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Arizona Women’s Basketball: Wildcats having a record setting season

By David Rosen

TUCSON, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Arizona Wildcats mascot Wilbur the Wildcat dances during the first half of the college basketball game against the Pacific Tigers at McKale Center on November 13, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - NOVEMBER 13: Arizona Wildcats mascot Wilbur the Wildcat dances during the first half of the college basketball game against the Pacific Tigers at McKale Center on November 13, 2015 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) /
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The Arizona Women’s Basketball team is having a record-setting season and they aren’t done yet.

The hire of Adia Barnes as head coach for the Arizona Women’s Basketball program is turning out to be one of the best hires Arizona Athletics has made. What she has done since she came to Tucson back in 2016 has been remarkable, to say the least. Scary to think how good this program can be in the next couple of years.

The Wildcats currently have an overall record of 20-4 and 9-4 in the Pac-12. To have a record like that is probably the toughest conference in the country, says a lot about the culture and legacy that Barnes is building at Arizona. Bang that drum!

After her team won the WNIT in front of a sold-out McKale Center, every game this season the attendance has been averaging around 5,000 (some games even more). The way the Wildcats are playing right now, they are projected to have a good chance of hosting the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament, wow! Expect those games to sell out.

Arizona Wildcats Basketball
Arizona Wildcats Basketball /

Arizona Wildcats Basketball

The turnaround this program has had in just four seasons is amazing. From going 14-16 and not making the post-season to winning the WNIT and now a chance for the No.12 team to make some legit noise in the NCAA Tournament. This team isn’t done yet though this season.

They have five games remaining, including a chance to beat to another top team this season, No. 8 Stanford at home. The Wildcats already beat two top 10 teams, Oregon State (on the road in overtime) and UCLA at home. This team has a legit chance of winning 25 games in the regular season. Simply amazing!

This season, this team has set many records:

  • The first road win ever over a Top 10 team
  • Highest ranking at No.12 since Adia Barnes’s senior year at Arizona during the 1997-98 season
  • The first time they beat two top-10 teams in one season since 2002-03
  • Most regular-season wins since 2010-11

Individual accomplishments this season:

  • Aari McDonald scored a school-record 44 points against Texas on the road
  • McDonald received Naismith Trophy Player of the Week, Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalist (giving to the best shooting guard in the country and named to the Wooden Award Top 10 watch list

    • Sam Thomas

    recorded six blocks and four steals in one game,

    first player in school history

    to accomplish that

    Wildcats Basketball. light. More

    At Zona Zealots, we are extremely proud of what Arizona Women’s Basketball has accomplished this season under Adia Barnes. We have a feeling this is just the beginning of something really special for this program. Seasons like these are what attracts top players to come to play for Arizona, including five-star post player Lauren Ware, coming next season to Tucson. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!

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