Cate Reese talked about it even before she put on an Arizona uniform.
The forward wanted to improve her left-handed move, knowing that a successful one could elevate her game.
“I came in my freshman year (and) I could not go left to save my life,” Reese said.
She put in the work last year, and by the end was showing glimpses of success.
On Sunday, it all clicked. Reese led No. 7 Arizona to a 76-63 season-opening over NAU by recording her 16th career double-double, posting 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Reese played more aggressively and showed a level of confidence with her left.
This just didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of extra hours in the gym to get there.
“Every single day (she was) working on her left hand; I mean, every day,” UA coach Adia Barnes said. “She has improved, because last year was like when she used her left, she’d point down the court like, ‘Hey, hey,’ shaking her left. Now it’s normal. She just uses it more naturally.”
Reese said one particular drill helped her turn the corner. She shoots 50 left-handed hook shots in a row.
“It made me more comfortable,” Reese said. “It wasn’t fun at first, but it’s definitely helped me a lot and I’m happy I did because I feel so much more comfortable going right or left.”
It’s all part of Reese’s developmental leap. A McDonald’s All-American as a recruit, Reese has gotten steadily better in her time at the UA. She averaged 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a true freshman, with those numbers jumping to 13.6 and 7.5, respectively, as a sophomore.
As a junior, she’s expected to help lead Wildcats team that has its eyes on the Final Four.
“She’s just improved — she’s stronger, she handles the ball better, she improved on her shot,” Barnes said. “I think she’s improved in every way. And her defense has improved tremendously. Before she had a tough time guarding the four (in the post). Now she’s done a much better job guarding the four. I think every aspect of her game has improved.
“I’m just happy to see it because as a coach, when we’re trying to develop someone, I like to see that every year they’re getting better and they’re improving on something.
“Then we’re doing our jobs as coaches. If they’re not getting better than we’re doing something wrong. I’m just proud of her. She puts the work in. She really wants to be great.”
A glimpse of things to come
Nonconference games are usually the time to work out some kinks, build chemistry and figure out the right rotation — especially for a team with a lot of depth, like Arizona. Sunday’s opener was also a chance for the Wildcats to play in a real game following an extended offseason.
While first games aren’t always pretty, Sunday’s game was exactly what it was supposed to look like.
Some things stood out besides Reese’s new look.
Aari McDonald still impacts the game just by stepping on the court. While she started off slowly with her shot, her motor never stopped as she finished with 18 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and six steals.
Lauren Ware, a 6-foot-5-inch freshman, played like a big guard on defense when she deflected a ball that McDonald nearly picked up for a steal.
Bendu Yeaney used her long arms to pick up a clutch block. And Shaina Pellington showed she can be another option in transition and create shots for both herself and McDonald.
The Wildcats played aggressively, too, whether it was freshman Marta Garcia getting her own rebound over and over again or Tara Manumaleuga forcing a five-second violation on an inbounds play by jumping up and down with her arms extended.
Numbers game
The last time McDonald had six steals and eight assists was Feb. 2 against USC, and the Wildcats won 73-57. She also scored 20 points and pulled down six rebounds in the win.
Sam Thomas averaged 32.6 minutes per game last season. She only played 23 minutes Sunday, and made the most of those minutes, going 3 for 5 for six points, three rebounds, one block, two assists and a steal. Thomas didn’t play significant minutes in last year’s nonconference games, either, seeing less than 26 minutes per game in seven of the team’s 11 out-of-conference games. She only played 17:26 against Chicago State.
Thirteen Wildcats played on Sunday. Expect the rotation to shrink significantly by Friday, when the Wildcats host No. 9 UCLA in the teams’ Pac-12 opener.
Rim shots
- McDonald was named Wednesday to time it’s the John R. Wooden Award Women’s Preseason Top 30 Watch List. McDonald is also on the preseason Naismith award, Wade Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale award lists. She is also a preseason AP All-American and the All-Pac 12 team. Three other Pac-12 players — UCLA’s Michaela Onyenwere and Stanford’s Kiana Williams and Lexie Hull — made the Wooden list.
- Friday’s matchup with UCLA will be televised on Pac-12 Arizona at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s game against USC will tip off at 1 p.m. and stream live on
- ArizonaWildcats.com.
