Anyone else might pinch themselves to make sure that it’s really happening, that the Arizona women’s basketball team is about to play in its first NCAA Tournament game in 16 years.
Not Trinity Baptiste.
She envisioned that exact scenario happening a year ago, even before she officially became a Wildcat.
The 6-foot forward knew when she decided to transfer from Virginia Tech for her final season that she would be playing in the Big Dance.
Baptiste just wasn’t sure what uniform she would be wearing, until she talked to Arizona coach Adia Barnes.
There was a deep connection — instantly. And, as the story goes, Baptiste wanted to play closer to home in Tampa, Florida, to be near family, but the pull to play for Barnes was too much.
Still, just because she knew what was coming, doesn’t meaning she isn’t “living a dream” right now.
“I’m exactly where I am supposed to be,” Baptiste said. “…This is my fifth year, and I haven’t been (to the tournament). I always had a spring break and this year I don’t get one and I’m super excited about it.
“I never wanted a spring break and I would always be at home just knowing that one day I was going to be playing in March, playing late in March, and now that I have the opportunity as a senior. I’m super excited.”
For No. 3 seed Arizona (16-5) it all gets rolling when it faces No. 14-seeded Stony Brook (15-5) at 11 a.m. Monday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Trinity Baptiste never took an official visit to Tucson, but knew Adia Barnes was the coach she wanted to play for.
UA hasn’t been to the tournament since 2005, while Stony Brook has never been here.
Moving to Tucson was quite an adjustment for Baptiste, who never took an official visit because of the pandemic. She took a risk, relied on her faith and Barnes to take the leap.
It’s paid off on so many levels.
It all started with those initial conversations. Barnes said they were different than she’s had with any other recruit or transfer. They didn’t even talk about what Baptiste’s role would be or playing in the NCAA Tournament. Baptiste was older this time out and knew exactly what she wanted.
“I was trying to get a feel for her as a coach, and kind of just pick her brain about what she believes in, her morals and what type of coach she was,: Baptiste said.
“I saw that she expected the best from her players and everyone who worked who worked for her, as well. It seemed like it was right for me.”
Soon Barnes would learn how much Baptiste would add to the Arizona culture. She is the first one to thank Barnes for food or new gear. She’s the one who would drive by to wave when Barnes had her baby girl, Capri, and couldn’t be near anyone because of the pandemic.
Barnes said she wouldn’t talk to her team about the announcement of her recent contract extension through the 2025-26 season because it’s “not the focus.”
“It’s funny, one player came up to me and gave me a hug congratulated me — and it was Trinity,” Barnes said.
All the off-the-court things like that have trickled onto the court.
For the first time in her career, Baptiste, who was the ACC Sixth Player of the Year in 2019-20, started every game this season. Baptiste’s mindset of being ready whenever she’s called on has helped in her new role.
“If I tell Trinity, you’re not going to shoot; you’re just going to set screens and rebounds, she’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Barnes said. “She’s selfless; that’s just who she is.”
For example, in the Pac-12 Tournament against WSU, she scored on a layup, a 3-pointer, a put-back and then grabbed a steal and a rebound in the first 50 seconds of the game. She finished with 17 points, six rebound and six steals, tying Sam Thomas and Aari McDonald for the most steals in a game by a UA player this season.
Baptiste said she’s comfortable playing in any role with anyone on the court. In addition, what made the adjustment to the new system and new teammates seamless was the work she put in prior to coming to Tucson. Baptiste said, “I didn’t want to waste time when I came here.”
“From the time I committed, I was watching film at home on my own,” she said. “I wanted to be ready. I wanted to know the system before I got here. I let Coach Adia know that I was ready, and I was coming into work. I wasn’t coming in for anything else. I was coming to work and to help the team win.”
It didn’t take long for her presence to be felt. Baptiste was the muscle down low — the rebounder that Wildcats needed. Yet there is so much more to her game than just bumping and grabbing rebounds. She has a mid-range jumper and even a 3 from just to the left of the top of the key.
She’s hit 43% of her shots from the field. Her 5.7 rebounds per game leads the team, while her 8.3 points per game is third-best.
Baptiste isn’t into stats, though. She crossed a big milestone at WSU on Jan. 10 with 500 career rebounds, and didn’t even know about it until Senior Day. She was excited about it and thinks rebounding “sets me apart from other players.”
“(But) I don’t care how many how many points I score or rebounds I have or anything. As long as we finished with a W, I’m happy,” Baptiste said. “To me, it’s just about doing whatever the team needs to win.
“I always wanted to be a part of a program like that. Because I think that is how you win championships. When you have players who don’t care about the individual stats, and just care about winning.”
That’s why Baptiste thinks this Wildcats team is ready for a long run over the next few weeks. The journey is just getting started.
“I believe we have a chance to go as far as we want to go,” Baptiste said. “I believe in my team and I believe in my coaching staff and everybody that helps us every day. … We have big goals.
“I’m not just here (at the NCAA Tournament) to say that I made it here. Because I mean, it’s great to be here, but I want to win.”
Rim shots
Baptiste’s mom, grandmother and sister will be in the stands Monday to watch her play for the first time this season. Baptiste’s family has provided an extra spark before. In a state semifinal game in high school, her family walked into the gym in the second quarter, and Baptiste went on to score 16 points to lead her team to the finals.
