These 4 stars are poised for a deep NCAA tournament run

From left: JuJu Watkins, Alissa Pili, Hannah Hidalgo and Te-Hina Paopao.

Candice Ward/Getty Images, Tyler Tate/AP, Lance King/Getty Images, Eakin Howard/Getty Images

It’s been a banner year for women’s college basketball, with Caitlin Clark becoming a household name and viewership up 60% across national networks.

Now, with March Madness upon us, we’ve talked with some of the other star players poised for a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Here’s what they told us — and what you should look out for this tournament.

Hannah Hidalgo

• School/Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Position: Guard

What’s it like to have your dad be your basketball coach all through middle school and high school?

For Hannah Hidalgo, this was a good thing – even if he didn’t take it easy on her.

“I think my dad was the hardest on me for sure, because he knew what I could accomplish,” she said. “And he … kind of saw greatness in me.”

Today, Hidalgo is the top player for second-seeded Notre Dame.

The 5-foot-6-inch guard is the Division I basketball’s third-leading scorer this season, and leads all players in steals — as a freshman.

One of her inspirations is Aari McDonald, who now plays in the WNBA.

“[McDonald] was a really small guard on the women’s side,” Hidalgo said. “Seeing how small she was and how she was able to score over girls that were like six-four, six-five, and just her ability to finish and get kind of leader at team, it was just like phenomenal.”

Hidalgo has never let her height keep her down. In high school, she was the New…