Kat Wright was introduced as โ€œthe shooterโ€ when she transferred to the University of Arizona from Florida Atlantic in June.

And why not? She averaged 11.7 points and shot 40 percent from the 3-point line in her final season at FAU. On Jan. 30, 2016, Wright lit it up, hitting 11 three-pointers โ€” the second-best single 3-point performance in NCAA history.

Yet Wright has developed into more than just a shooting star. The fifth-year senior was named one of three captains this season, along with senior JaLea Bennett and freshman Sam Thomas.

On the court, Wright is stealing passes, collecting rebounds and disrupting shooters. Off it, she soaks up all the basketball knowledge she can โ€” fitting for someone who wants to coach after college.

โ€œThis is who Iโ€™ve always been,โ€ said Wright, whose Wildcats will visit Stanford on Sunday. โ€œIโ€™ve never been a prolific scorer. I pride myself on my defense more than shooting.

โ€œI like to take charges and I had three (in last weekโ€™s win over Colorado). I love that. I donโ€™t think itโ€™s a coincidence that the two go hand in hand; my defense fuels my offense.

โ€œYouโ€™ve got to get the stops. A lot of what I do doesnโ€™t show up in the stat sheet and if thatโ€™s what it takes to get a win, Iโ€™m down for it.โ€

The stats arenโ€™t bad, either: Wright is averaging 7.8 points per game and hits 30 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. An even 60 percent of Wrightโ€™s shot attempts are 3-pointers.

Wright knows that good performances donโ€™t happen on their own. Those extra passes that opened up the offensive flow helped her put up 16 points against Colorado. Wright dished out assists during the game and after, praising her teammatesโ€™ play.

Wright missed all of last season due to an injury, and admits she hasnโ€™t been fully healthy this year, either. The oldest player on the UA roster wonโ€™t give specifics about her ailment; sheโ€™ll only joke that it is โ€œold age.โ€ Nevertheless, Wright is averaging 32 minutes per game.

โ€œSheโ€™s tough; I like her mentality,โ€ coach Adia Barnes said. โ€œShe is unselfish. For some, everything is predicated on scoring. With Kat, itโ€™s the little things when sheโ€™s not getting her shot; thatโ€™s why she is still on the floor playing. A lot of players, when they are not scoring, they are not effective.

โ€œI love coaching her; she gets the big picture. Some players I have to push. Not Kat, I have to rein her in. She works her butt off. She never gives less than 100 percent and is fun to coach. I wish I had coached her for all four years.โ€

Wright may join Barnes on the bench someday. Wright has been picked to participate in the Womenโ€™s Basketball Coaches Associationโ€™s annual โ€œSo You Want To Be A Coachโ€ Program, a three-day workshop held during this yearโ€™s womenโ€™s Final Four. She is one of just two players from the Pac-12 to be picked; Dominique Williams from UCLA is the other.

For now, Wright is focusing on finishing strong. Maybe she has another 11 3-pointer game in her.

Speaking of which, how did that happen? Wright doesnโ€™t like talking about it.

โ€œWe lost that game, and for players, a loss is a loss,โ€ said Wright. โ€œItโ€™s bittersweet. I was shooting without a conscience. I went 2 for 8 in the first half and came out and kept shooting and went 9 of 10. My coach said โ€˜Keep shooting, we need you to keep shooting.โ€™โ€

And then Wright begins talking about her teammates โ€” again.

โ€œOne thing about the game was that my coach drew up plays for me and my teammates set screens,โ€ she said. โ€œIt was a team effort to get me the ball after I hit four.โ€


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