Paul VI star Hannah Hidalgo is showcasing her skills for USA Basketball on an international stage

In a regular summer, Hannah Hidalgo would be preparing for a summer on the Nike EYBL circuit with her Philly Rise AAU program. Instead, she’s taking her first trip out of the country and representing the United States at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.

The significance of the opportunity has not been lost on the native of Merchantville, Camden County.

“It’s honestly just a privilege to be here,” Hidalgo said. “Being one of the 12 out of all the girls in the country, it’s just amazing being here and playing with all these girls who are ranked [at the top].

“I was in awe just kind of thinking, ‘Wow, I’m doing all this work, and now I’m on the USA team playing for my country.’”

Though this is Hidalgo’s first time playing with a national team, she is no stranger to the USA Basketball scene. She had been invited to try out for the U16 team. That experience, during which she was just a 5-foot-6 eighth-grader, helped Hidalgo get used to playing with older, talented players.

Her AAU background has also given her plenty of experience playing with elite basketball talent. Last year with Philly Rise, Hidalgo played with a plethora of Division I talent, including Vanderbilt signee Ryanne Allen and University of Tennessee signee Justine Pissott.

» READ MORE: Archbishop Wood star Ryanne Allen always looks to improve as she heads to Vanderbilt

Despite being only one of two class of 2023 players on the roster, Hidalgo had no problem stepping up and running the show from the point guard spot.

“She was the leader of the show,” Philly Rise AAU 17U coach Doug West said. “She was the one who ran the offense. She was the one who was able to find the players to get them shots.”

Hidalgo carried the momentum from her breakout summer on the AAU circuit into her junior year at Paul VI. Hidalgo spent the year playing under her father, Orlando, who took over the head coaching spot after former coach Lisa Steele took a position as an assistant athletic director at Highland Regional High School.

Orlando, whose previous coaching stops included time with AAU programs like Team Final and a head coaching stint at Life Center Academy, had coached Hannah informally throughout her life. The pair share a level of trust on and off the floor. That trust proved critical ahead of last season, when Orlando informed his daughter that he thought the team would be better with her in an off-ball role.

Hannah, who by that time had established herself as a top point guard recruit nationally, did not question the decision. Instead, she embraced her new role as an off-ball scorer. Orlando’s experiment worked, and Paul VI reached the 2022 NJSIAA Tournament Non-Public A title game.

Hidalgo also put up the best numbers of her high school career, averaging 21.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. She also continued to excel on the defensive end, averaging 5.4 steals per game.

Hidalgo’s switch to an off-ball role didn’t just help her high school team to a successful season but also demonstrated a versatility in her game.

“She had one of her best years playing off the ball,” Orlando said. “She showed many people that she doesn’t have to have the ball in her hands all the time [and that] she can play off the ball, which actually opened her recruiting even more because now college coaches can see that she can play more than one position.”

That season helped Hidalgo to her current spot as the No. 5 player in the class of 2023 according to ESPNW’s rankings. The five-star recruit has offers from nearly every Division I powerhouse, including Maryland and Notre Dame.

Hidalgo has not decided where she’ll be playing college basketball, though she hinted that she’ll be cutting down her list soon.

For now, however, Hidalgo’s focus is on the opportunity in front of her. She knows how special her USA Basketball experience is.

“It’s my first time traveling outside the country, so I’m excited to see new culture and just bond with my teammates and stuff like that,” said Hidalgo, who competed with the U17 team in friendly games in Salamanca, Spain, before they open play in Hungary starting Saturday through July 17.

“Meeting all these new people and seeing each other’s personalities, I’m excited.”

There was one major theme that U17 coach Sue Phillips kept emphasizing during the six-day trials for the team.

Phillips, the longtime girls’ basketball coach at Archbishop Mitty High School in California, is no stranger to USA Basketball. Coaching at the World Cup will mark her fifth experience with the organization. That experience means Phillips knows exactly what it takes to create a winning roster.

“We’re sharing the basketball, we’re elevating the play of each other, we’re celebrating the successes of each other, and we’re looking for the best shot for Team USA,” Phillips said.

Phillips wasn’t responsible for deciding who makes the cut following the trials in Colorado Springs, Colo. That decision is made by the USA Basketball Development National Team Committee. But during the trials, Phillips still makes sure everyone understands the hallmarks of the team.

The national team experience “is who can play together on a team,” said trials assistant coach Bobbi Morgan, the women’s basketball coach at Ursinus College. “Sue Phillips said that right from the beginning. We have to find people who can play together because the chemistry is such an integral part of it.”

Over the course of the six-day trials, Hidalgo continued to showcase her ability to develop on-court chemistry with others. It wasn’t that she was just making plays, it was that she was also showcasing a selfless style of play that Phillips knew would be an asset for the U17 team.

“She’s an incredible playmaking point guard and has the ability to score at all three levels and create for other teammates and [still] make her impact defensively,” Phillips said. “She can impact the game a variety of different ways, and the ball doesn’t always have to be in her hand too. She lives off the ball well and moves off the ball well.”