Shaina Pellington didn’t sleep much the night before Arizona’s season opener against NAU.
She hadn’t played a college basketball game in more than 550 days — so long ago that she almost forgot about her pregame rituals.
It began with a call to her dad, Dennis, in Canada.
“I think that was kind of just a moment for me where I was just like, ‘Wow, I’m really about to play a college basketball game,’” Pellington said.
“I honestly got a little bit emotional during that conversation with my dad because I have been preparing for this moment for so long and it’s finally here.”
Dennis Pellington tells his daughter the same thing before every game: Know your strengths. Play to your abilities. Do what you do.
“And a few other things to get me pumped up,” Shaina Pellington said. “Primarily, it’s just to help me build confidence. Remember who I am, why I do this, why I love doing this. And that they’re always going to support me and they’re excited for me.”
Pellington and her teammates will take that message into their next matchup. The seventh-ranked Wildcats (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) will host USC (1-1, 0-1 Pac-12) Sunday at 1 p.m. The game comes two days after the UA outlasted No. 9 UCLA 68-65 on Friday night.
Pellington played 13 minutes against the Bruins, scoring four points on 2-of-5 shooting. In Arizona’s opener, she scored 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 19 minutes as the Wildcats beat NAU.
The University of Oklahoma transfer is sharing a backcourt with preseason All-American Aari McDonald for what the Wildcats hope is a deep NCAA Tournament run. Adia Barnes doesn’t need Pellington to do it all — Arizona’s coach told her as much before the NAU game.
“I just said, ‘Hey, we don’t need to be stressed. That’s not our identity,’” Barnes said. “You don’t have to come in and think you have to score 20 points. It’s not we do.”
Pellington’s presence this season should help McDonald, too. The guard’s quickness compliments McDonald’s, especially in transition.
“When I’m able to get out and transition with Aari, I think it’s always exciting. I always get butterflies in my stomach. I’m like, ‘Wow, somebody is running with me in transition,’” Pellington said. “I’m pretty quick, so it’s abnormal for me to be running alongside with somebody. … That is something I love doing. I see (McDonald) breaking out with the ball, I’m always going to sprint down with her to give her somebody to work with. … you’re always going to find me giving my full effort in that aspect of transition.”
The more they play together, the better the guards’ dynamic will be.
For now, Pellington’s mantra is simple: be patient.
Fortunately, she has practice. During her year away from college hoops, Pellington broke down her game and worked on specific areas, such as consistency with her shooting form and her defense.
She spent time playing with the Canadian National Team while sitting out at the UA, and her home country qualified for the Olympics.
The former Big 12 Freshman of the Year averaged 10 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57% over three games with the national team.
And, of course, Pellington also spent a year battling McDonald in practice every day.
“My IQ and overall knowledge of the game just went up a lot,” Pellington said. “I’m way more vocal than I used to be. I could still work on that, but it has improved. I’m really critical of myself — you can always be better at things. I feel like my own ball defense — pestering whoever I’m covering, making it difficult for them — I feel like I’m doing a better job with that, too. …
“I know I’m being pushed every day in practice by my teammates, especially Aari. I think I’ve really grown as a player overall because of that.”
