When Lauren Ware had season-ending surgery on her knee in the beginning of November, no one, not even Arizona coach Adia Barnes, could have imagined how that would affect the Wildcats.
Down to only three post players — fifth-year senior Cate Reese, transfer Esmery Martinez and freshman Maya Nnaji — Barnes has had to improvise.
That has meant playing small for long stretches of games and asking Wildcats such as Helena Pueyo and Madi Conner to slide into the four position.
Conner has seen an uptick on the defensive end. She is projected to have a career high in steals and has three blocks (after having none her first two seasons).
Still, there are times when taller opponents will target Arizona’s undersized front line. For example: Washington State’s three 6-foot-plus starters combined for 46 points and 26 rebounds in the Cougars’ victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.
The Cats have adjusted the best they can. They have two big tests this weekend as they head to Los Angeles to face No. 14 UCLA and USC.
It can’t be stated enough how much the Wildcats miss the 6-5 Ware’s tangibles (her size and shot blocking) as well as her intangibles (communication brought from her volleyball days). She has always been the most vocal Wildcat on and off the court.
The outlook on Ware’s rebab is good, and Barnes can’t wait until the junior can get back on the floor next season.
“Lauren actually is doing phenomenal,” Barnes said. “And I’m really excited. That’s one of the things people don’t realize: We lost our starting post player. Our best defender. One of our smartest players. Our best communicator by far. That was a big loss.
“I knew it was going to be a big loss. But I didn’t realize it till things unfolded how big it was. Sometimes I sit next to her like, ‘How many more weeks do you have until you can play?’ She’s practicing like a little bit, (but) limited right now. With her, we would have been a lot better this year. That’s always how it is.”
Despite not being on the court playing, Ware has been with her teammates every step of the way. She’s at practice and on the bench cheering them on during games. She’s encouraging, sharing what’s she’s seeing and giving tips to rookies such as Nnaji.
For a player like Reese, who spent two years on the court with Ware, it hasn’t been easy.
“It affects Cate just with communication, chemistry,” Barnes said. “They’re really close. They had great chemistry together. Lauren stepped up big when Cate got hurt (last season’s dislocated shoulder). They were very familiar. They’re best friends off the court, roommates. I think it affected Cate a lot.”
Arizona forward Cate Reese elbows her way into the lane against Washington in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 27, 2023.
Trusting the process
Reese was the program’s first McDonald’s All-American. Now she’s seen four more players — two freshman teammates in Nnaji and Paris Clark, as well as two commits in the Class of 2023 in Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams — earn the honor.
While Reese said “it’s a dream” for everyone to be named to the team, the accolade doesn’t give you a leg up on adjusting to the college game.
“Freshman year is a learning experience for everyone,” Reese said.
When Reese came to Arizona, the program was in rebuilding mode from the bottom of the Pac-12. The Wildcats had won only six games the previous year, and there was a spot waiting for her in the starting lineup.
That’s not the case today. As the Wildcats have gotten better, they’ve entered a stage where it’s much harder to do that.
“It’s easy to see someone’s accolades and say they deserve to play, but I think the reality is in most top programs, the freshmen aren’t as good as a fifth-year senior or they’re not as good as the seasoned vet,” Barnes said. “There’s a learning curve. (College basketball) is different. It’s faster, more athletic. There is a process.”
That process takes time. Barnes is always transparent. It starts on the recruiting trail and lasts throughout a student-athlete’s time as a senior. She has a plan for each one of them, and they know exactly what they need to do each step of the way.
Barnes said it’s all about buying into the plan and having patience.
“I love our freshman,” Barnes said. “Freshmen lose confidence sometimes, which is normal when you’re not playing as much. You’re getting a couple of minutes; you have a shorter leash. You are going to struggle with confidence, but that’s a part of the process too. You have to learn to how to play through adversity.
“You’re coming as a McDonald’s All-American from high school, you played every single game on every AAU team. You played 30-some minutes. You took all the shots. It’s different. It’s a different role. “
Rim shots
Reese, who has taken some tough spills this season, said her shoulder is doing fine. “I don’t really even notice it anymore,” she said. “Sometimes it gets a little stiff, but besides that … I really don’t feel it anymore.”
Wednesday was National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which meant a lot to Barnes. “I read this quote and it said something like, ‘Every woman has a Title IX story and usually doesn’t even know it.’ And that’s so true,” Barnes said. “There are so many things growing up and playing college basketball I was oblivious to because I was happy with what we had and didn’t even understand that. But there’s so many more things to accomplish and do to make things equal. ... We need to do more to keep women (and) young girls involved. I’m trying to create some of that in Tucson.”
Barnes shared the news with her team on Friday that former UA swimming standout Ty Wells had passed away. It wasn’t easy. “First, you give everybody a hug,” Barnes said. “Because you never know what life has in store. You never think this can happen to an athlete. Athletes, they all think they’re oblivious to everything. They don’t think it’ll ever happen to them. And things happen. Life happens, and there are a lot bigger things than swimming or basketball.”
