With 2:49 left against Wyoming on Sunday afternoon, the McKale Center crowd stood up and cheered loudly for No. 22, who was entering the game.
This is a regular occurrence when senior Lindsey Malecha comes in. The fans, who cheer for every player on the Wildcats, show extra respect and appreciation for her.
Malecha overcame surgeries on her right knee — ACL and partial tears in her MCL and meniscus — at the end of her senior year of high school and pushed hard over two years in rehab to walk-on at the UA last year. Before the start of this season, she earned a scholarship.
That’s an incredible journey — not only the grit and determination to come back from those devastating injuries, but the joy she exudes every day in practice and in games.
Malecha has said her mentality of working hard and achieving anything she puts her mind to, is what has gotten her through all the adversity.
Malecha and her teammates aren’t facing any tough times now — not on this ride to the WNIT’s Final Four. Arizona (22-13) hosts TCU (24-10) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the semifinals at McKale.
As a senior, these are her last games wearing a UA uniform and she, along with her teammates, is holding on dearly to every moment.
“It’s really cool, especially for anybody who played basketball growing up and always dreamed of playing in college and national tournaments,” she said. “To be given that opportunity is extremely special and I will always be grateful for it.
Malecha has played in three of the four WNIT games, usually coming in as a sub at the end. She tallied one defensive rebound against Pacific.
For Malecha, it doesn’t matter when she gets in the game or how long she plays — she’s logged a total of 47 minutes this season—she’s always ready.
She’s the first to cheer on her teammates. When the reserve guard comes off the bench, she aggressively fights for 50-50 balls. For those and other “passion plays” Malecha ends up wearing the pink tee that is given to the player who hustles the most in practice and games. She has her teammates’ back — that’s just who she is.
The joy Malecha plays with is contagious. During the WNIT, the UA has been playing loose and having fun on and off the court. Winning will do that, but Malecha thinks it’s something else.
Saturday night, sophomore Sam Thomas urged her teammates to tape themselves doing the “whoa dance” — which has been going viral on social media.
“We had seen this on Twitter, everyone was doing it. So we all just did one,” said Malecha. “Mine was leaving the team dinner and I pulled up to a stoplight next to Sam and was like ‘record me now, do me now.’ So I did it in my car. I think she snapped Tee Tee (Starks) in her car, even though Tee Tee didn’t know she was recording it. It was a fun, random thing.”
“I think it shows the team chemistry we have this year, too. We’re all super close.”
This postseason has been all about proving the Wildcats can go up against anyone and win. They’ve said it the beginning they believe they can win the WNIT.
“You always play and think that you are going to win, you want to win, that you can win,” said Malecha. “I think when we lost close games like Cal and UCLA, I think that gave us more motivation to be like, ‘Hey, we need to prove that we can do this. We’re good, we’re good enough for this league. We’re good enough to play against the top teams in the Pac-12.”
Another perspective
Debbie Antonelli, who is a broadcaster for ESPN, CBS, and other outlets, took some time in the midst of calling some NCAA Tournament games to share her insights on Arizona and its run to the WNIT’s Final Four.
“Playing in the WNIT is a great blessing. When you can play at a high-level and play for championships-those things are all-important,” she said. Coach Adia Barnes “has incrementally put her team in this position, and now with this step in the WNIT it’s a wonderful opportunity to get postseason experience. And she is moving up her ladder of accomplishments checklist.
“I think Adia has been a winner her whole life and she only knows one way and that’s to win. Adia is infectious. She’s brilliant; she’s smart and she works. And, she has the resources at the university.
“I’m not surprised they keep extending their season and keep winning, and it’s good for them and good for the program.”
‘She can’t guard me’
Aari McDonald was called for her third foul nearly four minutes into the third quarter of Sunday’s game. Barnes could see McDonald getting a bit frustrated as she thought she drew a charge and was called for a foul, so she had her sit for a few minutes.
“She came out on a mission. She came out and was going to score and that’s what she does,” said Barnes. “Aari is a really hard matchup. They were playing a box-and-one on her. They were sending five back to stop her in transition. So, they were throwing the whole kitchen sink at her.”
While McDonald — who Monday was named as an honorable mention on the AP All-American team — was out, she couldn’t wait to get back in the game.
“On the bench, my mindset was ‘she can’t guard me, not any of them can guard me. I had to come in and be aggressive and do what I do and help my team in whatever ever way I can,” she said.
And what about putting her hand up near her face after draining a 3?
“She was playing tight defense and she thought she had me,” McDonald said, “She was denying me, so I had to get her. Scored, gamed her with some confidence. So I did facial. I haven’t done it in a while.”
Fans flocking to McKale
Tucson answered the call from Barnes — asking for 7,000 to show up Sunday afternoon — and 7,717 came to McKale Center.
“I thought it would take a long time to get there,” Barnes said of the increase in popularity. “I’m so proud and so grateful. I love this city. I love these fans. I love the fact that they are coming out to support us,” she said.
“We’re in the WNIT— we’re not in the (NCAA Tournament) — and it’s awesome. But they are coming out.”
