Notre Dame's women's basketball team has been named the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), receiving 70 of 79 first-place votes. Sophomore Hannah Hidalgo, who averaged 22.6 points last season and is the reigning Preseason ACC Player of the Year, leads the Irish alongside returning guard Olivia Miles, who missed the previous season due to injury. The Irish also boast three players on the Preseason All-ACC Team and two on the Newcomer Watch List, including five-star recruit Kate Koval. N.C. State follows in second place with eight first-place votes after their recent Final Four run, while Duke, Louisville, Florida State, and North Carolina round out the top six. The team's first exhibition is scheduled for October 30, with the regular season starting November 4 against Mercyhurst. Coach Niele Ivey aims to build on last season's success, having won her first ACC Tournament title.