Arizona forward Sam Thomas gets swatted by Utah guard Brynna Maxwell on a put-back attempt during the first half of Friday’s gaame in McKale Center.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Top in-state prospect joins Cats

Four-star recruit Madison Conner, a class of 2021 point guard from Chandler, arrived on campus this week after deciding to forgo her final semester of high school. Conner cleared COVID-19 testing protocols and was ruled eligible in time to suit up for the Utah game.

UA coach Adia Barnes said earlier this week she plans to ease the freshman to the program before determining how much she will play this year.

“She still has to learn the system,” Barnes said. “But you guys might be surprised, she might be someone that can help us down the stretch, if anything I’m going to give her experience.”

Thomas recognized pregame

Sam Thomas, a member of the 2020 Pac-12 All-Defensive team, is primarily known for her shot-blocking and perimeter defense.

She reached a milestone on the other side of the ball last weekend.

The senior forward scored her 1,000th- areer point at Washington State on Jan. 10. Prior to Friday’s game against Utah, Thomas was honored at midcourt for the accomplishment and received a commemorative game ball from Barnes.

She wasn’t the only player to have a significant achievement.

Reese in elite company

Forward Cate Reese also found herself on the 1,000-career points list. A layup in the third quarter made her the 22nd player in school history to reach that mark.

Reese, a 6-foot-3-inch junior from Texas, scored 10 of her 11 points in the second half.

Air Aari

UA All-American point guard Aari McDonald completed the trifecta of scoring achievements by joining the prestigious 2,000 career points list. McDonald shook off a 2-for-9 start to the game and finished with a game-high 20 points.

Her 2,000th point came on a free throw in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter as the Cats put the final touches on their ninth home win of the year.

The senior’s 20 points against the Utes also moved her ahead of former Oregon Ducks All-American and 2020 WNBA No. 1 draft pick Sabrina Ionescu for most consecutive games (79) with double-digit scoring.

Busy weekends at McKale Center

The Pac-12 sports that were postponed in the fall are finally starting their seasons. Arizona’s volleyball and gymnastics begin competition this weekend on the road and will make their home debut next week.

For the Wildcats, that means McKale Center is going to the sports epicenter in Tucson the next couple months. Here’s how next week’s schedule looks:

Thursday: men’s basketball vs. Stanford (9 p.m.)

Friday: women’s volleyball vs. Washington (5 p.m.)

Saturday: men’s basketball vs. Cal (3 p.m.), volleyball (6:30 p.m.)

Sunday: gymnastics vs. Utah (1 p.m.)

Hill paid in full

The Atlanta Hawks reached an agreement with former Wildcat standout Solomon Hill and will guarantee the 29-year-old his $2.1 million salary for the 2020-21 season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The Los Angeles native has played in all 14 of the Hawks’ games this year and is averaging five points per game while shooting 34.5% from 3-point range. Hill is currently the longest-tenured NBA player under Sean Miller.

— Alec White

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