Nicole Cardaño-Hillary

Year:
Senior
Hometown:
Madrid, Spain
Position:
Guard
Height:
5-6

Pronuncation: Car-DAWN-yo

HONORS
AT INDIANA
All-Big Ten Second Team (coaches) and Honorable Mention (media)
All-Big Ten Defensive team (2021-22)
Big Ten All-Tournament team (2022)
Academic All-Big Ten (2021-22)
Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list (2021)

AT GEORGE MASON
Atlantic 10 Player of the Year (2018-19)
Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team (2019-20)
VaSID Second Team (2019-20)
Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference First Team (2019-20)
VaSID First Team (2018-19)
Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team (2018-19)
3-Time Atlantic 10 Player of the Week (2018-19)
Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference First Team (2018-19)
Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year (2017-18)
Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team (2017-18)
Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team (2017-18)
Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team (2017-18)
VaSID Rookie of the Year (2017-18)
VaSID Second Team (2017-18)

CAREER
Recorded 2,343 career points in three seasons at George Mason and two at Indiana … hit 232 total 3-pointers … finished with a 72.7 percent clip at the free throw line … tallied up 319 career steals including 72 in her final season at IU, which ranks ninth all-time … shot 36.5 percent from the floor and averaged 15.6 points per game through her five-year career.

SENIOR YEAR (2021-22)
Started in 32 games … averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a team-high 2.3 steals per game … finished second in the Big Ten in steals … her 72 total steals ranks ninth in a single season … scored in double figures 21 times … had multiple steals in 21 games … recorded 27 games with three or more rebounds … shot 40.7 percent from the floor and hit a team-high 36 3-pointers … posted one double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds vs. Ohio State in Big Ten Tournament) … played 33.9 minutes per outing … averaged set an IU record 29 points on 11-for-12 shooting and 7-for-8 from the arc with six rebounds and five assists in the season opener against Butler … followed it up by notching 12 points, seven assists, and two steals in a win against No. 13/13 Kentucky … added 18 points, eight rebounds and three steals against No. 5/7 Stanford … hit three 3-pointers in the Big Ten opener against Penn State for 14 points, seven rebounds, five steals and five assists … her 17 point, seven rebound, four assist effort helped IU to a win at No. 20/21 Ohio State … capped off non-conference play against SIU with 11 points and four rebounds … started a five-game double figure scoring streak with 11 points in the win at Wisconsin … dropped 16 points and a career-high eight steals against No. 6/7 Michigan … her eight steals ranks tie for fourth all-time in a single game … tallied 19 points and seven rebounds in a win over Purdue … hit three 3-pointers against Michigan State … went 6-for-10 from the floor in a victory over Northwestern including three triples, four rebounds and three assists … in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal against top-seed Ohio State, led Indiana in scoring with 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a steal … scored 19 points and seven rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament championship game against Iowa … dished out five assists along with 11 points in the NCAA First Round against Charlotte … scored 12 points and four assists against Princeton in the NCAA Second Round … finished her collegiate career in the Sweet Sixteen against UConn where she had nine point and three steals.

REDSHIRT JUNIOR YEAR (2020-21)
Played in 24 games, making 17 starts … averaged 8.5 points 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game … picked up multiple steals in nine games and had 1.3 steals per game (31 total) … scored points in 26 games, including nine games scoring ten points or more … … had multiple assists in 14 games … became eligible on Dec. 16, 2020 … scored in double figures for the first time with 14 points and four rebounds in a win over Illinois … scored a season-high 17 points on 3-for-6 from the 3-point line in the win at Iowa … added 11 points in the second meeting against the Illini … scored in double figures four consecutive games from Feb. 24-Mar. 6 … pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds at Ohio State to go along with 16 points for her first double-double at IU … passed around six assists in the Barn Burner Trophy win over Purdue … scored in double figures in two NCAA Tournament games including 10 points against Belmont and a tournament-high 14 points against NC State … picked a season-high four steals against the Wolfpack in the Sweet Sixteen.

JUNIOR YEAR (2019-20)
Played in and started all 30 games… Became Mason’s all-time leading scorer in season finale at Saint Louis (March 3), finishing her career for the Green & Gold with 1,766 career points… Named Atlantic 10 Second Team All-Conference… Scored in double figures in 27-of-30 games, and 20+ points 11 times… Named A-10 Player of the Week on Nov. 25… Scored a career-high 41 points (13-26 FG, 13-14 FT) – 10th most in 2019-20 – in Mason’s first-ever win over Penn State (Nov. 24)… Recorded a game-high 25 points at SMU (Dec. 31), scoring seven points in the final two minutes as Mason overcame an eight-point deficit… Posted first career double-double (16 pts/10 rebs) at Rhode Island on Feb. 1… Finished junior season with three double-doubles… Surpassed 1,500 career points with 22 points vs. Davidson (Jan. 15)… Averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.

SOPHOMORE YEAR (2018-19)
Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year... Selected to VaSID's First Team... Named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week on three occasions... Selected for Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team and Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference First Team... Started all 30 games... Had a .369 field goal percentage and a .750 free throw percentage on the season... Averaged 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 20.4 points per game... 21st in the country for points per game... Scored at least ten points in every game... Posted 26 points (10-16 FG) to open the season against Loyola on Nov. 6... Tallied 25 points (7-16 FG), three steals, and six assists at Air Force on Nov. 9... Contributed 20 points, four steals, and five rebounds at American on Nov. 14... Notched 24 points, seven rebounds, and three steals against Colgate on Nov. 18... Had season-high five steals against Delaware on Dec. 6... Recorded 33 points (12-21 FG, 8-8 FT) at Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 9... Dropped 27 points and dished out five assists against St. Bonaventure on Jan. 10... Added 32 points (8-18 FG, 15-17 FT) against Rhode Island on Jan. 27... Posted 29 points and three steals at Saint Louis on Jan. 31... Registered career-high 37 points (14-23 FG) and career-high nine rebounds against George Washington on Feb. 6... Contributed 16 points, season-high seven assists, and eight rebounds at Richmond on Feb. 21... Tallied 30 points, season-high one block, and eight rebounds at La Salle on Mar. 2... Scored 21 points and tied career-high nine rebounds against Massachusetts on Mar. 5.

FRESHMAN YEAR (2017-18)
Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year... Named VaSID Rookie of the Year... Named to Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team... Named to Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team... Named to Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team... Played and started 34 games... Set Mason single-season freshman scoring record with 605 points, which ranks fourth all-time in program history.... Ranked third in Atlantic 10 in scoring (17.8 ppg)... Averaged 32.7 minutes a game... A-10 Rookie of the Week six times (11/27, 12/11, 1/2, 1/15, 2/26)... Scored in double figures in 33 of 34 games...First in A-10 in steals (84)...Posted 22 points (5-15 FG, 5-10 3pt FG) in her Mason debut at #24 Michigan on Nov. 10...Game high in points in points with 23 (6-21 FG, 8-9 FT) at Loyola (MD) on Nov. 17...Recorded 25 points (7-14 FG, 3-7 3pt FG) to go along with four assists and two steals vs. Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 29...26 points at GW (1/7/18) most by a Mason freshman since Nov. 24, 2001...Tallied 22 points, seven steals, and seven assists at Rhode Island on Jan. 14...Had 25 points, four assists and seven rebounds at Duquesne on Jan. 21...16 points and four assists vs. Saint Louis on Jan. 24...Tallied 13 points, five steals, and five rebounds at St. Bonaventure on Jan. 31...15 points and three assists vs. George Washington on Feb. 7...Registered 19 points (4-8 3pt FG) and 4 steals vs. UMass on Feb. 11...Posted 19 points, three steals, and six rebounds at VCU on Feb. 15...Tallied 19 points, four assists, and three steals vs. St. Bonaventure on Feb. 18...Recorded 24 points and six assists at Dayton on Feb. 21...Registered 19 points, four steals, five assists and six rebounds vs. La Salle on Feb. 24...Tallied 18 points in first round of Atlantic 10 Tournament vs. St. Bonaventure on Feb. 27.

PREP
Named McDonald's High School All-American Nominee... Four-year letterwinner for coach Keith Allen at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, Texas... Named Centex Player of the Year... District MVP... First Team All-District... Helped lead Vista Ridge to the Texas state basketball tournament twice... As a junior, she averaged nearly 12 points, more than three rebounds and three assists a game as the Rangers rolled to a 35-4 record... Played AAU ball for TeamXpress.

PERSONAL
Daughter of Mario and Erin... Has one sister, Erica ... Spanish is her first language as she grew up and lived in Spain until she was 12 before moving to Georgetown, Texas … major is sports media.

Career-Highs

Points	41, at Penn State (11/24/19)*
Rebounds	11, 2x, last vs. Ohio State (3/5/22)
Assists	8, at Navy (12/19/19)*
Steals	8, at Michigan (1/31/22)
Blocks	2, vs. Iowa (3/6/22)
FG Made	14, vs. George Washington (2/6/19)*
FG Attempts	35, at UMass (3/5/19)*
3FG Made	7, at Butler (11/10/21)
3FG Attempts	14, at Loyola (11/14/17)*
FT Made	15, vs. Rhode Island (1/27/19)*
FT Attempts	17, vs. LIU Brooklyn (12/7/17)*