It’s safe to say that the Notre Dame women’s basketball team’s season did not end how anyone hoped it would. It’s also safe to say that Hannah Hidalgo hasn’t been loving every minute of her offseason. And not just because she’s gotten into very public discussions with former teammates that have drawn quite a bit of scrutiny.
Now Hidalgo is facing the heat for something else entirely. Something she actually did several months ago. It’s an interesting decision for the Fighting Irish star to essentially resurrect the issue. It feels like an unforced error. Perhaps its her way of stepping up and being a leader.
Hannah Hidalgo apologizes after reposting Candace Owens video
The issue at the center of the latest hubbub surrounding the Notre Dame star guard is Hidalgo finally issuing an apology for a video she reposted on social media of right-wing political grifter Candace Owens calling the marriage of former CNN host Don Lemon, a gay man, a “sinful relationship.”
“Yes, you are sinning,” Owens said in the video. “You’re in a sinful relationship. I actually don’t believe marriage can be between two men.”
While some Irish supporters noticed and were unhappy with her recirculating Owens’ post, Hidalgo didn’t comment on her role in it until she wrote a Player’s Tribune post in April and mentioned that reposting the video was “a mistake.” However, if she did find it a mistake, she didn’t apologize for it until last week, In ESPN’s second episode of Full Court Press.
“What I reposted hurt a lot of people,” Hidalgo said in the episoide. “I took it down, of course. I want to apologize to the people that I hurt because that is never my intention. I love everyone regardless of what skin color, what belief, what religion, regardless of what you think because the Lord calls us to love everyone.”
While apologizing, Hidalgo didn’t elaborate on why she chose to repost the video, or if she agrees with Owens. It’s possible that the apology will allow her to finally and truly move on after several people in the women’s basketball scene were critical of her actions when they first happened.
That included former Notre Dame women’s basketball head coach Muffet McGraw — a two-time national champion who has a statue of herself outside of Purcell Pavilion in South Bend. – who went on Sarah Spain’s podcast shortly after and said Hidaldo had made a poor choice.
ESPN broadcaster Holly Rowe was also critical, saying that many people in the WNBA took notice of the star guard’s actions because the WNBA considers itself the most inclusive professional league in sports.
For her part, Hannah Hidalgo just finished her sophomore season. She’s young still learning what being a “star” really means. She’s also a devout christian -as are a large number of student athletes at Notre Dame - here’s hoping she really learned from this situation and truly chose to listen to those who were hurt by the post rather than paying lip service to damage control.
The Notre Dame women’s basketball team is going to be hers in 2025-26. She’ll be looked at as a leader. And she’ll be a veteran. All of that means she’ll be under even more scrutiny from here on out.