Arizona played in its first Sweet 16 23 years ago, losing to powerhouse UConn after opening the NCAA Tournament with wins over Santa Clara and Virginia.
UA coach Adia Barnes was the Wildcats’ top player, earning Pac-12 Player of the Year honors while being named a USBWA first-team All-American.
Lisa Griffith and Reshea Bristol were underclassmen during the Wildcats’ run. They still remember it fondly.
“Being part of that story — being the first to go to the Sweet 16 — we took at lot of pride in getting the program national recognition,” Griffith said.
In many ways, the 1997-98 team put the Wildcats on the map. They hosted the first two NCAA Tournament games; all their postseason games were shown on either ESPN or ESPN2.
Bristol said that year’s also “had something to prove … and the vision to leave a legacy.” Griffith called the season “magical” and said the players “were living our dream.”
Sound familiar? This year’s team has also changed the Wildcats’ national reputation, whether it’s by finishing second in the Pac-12 standings, being ranked in the top 12 all season long or advancing to the first Elite Eight in program history.
The teams have a common thread: Barnes, who Griffith calls “the fiercest competitor I have ever played with.”
“When she got that look into her eyes you wanted to go into battle with her,” Griffith said.
Griffith, a former UA assistant and AAU coach, watched Wednesday’s second-round win on her phone from Mount Hood, where she was staying in a cabin.
Saturday, she took in UA’s 74-59 win over Texas A&M from her West Linn, Oregon, home — with her ’98 teammates joining her via FaceTime.
“I was always hoping Arizona would ask Adia to come back,” Griffith said. “She’s done some amazing things and it speaks volumes to the type of person she is. It makes me smile big.
“This team is playing for each other; you can see it and you can see the love. They are playing for Adia. I hope they enjoy this moment.”
Once a Cat, always a Cat
Former UA standout LaBrittney Jones was in the stands Saturday for the Sweet 16 game. She rushed to buy her ticket after Arizona advanced on Wednesday.
Jones, a Texas native, had another connection to Saturday’s game. Her cousin, freshman Sahara Jones, is a Texas A&M bench player. A six-foot guard, Sahara Jones played 88 minutes heading into Saturday’s game, averaging 1.6 points per game.
The family connection won’t get in the way of Jones’ rooting interests.
“I’m a Wildcat for life,” Jones said.
Jones played for Barnes her senior year, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, steals and minutes per game. She finished her college career ranked third in program history with 161 blocked shots and seventh with 688 rebounds.
Jones said she is “so happy that the program is turning around under Barnes.”
“I feel good about the program,” Jones said.
“I knew when Adia first came she would do great things. She was super motivated to turn the program around. My last year was the most successful out of my four years and that is a big credit to her. She’s definitely a player’s coach, which is great to have as a player!”
Arizona and attendance
The Wildcats played most of their season in empty arenas.
Things have changed in the postseason. Family and guests were allowed to attend the Pac-12 Tournament and the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup marked another change: Arizona played in front of 4,800 fans — about 17% of the Alamodome’s capacity.
Rim shots
- UA coaches and players and athletic department administrators all congratulated the Wildcats ahead of Saturday’s game. They weren’t the only ones: Golden State Warriors coach and former UA standout Steve Kerr tweeted out “Bear down!” to the Wildcats, while Tucson Mayor Regina Romero tweeted “Vamos chicas!” and congratulations. And the Seattle Storm wished good luck to Barnes, a former player and broadcaster for the WNBA team.
