Editor’s note: This is the first in a five-part series previewing the top five girls basketball players in the Class of 2023. The series counts down to No. 1 and aligns with the start of the 2022-23 high school season. Click here to see the latest rankings from the Class of 2023. Counting down: No. 5 Hannah Hidalgo | No. 4 Aalyah Del Rosario | No. 3 Jadyn Donovan | No. 2 Juju Watkins | No. 1 Mikaylah Williams.

Hannah Hidalgo is one of the most focused players in the nation.

At just 5-foot-7, the point guard has relied on her grit, tenacity and experience to develop into a unique leader for the Paul VI girls’ basketball team.

The senior from Merchantville, N.J. has averaged 21.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 5.4 steals per game over the course of her high school career, including three years as a varsity starter. Following her junior season, Hidalgo was named both the Courier Post South Jersey Player of the Year and the Olympic Conference Player of the Year.

After a loss in the 2022 South Jersey Non-Public A title game, Hidalgo and her teammates have high expectations for the season ahead.

“I’m locked in because of last season,” Hidalgo said. “We’re trying to win a state championship, so I’m locked in, my teammates are locked in. And I’m just excited for what’s to come.”

Coach’s analysis

At Paul VI, Hidalgo is coached by her father, Orlando, who’s seen a tremendous amount of growth in his daughter both on and off the court.

“Hannah brings so much to the game, so much to the team,” Orlando said. “Her freshman year, she wasn’t as vocal. But she knew that she had to be a team leader later on, and the past few years she’s been the team captain.”

The Paul VI star has transformed from a quiet freshman to a senior who can command the room. She’s the first person in the gym, leading everybody through stretches and starting running drills with her team before the coaching staff even steps foot in the gym.

“The team understands how competitive she is and that she’s not going to say something that she’s not going to do,” Orlando said. “Her leadership, her competitiveness brings the best out of all the players. And that’s pretty special for me, as a dad and a coach, to see her lead the team. She’s taken to leadership very well, and we’re proud of her.”

While Hidalgo’s character development has helped set her apart, she has also refined her skills on the court. Since her freshman season in 2019, Paul VI has gone 61-9.

“She’s a player that works out every time after practice,” Orlando said. “After practice, she stays for about a half hour or so and works on her shooting or her handling. Her first two years, that’s something she didn’t do. She wants to be great, so she spends extra time doing the little things.”

Hidalgo also sets an example in the classroom, taking pride in her schoolwork as an honor roll student.

Catching up

Hidalgo has had quite the summer, loading up on opportunities to face top competition around the world. One of those opportunities took her to Debrecen, Hungary, where she played with the United States U17 national team. Hidalgo and her U.S. teammates dominated the international competition, going on an undefeated run to win gold.

Hidalgo averaged 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 steals across seven games.

“It was a great experience playing with the best girls in the country,” she said. “I really built good connections. They pushed you, and everyone got better.”

She then took her skills to the Under Armour Next Elite 24 game and the SLAM Summer Classic.

Hannah Hidalgo was showtime in the UA Next Elite 24! @HannahHidalgo @UANextGHoops pic.twitter.com/DdclGlFdSE

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) August 13, 2022

Hidalgo also recently signed a one-year deal with sports agency Seven1 to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities. She has yet to make a college decision, but in early August, she announced on Instagram that she had narrowed her choices down to six: UCF, Duke, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Stanford.

Caroline Makauskas is a contributing writer for Just Women’s Sports. She also covers a variety of sports on her TikTok @cmakauskas. Follow her on Twitter @cmakauskas.

The 2025 NWSL Championship claimed a major viewership milestone on Saturday, as Gotham FC's 1-0 title win over the Washington Spirit became the first-ever league match to record an average of more than one million viewers.

The CBS evening broadcast averaged an impressive 1.184 million fans and peaked at 1.55 million viewers, making it the most-watched NWSL match of all time.

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The 2025 final marked a 22% viewership increase over the 967,900 fans who watched 2024's Orlando Pride victory — the previous NWSL viewership record-holder — and a 45% ratings gain over Gotham's 2023 championship win, which averaged 816,800 viewers.

Saturday's gains both matched the 22% viewership increase the NWSL regular season saw this year and also far exceeded the 2025 postseason's pre-final year-over-year increase of 5%.

Calling the one-million viewer mark "an extraordinary achievement" in Tuesday's league statement, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman also noted that the "record-setting audience demonstrates the deepening connection fans have with our players, our clubs, and the world-class competition on the field, and it underscores the growing demand for women's soccer on the biggest stages."

"We're incredibly proud of what this moment represents for the NWSL and for everyone who continues to invest in and believe in the future of our game," Berman added.

Incoming offseason league Project B scored more major WNBA signings this week, as the upstart venture continues stacking its roster ahead of a planned November 2026 launch.

Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have both publicly signed on with Project B, joining already announced talent like Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones, and Las Vegas Aces guard Jewell Loyd.

Also inking deals to join the inaugural season of Project B are Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün, and Li Meng, a former Washington Mystics guard and current player in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.

The multi-continent, Formula One-style traveling tournament circuit will ultimately sign 66 international stars, as Project B looks to field six 11-player teams in its debut 2026/2027 campaign.

Project B player signings will undoubtedly impact other offseason leagues like Unrivaled and Athletes Unlimited, but the new venture is also looming large over the ongoing WNBA CBA talks.

With negotiations racing toward this Sunday's extended deadline, Project B is putting WNBA compensation offerings under increased pressure, as the new league is reportedly anteing up multimillion-dollar salaries to its signees — far exceeding the 2025 WNBA maximum as well as the $1.1 million-max currently on the negotiating table.

World No. 1 Spain will take aim at a second-straight UEFA Nations League title this week, as La Roja take on No. 5 Germany in the first leg of the 2025 tournament's final at 2:30 PM ET on Friday.

The defending Nations League champions booked their spot in the 2025 final by dismantling No. 3 Sweden 5-0 on aggregate in the semifinal round, while Germany advanced after a tense 3-2 aggregate win over No. 6 France.

Germany must also contend with availability issues during Friday's match, as 28-year-old Bayern Munich forward and senior national team leading scorer Lea Schüller will be out due to family reasons.

To overcome that disadvantage, German head coach Christian Wück is reinforcing the team's back line, adding Athletic Bilbao defender Bibi Schulze Solano to the roster on Wednesday.

Also aiming to shut down Spain's offensive firepower on Friday is new NWSL champion goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, who joined her German compatriots late following Gotham FC's title celebrations in New York this week.

While Spain and Germany will contend for the 2025 Nations League trophy this week, the pair — along with ousted semifinalists Sweden and France — have already booked spots in the top group of teams battling for tickets to the 2027 World Cup, with UEFA qualifying set to begin in 2026.

A full 19 months removed from their back-to-back Final Four runs, No. 11 Iowa basketball refuses to go away, with the Hawkeyes already notching one Top-25 win in the young 2025/26 NCAA campaign so far.

The still-unbeaten Hawkeyes took down No. 15 Baylor 57-52 last Thursday, with Iowa starting post players Hannah Stuelke and Ava Heiden combining for 28 points while guard Taylor Stremlow added another 12 off the bench in the marquee win.

"We have nice pieces," said Iowa head coach Jan Jensen this week. "But it's knowing when to play which pieces and with whom, and we're six games in."

The Hawkeyes have been finding their new identity under Jensen after a transformative period saw Iowa's longtime head coach Lisa Bluder retire while superstar guard Caitlin Clark joined the WNBA.

"Jan's been amazing," Stuelke told JWS at the Big Ten Media Day in October. "She stepped up like she needed to, and she's been growing every day since she's been the head coach, which it's really cool to see she cares. And it's a great environment for all of us."

"I have a year under my belt," Jensen echoed. "I know what this chair feels like now, and I have a little better of understanding of what that first road trip feels like, what that first big win feels like, or the tough loss feels like."

Iowa's season heats up with a ranked rivalry matchup against No. 10 Iowa State on Wednesday, December 10th.

The state rivals will tip off at 7 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ESPN.