Aari McDonald is turning the page after an illustrious UA career.
On Thursday, the Wildcats star will hear her name called in the WNBA draft. And it’ll probably happen early.
For the past month, mock drafts have projected McDonald to go to the Chicago Sky with the No. 7 overall pick. This week, those same mocks have her going to the Dallas Wings fifth overall.
ESPN’s LaChina Robinson thinks McDonald’s performance in the NCAA Tournament has caused her stock to soar — moreso than any other player in this year’s draft.
McDonald averaged 24.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.3 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament while shooting 51 for 108 (47.2%) from the field and 22 for 46 (42.55%) from 3-point range. The shooting percentages were an improvement over her regular-season stats.
While her NCAA Tournament performance will play a factor in when McDonald is taken, much more goes into a draft pick. The national media and fans across the country have just been introduced to McDonald, but WNBA coaches and general managers have had the speedy guard on their radar for quite some time.
“I think Aarion McDonald is an exceptional player who has gotten better each year,” Dallas Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb said, using McDonald’s full first name.
“I thinks she’s a player who has a knack for playing her best in the biggest games. And I think we saw that in the recently completed NCAA Tournament.”
Marianne Stanley, coach and general manager of the Indiana Fever, said her team is looking for a player who is “extremely competitive and has a winning mindset, has a championship mindset.”
“You have to have not only talent, but you have to have a big heart, and you have to want to compete,” Stanley said. “I can’t shy away from competing, so I think we’re looking for somebody who fits what we’re building here as a championship culture and a mindset that says we’re in every game to win every game and bring something to the table that adds to what we have.”
Teams have been chatting with prospective draft picks with hopes to learn more about the as people. McDonald has no doubt has taken multiple calls since returning to Tucson on Monday afternoon. UA teammate Trinity Baptiste, who also filed WNBA Draft paperwork, said she has also talked to teams.
Bibb said the calls are significant in determining who teams draft. So, too, are fundamentals.
“When I say fundamentals, I mean, how does the player approach the interview? How serious? How important is that to them? Are they in their car? Are they driving the car? Are they on time? Are they prepared? Do they know anything about your organization? What do they know about the league?” Bibb said.
“Then it’s more about them as a person off the court. … talking about background, what they’re studying in school, what they want to do when they’re done with their basketball career, what their interests are outside of basketball. A little bit about what kind of teammate they are, how do you feel like they will handle the transition from college to pro because they may not be the star player, playing 30 minutes a night with the ball in their hand, every game. So those kinds of questions, at least for me.
“It’s far less about basic basketball, because we’ve seen the basketball a lot over the past two years. We haven’t had the opportunity to engage and talk with him as a person. So that’s where I spend most of my time in that pre-draft interviews.”
Arizona Wildcats guard Aari McDonald and her teammates celebrate their Dec. 6 win against USC in McKale Center. A strong NCAA Tournament performance has boosted the UA’s guard’s WNBA stock; the draft is Thursday.
ESPN’s Robinson considers McDonald as one of the more underestimated stars. Some of that may have to do with her size. McDonald is listed at just 5 feet 6 inches on Arizona’s roster.
Bibb said size is “always a consideration in the game of basketball.”
“But I don’t think it is ultimately a negative factor that is going to determine the outcome of someone’s career,” Bibb said. “I think Cheryl (Reeve) in Minnesota proved that with (the 5-5) Crystal Dangerfield this past year. Crystal played unbelievably well and was named Rookie of the Year.”
McDonald could end up in Dallas, Chicago or even with Stanley’s Indiana Fever. Stanley said she is looking for a player with heart, one who competes in every game, and someone who will help build a championship culture.
Sounds exactly like what McDonald did for Arizona.
