BLOOMINGTON, Indiana – Former Indiana women’s basketball guard Nicole Cardaño-Hillary has signed a professional contract with IDK Euskotren in her native Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, the league announced Tuesday.
In his 2021-22 senior season in Indiana, Cardaño-Hillary averaged 11.6 points per game and hit another three points on last year’s team, with 129 making 35.7% of those shots.
Known by opponents as the mosquito that was always around, Cardaño-Hillary totaled 72 steals, the ninth all-time for Indiana and second in the Big Ten conference.
She helped lead the Hoosiers to two NCAA Tournament appearances and was part of the All-American Big Ten Second Team, All-Big Ten Defensive Team and was awarded Big Ten All-Tournament honors in her final season.
Prior to her Indiana career, the Madrid, Spain native moved from her home country to Georgetown, Texas, where she played high school basketball and went on to play for George Mason for three seasons.
She became the Patriot’s all-time leading scorer, ending her George Mason career with 1,766 career points.
While at Indiana, Cardaño-Hillary started 49 of 56 games and scored 577 points for the Hoosiers in just two seasons.
She totaled 103 steals and 147 assists, proving to be a force in defense but also an offensive weapon.
Cardaño-Hillary joins fellow Hoosier Aleksa Gulbe as the second student to sign a professional contract this offseason. Gulbe will play for Perfumerías Avendia in Salamanca, Spain, about a five-hour drive from Cardaño-Hillary’s new team.
Nicole Cardano-Hillary
March 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; NC State Wolfpack point guard Kai Crutchfield (3) dribbles Indiana Hoosiers point guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
March 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Grace Berger (34) celebrates with guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) after a play during the second quarter against NC State Wolfpack in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
March 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) celebrates against NC State Wolfpack in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
March 27, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Indiana Hoosiers point guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (middle) is drenched by her teammates as they celebrate the NC State Wolfpack’s defeat in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2021 NCAA Women’s Tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Hoosiers guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4), Friday, March 4, 2022, during action at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indiana won 62-51. © Robert Scheer / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
March 5, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) scores a three-pointer during the Big Ten conference tournament semifinal game between Ohio State and Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4), of Indiana, pilots Kaitlyn Chen (20) of Priceton during the first half of the NCAA Women’s Second Round Game against Princeton at the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday, March 21, 2022.
Mackenzie Holmes (54) and Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) of Indiana defend Octavia Jett-Wilson (13) of Charlotte during the second half of the Indiana vs Charlotte first-round women’s NCAA game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, 19 March 2022. © Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
March 26, 2022; Bridgeport, CT, USA; UConn Huskies Squad Paige Bueckers (5) and Indiana Hoosiers Squad Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) work for the ball during the first half in the Bridgeport Regional Semifinals of the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Tournament at Webster Bank Arena . Mandatory credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Hoosiers point guard Nicole Cardano-Hillary (4) points to a teammate on Thursday, March. 3, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indiana Hoosiers leads at halftime against Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 32-26. © Grace Hollars / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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- ALEKSA GULBE GOES TO: Former Indiana women’s basketball student and Riga, Latvian native Aleksa Gulbe has signed a professional contract with Perfumerías Avendia Salamanca in Spain for the upcoming season. CLICK HERE.
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