irish will next face No. 7 Ole Miss on Monday.