Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo receives end of the season honors but it isn't enough

If anyone is tired of hearing about Hannah Hidalgo's greatness, well, we are here to continue talking about it, and so is the Naismith Awards committee. Hidalgo was named the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year for women's college basketball to the surprise of absolutely no one.

Hidalgo was an absolute menace on the court as a defender, leading Notre Dame and the NCAA in steals this season. She was a nightmare for opposing coaches to have to game plan against, and it is exactly why she was given the defensive honor. One of the best parts of Hidalgo winning this award is that she is the shortest player to ever win it.

While this honor is amazing and Hidalgo was gracious in accepting it, Notre Dame fans know she deserved so much more. The Naismith Player of the Year Award was given to UConn's Sarah Strong, and while Strong had a great season, it is disappointing that Hidalgo didn't receive the award.

Hannah Hidalgo did everything to deserve Naismith Player of the Year and was rewarded for it

Sarah Strong is on a UConn team that is heading to the Final Four yet again after beating Hidalgo and Notre Dame in the Elite Eight. Strong is a great basketball star and certainly deserves accolades, but when comparing the stats, it seems silly that she won the POY award over Hidalgo.

Looking at points alone, Hidalgo averaged 25.3 points per game while Strong averaged just 18.6 points per game. Strong got Hidalgo on rebounds as she averaged 7.6 per game, but being a point guard and still averaging 6.9 a game is very impressive. Of course, Hidalgo wins out on the steals category as Hidalgo averaged 6.5 per game and Strong averaged just 3.4 per game.

It feels like Hidalgo was totally snubbed based on his play this season for the POY award. In no way is Strong not a fantastic player and one of the best in women's basketball, but the stats speak for themselves, and Hidalgo's are clearly better.