Art of the Steal: Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo leads the way in NCAA steals

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A fast shuffle of feet, a quick stab at the ball and an open lane to the basket — Notre Dame freshman Hannah Hidalgo loves everything about stealing the basketball.

“I think the whole sequence of picking somebody’s pocket is definitely my favorite,” Hidalgo told The Associated Press by phone.

No one in the game picks pockets on the court better this season than the 5-foot-6 Hidalgo, who leads the nation with 74 steals through 13 games. She is back at it Thursday night when the No. 18 Fighting Irish face Boston College.

“Anticipating, making a move like a crossover, just having my hand ready to deflect it, then going on the fast breaking and bringing that energy from my defense,” Hidalgo said.

It’s a sentiment shared by some of the best to ever do it.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was the NCAA’s career steals leader with 454 after four seasons at Virginia from 1989-92.

Staley grew up in Philadelphia and if she wanted to get her hands on the ball in pickup games she played with guys, she had to take it away herself.

That continued in college as the Cavaliers reached three Final Fours, all with the determined lead guard the focal point of the team’s defense.

“You watch a lot of film, you can see in their eyes, whether they’re going to cross the ball over or they’re going to fold a little bit, you anticipate that part,” Staley said.

Hidalgo, too, sharpened her stealing skills while scrimmaging against boys when growing up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and starring at Paul VI High.

Fighting Irish coach Niele Ivey saw Hidalgo’s commitment to defense right away during the recruiting process and said it stood out in an age when some prospects focus on acrobatic driving layups or long, logo 3-pointers.

“It’s different and she changes the game with it,” Ivey said. “We haven’t had that in a very long time.”

Sometimes, it takes a while for a player’s defensive knack to emerge. East Carolina guard Danae McNeal is tied for fourth in the country with 52 steals. She was a reserve her first two seasons at Clemson, with just 15 steals in 33 games.

After transfering to the Pirates, McNeal learned how to better attack the ball, and last year she was named the American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year with 97 steals.

McNeal was known as a scorer at Swansea High in South Carolina and had to adjust to ECU coach Kim McNeill’s defensive emphasis.

It was a struggle, McNeal acknowledged.

“But we continued to build that mindset on the defensive end and I know when I get that two or three steals, it gets my game going and that’s when we start to wreak havoc,” she said.

Chastadie Barrs, now an assistant coach at the College of Charleston, turned havoc into her mission as the NCAA’s career (649) and single-season (193 in 2019) leader in steals while at Lamar from 2016-19.

She took pride in her defense — “I was a defensive connoisseur,” Barrs said by phone — and steadily became the best ever at stealing the ball.

“I enjoyed that aspect of the game because you could control it, if you’re willing to do it,” Barrs said. “Once I became known for steals, I kind of hung my hat on that and went into every game trying to get a certain amount.”

Elisa Mevius of Siena is third in the NCAA this season with more than four steals a game. She led the Saints as a freshman with 71 a year ago and tops the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this year with 49.

She’s known around campus for the “Mevius Miracle,” a shot from beyond half court that beat Niagara last February. But she’s just as proud of her game-high four steals in that contest.

Mevius learned the game in her native Germany and has played on several of its national youth teams, showcasing her defensive ability. “I’ve always had quick hands,” she said.

Hidalgo, Notre Dame’s star, has the perfect blend of anticipation, footwork and active hands, enough that she sees the worry of opponents before the inbounds and knows she already has the edge.

“One game,” Hidalgo said, “the girl was like, ‘No, I’m not bringing the ball up if she’s guarding me.’”