Mix of veterans, newcomers lead Wildcats into first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years

Trinity Baptiste

Senior, No. 0

Position: Forward

Height: 6-0

Hometown (high school): Tampa, Florida (Hillsborough HS); transfer from Virginia Tech

2020-21 stats: Baptiste is averaging 8.3 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds in her first year since transferring from Virginia Tech.

Best game: Baptiste scored 18 points and hit five 3-pointers in the Wildcats’ Dec. 4 win over UCLA in McKale Center.

Shaina Pellington

Junior, No. 1

Position: Guard

Height: 5-8

Hometown (high school): Pickering, Ontario, Canada (Dunbarton); transfer from Oklahoma

2020-21 stats: Pellington is averaging 5.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in her first season with the Wildcats since transferring from Oklahoma.

Best game: Pellington scored 16 points in 16 minutes in the Wildcats’ Dec. 23 win over Idaho at McKale Center.

Aari McDonald

Senior, No. 2

Position: Guard

Height: 5-5

Hometown (high school): Fresno, California (Brookside Christian); transfer from Washington

2020-21 stats: The Pac-12 Player of the Year has been Arizona’s primary scorer, averaging 19.3 points per game while taking an incredible 145 shots this season — no other player on the UA roster has more than 90. McDonald also averages 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 steals per game while continuing her reputation as one of the most tenacious defenders in the West.

Best game: McDonald scored 30 points and added four rebounds and two assists in Arizona’s Dec. 6 win over USC in McKale Center.

Tara Manumaleuga

Sophomore, No. 3

Position: Guard

Height: 5-10

Hometown (high school): Queensland, Australia (Hillcrest Christian College)

2020-21 stats: Manumaleuga is averaging 1.3 points per game coming off the bench.

Best game: Manumaleuga scored nine points — all of them coming on 3-pointers — in the Wildcats’ Dec. 23 win over Idaho in McKale Center.

Madison Conner

Freshman, No. 4

Height: 5-11

Hometown (high school): Chandler (AZ Compass Prep)

2020-21 stats: Conner is averaging 0.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per game since arriving on campus in January after graduating from high school early. .

Best game: Conner scored her first college basket, a 3-pointer, in a March 4 Pac-12 Tournament win over Washington State.

Derin Erdogan

Freshman, No. 10

Position: Guard

Height: 5-6

Hometown (club team): Istanbul, Turkey (Istanbul Universitesti SK)

2020-21 stats: Erdogan is averaging 1.1 points and 0.5 rebounds per game coming off the bench.

Best game: Erdogan scored four points and played 16 minutes in Arizona’s Dec. 23 win over Idaho.

Mara Mote

Sophomore, No. 11

Position: Guard

Height: 5-11

Hometown (club team): Cesis, Latvia (TTT Riga)

2021-21 stats: Mote is averaging 0.5 points and 0.2 rebounds per game coming off the bench.

Best game: Mote scored three points and played 11 minutes in Arizona’s Dec. 23 win over Idaho.

Helena Pueyo

Sophomore, No. 13

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Position: Guard

Height: 6-0

Hometown (club team): Palma de Mallorca, Spain (Segle XXI)

2020-21 stats: Pueyo is averaging 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game coming off the bench.

Best game: Pueyo scored 15 points in 30 minutes in the Wildcats’ Jan. 17 win over Oregon State in McKale Center.

Sam Thomas

Senior, No. 14

Position: Forward

Height: 6-0

Hometown (high school): Las Vegas, Nevada (Centennial)

2020-21 stats: Arizona’s most well-rounded player averages 7.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals and a little more than one block per game. She shoots 39.7% from 3-point range, tops on the team.

Best game: Thomas scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting in Arizona’s Feb. 14 win over Washington.

Marta Garcia

Freshman, No. 22

Position: Forward

Height: 6-3

Hometown (club team): Sevilla, Spain (Segle XXI)

2020-21 stats: Garcia is averaging 0.4 points and 0.8 rebounds per game coming off the bench.

Best game: Garcia hit her only shot attempt in Arizona’s Dec. 10 win over Arizona State in McKale Center.

Bendu Yeaney

Junior, No. 23

Position: Guard

Height: 5-10

Hometown (high school): Portland, Oregon (St. Mary’s Academy); transfer from Indiana

2020-21 stats: Yeaney is averaging 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in her first year at Arizona after transferring from Indiana.

Best game: Yeaney scored 14 points and played 40 minutes in Arizona’s Feb. 28 overtime loss to rival ASU in Tempe.

Cate Reese

Junior, No. 25

Position: Forward

Height: 6-2

Hometown (high school): Cypress, Texas (Cypress Woods)

2020-21 stats: The Wildcats’ second-leading scorer and primary post presence, Reese is averaging 11.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She shoots 47.9% from the field, tops among Arizona’s regulars.

Best game: Reese scored 25 points in 29 minutes and hit 11 of her 14 shots from the field in the Wildcats’ Feb. 8 win over Oregon.

Lauren Ware

Freshman, No. 32

Position: Forward

Height: 6-5

Hometown (high school): Bismarck, North Dakota (Century)

2020-21 stats: The highly touted freshman is averaging 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Despite playing just 17.7 minutes per game, Ware ranks second on the team with 25 blocks; only Sam Thomas (26) has more.

Best game: Ware had 12 points in 27 minutes in Arizona’s Dec. 6 win over USC in McKale Center.

Semaj Smith

Junior, No. 34

Position: Center

Height: 6-6

Hometown (high school): Long Beach, California (St. Anthony)

2020-21 stats: Smith is averaging 0.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game off the bench.

Best game: Smith scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in a season-high 13 minutes during the Wildcats’ Dec. 23 win over Idaho in McKale Center.

Adia Barnes

Head coach

Assistant coaches:

Salvo Coppa, Tamisha Augustin, Jackie Nared-Hairston