A is for Adia. Arizona coach Adia Barnes is well on her way to solidifying herself among the Mount Rushmore of Arizona coaches. In a year when the men’s team was sidelined by a self-imposed tournament ban, the camaraderie and fierceness that Barnes has fostered has been a revelation.
B is for Boston. South Carolina post presence Aliyah Boston is among the best defensive forces in college hoops, averaging 11.4 rebounds for the season. She also has 77 blocks and 35 steals on the year.
C is for Cameron. Stanford’s Cameron Brink would be the best remaining freshman phenom were it not for UConn’s Paige Bueckers (see below). Brink has scored in double-figures 17 times, peaking with 24 points on March 5 against Oregon State.
Stanford Cardinal forward Cameron Brink (22) reaches out to block a shot by Arizona Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) during a game at the McKale Center, on Jan. 1, 2021.
D is for Dawn. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley remains one of the great women’s basketball players of all time. Is she a better coach? She might just be. After helping rebuild the Gamecocks, she’s led the team to seven consecutive Sweet 16s, with three Final Fours mixed in. The high point: USC’s 2017 national championship.
E is for Edwards. Another UConn freshman may get most of the buzz, but Arizona better not forget about Aaliyah Edwards. She averaged 18 points in the Huskies’ first three tournament wins before managing just four in the team’s Elite Eight win over Baylor.
F is for Flipping. The script, that is. Flash back just under a month ago, and the Arizona women’s basketball team was flailing. There’s another F for you. Three losses in four games, including a two-point overtime loss to Arizona State will indeed cause a lot of Fs. But the Wildcats have roared back.
G is for Geno. It’s almost laughable to imply that UConn coach Geno Auriemma has something left to prove, but after falling in the Final Four three straight years, he has his eyes set on yet another title. It would be the Huskies’ first since 2016, their last of four straight.
H is for Haley. Stanford superscorer Haley Jones burst out of the gates this season with 70 points in the first three games, including 25 against UNLV and 29 against Washington. She hasn’t quite kept up that torrid pace, but she did score in double-digits 19 more times, including the last three Tournament games.
I is for Iverson. In Thursday’s Hartford Courant — UConn’s hometown paper — Auriemma said the team’s coaching staff was scouting Arizona’s Aari McDonald like she was Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson. We’re not talking practice here.
J is for Jolette. Who has been Staley’s top recruit? Maybe assistant coach Jolette Law. The longtime assistant and head coach is among the top saleswomen in the nation, reeling in the top class in the country in 2019.
K is for Kiana. Stanford’s Kiana Williams has made it rain all season long. The senior has knocked down 81 3-pointers this year, part of Stanford’s heave-happy offense.
L is for Lexie Hull. Tougher than she looks as a 6-foot guard, Hull made a huge impact in Stanford’s Elite Eight win over Louisville. Her 21 points in 38 minutes were boosted by an 8-for-9 performance from the free-throw line. Her sister, Lacie, is a key Cardinal contributor, as well.
M is for McDonald. What is there to say? McDonald has been nothing short of a miracle for the Wildcats. What an all-timer. Retire her jersey.
N is for Non-Call. If it wasn’t for one questionable play, Arizona might have an entirely different Final Four matchup. Trailing 68-67 With five seconds left in their Elite Eight battle, Baylor guard DiJonai Carrington appeared to be fouled by Edwards and Olivia Nelson-Ododa on a shot attempt. The officials swallowed their whistles, and the Huskies kept dancing.
UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards shoots against Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Elite Eight round of the Women’s NCAA tournament Monday, March 29, 2021, at the Alamodome in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
O is for Olivia Nelson-Ododa. UConn will need to see more of the Nelson-Ododa it saw in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament than the one who showed up last week. In first-and-second-round wins over High Point and Syracuse, Nelson-Ododa scored 39 combined points. Against Iowa and Baylor in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, she scored four and three points, respectively.
P is for Paige. ESPNW’s and the AP’s freshman of the year and player of the year, UConn’s Paige Bueckers is in a class of her own. A truly transcendent player, Bueckers is among the most decorated athletes in the history of her sport.
Q is for Quickdraw. On the one hand, you’ve got South Carolina, which has attempted all of 389 3-pointers this year, making 33.25% of them. On the other, you’ve got Stanford: The Cardinal haven’t found an outside shot they don’t like. Stanford has attempted 733 3-pointers this year.
R is for Reese. Arizona’s top post player, Cate Reese, will need to come up big against the Huskies. She had 13 points combined in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight after scoring 28 total in the first two rounds.
S is for Saxton. In a time when even 7-footers think they’ve got outside range, kudos to South Carolina’s Victaria Saxton for knowing her role. The 6-2 forward has attempted precisely zero 3-pointers this year, yet she’s topped 15 points five times. That says something.
T is for Trinity. Arizona senior Trinity Baptiste has had some impressive individual performances this year, but her double-double in the Elite Eight against Indiana was certainly her most clutch effort. Her 12 points were huge, the 10 rebounds were great, but two blocks showed Baptiste was imposing her will.
U is for Ultimate. The greatest stage in women’s basketball welcomes Arizona for the first time. What a remarkable story.
V is for VanDerveer. Somewhat quietly, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer passed Pat Summit for the most wins in women’s college basketball history. Is it possible to win over 1,000 games and still be underrated?
W is for Westbrook. On a team loaded with five stars and recognizable names, UConn’s Evina Westbrook almost slips through the cracks. Her all-around game is impressive though, as she averages more than four assists to go along with 5.3 rebounds and 9.4 points.
X is for X-factor: If only X could be for exuberance. With three Final Four familiars still left in the field, Arizona’s Cinderella story rings true. Could this be the year an outsider breaks through? Well, if the glass slipper fits.…
Y is for Yeaney. For Arizona to pull off the stunner over UConn, it’s going to need to find some scoring from some different places. Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney has shown the ability to pop off, scoring 14 points against Arizona State and Utah earlier this year. A 14-point performance in the Final Four would be massive.
Z is for Zia. A former Naismith Player of the Year finalist in high school, South Carolina’s Zia Cooke drives the engine as the team’s leading scorer. She’ll need to be better from the field that she’s been all year, though, as she’s making fewer than 40% of her field goals.
