Bendu Yeaney took her time.
She looked at what was in front of her and took a quick check on what was behind her. She waited for the right moment, then picked a steal.
Thatβs how Yeaney moves on the court.
She is the same way off the court, especially when it comes to big decisions.
Yeaney didnβt decide to come back for the 2022-23 season until the day before Arizonaβs final regular-season home game against USC. Thatβs right, Senior Day.
There were a lot of factors to consider β everything from possibly getting a masters degree to playing professionally to taking advantage of more Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals.
Yeaney knew coach Adia Barnes wanted her back, which helped.
βFrom the first day of school she was telling me, βYou have an extra year. Do you want to use it? Do you want to use it?ββ Yeaney said.
Yeaneyβs decision was yes. She made the announcement during Senior Day ceremonies.
βNow, I can just play free and think about playing in the NCAA Tournament,β Yeaney said.
The decision of whether to return next season β or whether this was it; the end of her college career β weighed on Yeaney all season. One of her first thoughts was about COVID-19. All the cancellations and restrictions wreaked havoc with her college experience.
Injuries did, too. While an underclassman at Indiana four years ago, Yeaney suffered a foot injury during the NCAA Tournament. She tried to return the following season, but wasnβt fully healed. Yeaney transferred to Arizona before the 2019-20 season, hoping for a fresh β and healthy β start.
Then the pandemic hit. Her first season at Arizona was played with no fans in the stands and a foot that wasnβt 100%.
Still, Yeaney earned a starting position, averaged 23 minutes a game, grabbed 30 steals, dished 40 assists, blocked 19 shots and averaged 4.1 points per game. Yeaney was an integral part of the Wildcatsβ national championship run, disrupting offenses and getting baskets at key moments. Yeaney amassed 12 steals in six NCAA Tournament; she had five in the national title game alone.
Sheβs been even better this season.
Yeaney is averaging 26 minutes and 6.3 points per game. So far, sheβs dished 57 assists, grabbed 43 steals and blocked 11 shots. Her ball-handling has improved, too, with her assist-to-turnover ratio at a career-high 1.54.
Yeaney said that while she has played four college seasons, they havenβt been full β or free β because of her foot injury. She wants to play professionally, and to do so, she must be at the top of her game.
Another year at Arizona will allow Yeaney to learn more until Barnes and assistant coach Salvo Coopa. The two coaches have given Yeaney βeverything,β she says, from confidence to tweaks to her shooting technique and other little things. On defense, Yeaney now slides her feet instead of crossing them over.
Barnes, a former WNBA and overseas player, know what it takes to play professional. So does Coppa, who coached overseas.
βI know I am going to be a good pro and a good basketball player,β Yeaney said.
Yeaney is also excited about the future of the Wildcatsβ program. The UA will welcome the highest-rated recruiting class in program history next season, a group that includes Maya Nnaji, Paris Clark, Lemyah Hylton and Kailyn Gilbert. Yeaney said sheβs excited to leading the newbies and other teammates who havenβt played a lot of minutes yet. Yeaney is also expected to be more active on the NIL market: Sheβs expected to soon announce a partnership with Beast Mode Marketing, the company owned by former NFL running back. She is expected to release a line of T-shirts in time for this yearβs NCAA Tournament, with the rest of a clothing line scheduled for next season.
βI want to be able to play the 1,2,3 and sometimes play the four, to be a small forward,β Yeaney said. βJust everything. Working on my mid-range, different finishes, my 3-point shot.β
Before she can get to that, she is completely focused on whatβs in front of her β the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will learn their NCAA Tournament fate at 5 p.m. Theyβre projected for now as a No. 4 seed, which would allow them to host the first two rounds of the tournament.
βThe pros can wait,β Yeaney said. βYou canβt always have these college experiences. I might as well live it to the fullest and thatβs what it all kind of boiled down to. I know the pros are always going to be there, but you canβt always get this this time and these experiences with your team.β