Wildcats Make First Final Four

The Arizona Wildcats Women’s Basketball team punched its ticket to the Final Four Monday night in a historic win over Indiana.

First Final Four for Arizona

The Wildcats are advancing to the Final Four for the first time in the team’s history. Last appearing in the tournament in 2005, the Wildcats have had trouble reaching the tournament in the past decade and a half.

On the back of senior guard Aari McDonald, the Wildcats were able to shut down the Hoosiers 66-53 .

McDonald, Wildcats Go Huge

Playing 38 of 40 minutes, McDonald was crucial helping the Wildcats past the Hoosiers. McDonald shot 60 percent from the field and accounted for half of the Wildcat’s points, scoring 33.

McDonald also lead the game in rebounds, with 11.

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Senior forward Trinity Baptiste also shined for Arizona. Additionally, she accounted for 12 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks.

Hoosiers Can’t Hang On

Indiana was unable to stay with the Cats, shooting 20-55 from the field. Furthermore, the Hoosiers couldn’t connect from beyond the arc, missing all nine three-point attempts.

Sophomore Mackenzie Holmes lead the Hoosiers with 20 points in her 36 minutes on the court.

Barnes Advances with Alma Mater

With Arizona’s win, head coach Adia Barnes made program history – again. After the victory over Indiana, Barnes is only the second former WNBA player to coach a team to the Final Four of the Women’s tournament.

One badass mom. pic.twitter.com/fBXrF9Ku8m

— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) March 30, 2021

Barnes is no stranger to historic seasons. In addition, she is already third in wins for the program’s history and is the fastest Arizona coach to reach 75 wins.

What Lies Ahead

The next opponent the Wildcats face is top seeded UConn. On the other side of the bracket, the winner of Stanford and Louisville will play the winner of South Carolina and Texas.

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