Notre Dame women rake in preseason accolades

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Notre Dame Women's basketball team won't officially begin their season until Nov. 4 when they host Mercyhurst in South Bend, but the preseason has been kind to the team, with many players making and even topping preseason award lists. 

This week, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) is wrapping up its preseason award announcements and six current Irish ended up on three different watch lists.

Last week, sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo was named to the AP Preseason All-American list.

Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles each earned a spot on the Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List which is given to the best point guard of the year.

In an exhibition game on Oct. 30, Hidalgo led the team with 31 points and five steals while facilitating nine assists and snagging seven rebounds.

Miles came one assist away from a triple-double with a stat line of 15 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists.

Both point guards have already been awarded Preseason All-ACC honors as well, along with Senior shooting guard Sonia Citron.

Citron, who battled injury late last season, was named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List. The award is given to the best shooting guard in the country, and Citron can make her case as just that this season.

Last season she averaged 17.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 46 percent from the floor and sinking 91.2 percent of her free throws, which school officials say is a Notre Dame single-season record.

For the second straight year, both Maddy Westbeld and Liza Karlen earned a spot on the Katrina McClain Award Watch List. The award is given to the best power forward in the country.

They are joined on the McClain watch list by Liatu King, giving Notre Dame three players on the list.

School officials say no other school had more than one player on the list.

"The 2023-24 ACC Most Improved Player, King was the star down low for the Irish in Wednesday's exhibition against Davenport," team officials said. "She finished with 27 points and a team-leading 14 rebounds while shooting 11-15 from the floor on the day. King also had 3 steals."

The team enters the season ranked No. 6 with Final Four dreams. The road to the 2025 NCAA Tournament starts at 5 p.m. on Nov. 4 in South Bend. The game will air on the ACC Network.