Zona Zealots
Fansided

Arizona Basketball: Aari McDonald earns 2020 Naismith Shooting Award

By Shereen Rayan

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Aarion McDonald #2 of the Arizona Wildcats sets up a play against the Oregon Ducks during the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament semifinals at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on March 7, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Ducks defeated the Wildcats 88-70. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Aarion McDonald #2 of the Arizona Wildcats sets up a play against the Oregon Ducks during the Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament semifinals at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on March 7, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Ducks defeated the Wildcats 88-70. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Arizona Basketball star Aari McDonald is one of the top scorers in the nation according to Ann Meyers who announced the award from the HoopHall Twitter account today.

On April 6th, 2019, McKale Center was packed but it wasn’t for the men’s team, it was to watch the women’s team win the NIT Championship. That was only the start of things to come. Head Coach Adia Barnes and her star point guard Aari McDonald put the Wildcats back on the NCAA Women’s Basketball map!

Can’t believe that was already a year ago! In 2019-20, the fans came back and the team didn’t disappoint.

Arizona Wildcats
Arizona Wildcats /

Arizona Wildcats

I had the pleasure to hang with Aari at the Pac-12 Media Day last year before the start of the season. There is no denying her skills, but when you meet her, you are doubly impressed with her intellect and positive personality.

The Wildcats were on a great run this season and were almost guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Tournament. But COVID19 cut that short.

Even so, it has been fun watching the team make it to the Pac-12 Championship semi-finals and Aari get engaged right after the game. Although the Cats lost to the Oregon Ducks, and arguably the best player in the Nation, Sabrina Ionescu, who eventually beat Stanford to cut down the nets.

The NCAA Tournament was canceled just a short time before the selection show and that was the end of that. That said, the awards started flowing in for McDonald.

It seems fitting that on the anniversary of the NIT Championship game, McDonald was awarded the best shooting guard in the nation by Ann Meyers. The shooting guard position award is named after Meyers; The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

McDonald was the first Arizona women’s basketball player to win a Naismith positional award in program history!

More from Tucson.com:

"“McDonald led the Pac-12 in scoring (20.6 points per game) and steals (2.3 steals per game) as Arizona rose to No. 12 in the country, it’s best ranking in 20 years. McDonald has scored in double figures in all 66 games in which she’s played at the UA, an active record.”“McDonald joins Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu (Nancy Lieberman Award for best point guard), Oregon’s Satou Sabaly (Cheryl Miller Award for best small forward), Oregon’s Ruthy Hebard (Katrina McClain Award for best power forward) and South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston (Lisa Leslie Award for best center).”"

McDonald has already earned the following:

  • Arizona single-season scoring record holder (890)
  • AP Honorable Mention All-American (2019)
  • WBCA Honorable Mention All-American (2019) All American (2020)
  • All-Pac-12 (2019)
  • Pac-12 All-Defense (2019)
  • Three-Time Pac-12 Player of the Week
  • Arizona Athletics Female Co-Sophomore of the Year (2019)
  • 2017 Pac-12 All-Freshman
  • Two-Time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week
  • Second-team All-American by The Associated Press and the USWBA (2020)
  • All Pac-12 Team (2020)
  • Finalist for the Wade Trophy, Honda Award and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (2020)

Next. More about Aari McDonald on Zona Zealots.... dark

Wildcats fans are so happy for Aari and especially happy that she has decided to come back for her senior season to play again and finish some business in 2021.

Home/Arizona Wildcats