Ivet Hidalgo

Little Guard, Big Heart: The Earned Joy of Ivet Hidalgo

She grew up with a ball in her hands, found family in the game, and built a career on energy, empathy, and doing everything like it’s the last time she’ll ever do it.

For Ivet Hidalgo, basketball isn’t something she found — it’s something that’s always been there. Her dad introduced her to the game before she could even tie her shoes. “I always had a ball in my hands,” she says. “Since I was three.” But it wasn’t until she hit age ten that the spark caught fire. “It was the adrenaline,” she says. “The competitiveness — that’s what hooked me.”

What started as family time became identity. The game gave her more than highlights — it gave her a second family. “Basketball’s blessed me with so many friendships,” she says. “Real ones — people I can call family.”

The moment that still makes her smile came last year, in the semi-final against TKU. “New team, new coaching staff, new philosophies — everything was fresh,” she says. “And we hadn’t had the best playoff luck in the past.” When the final buzzer went off, everything she’d worked for came crashing in. “I looked around at all the teammates who’d been here since Day 1,” she says, “and it was like — we finally did it.”

That’s how Ivet plays — with perspective. “You’re not going to live this day ever again,” she says. “So do what you love. Do it like it’s the last time.” Her goal this year? The same as every competitor in the locker room: the championship chip. Long term, she’s got her eyes set on becoming a registered nurse — maybe even playing overseas before she hangs them up. “Success isn’t given,” she says. “It’s earned — through all the things people don’t see.”

Her drive doesn’t end when she leaves the gym. Off the court, she’s found another creative outlet: cooking and baking. “I love trying new recipes,” she says. “It’s just peaceful.” Her way to stay grounded is even simpler — a meal with family or teammates, catching up, laughing, just being present. “It’s the little things,” she says. “That’s what keeps me balanced.”

Ask her teammates, and they’ll tell you her most underrated skill has nothing to do with points or assists — it’s her selflessness. “I put others before myself,” she says. “But I also know when to stand on my business.”

Her advice to her younger self?

“It’s okay not to be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes — that’s how you learn.”

And when she thinks about how she wants to be remembered, she grins — that classic mix of humor and humility.

“As the little but big-hearted, goofy-but-all-business point guard. And a good friend.”

That’s Ivet Hidalgo — equal parts spark plug and soul. The kind of player who lifts everyone around her, then cracks a joke right after. Tough. Joyful. Centered. And maybe the best embodiment of what it means to play like every moment matters — because for her, it always has.