When Lauren Ware had season-ending surgery on her knee in the beginning of November, no one, not even Arizona coach Adia Barnes, could have imagined how that would affect the Wildcats.
Down to only three post players โ fifth-year senior Cate Reese, transfer Esmery Martinez and freshman Maya Nnaji โ Barnes has had to improvise.
That has meant playing small for long stretches of games and asking Wildcats such as Helena Pueyo and Madi Conner to slide into the four position.
Conner has seen an uptick on the defensive end. She is projected to have a career high in steals and has three blocks (after having none her first two seasons).
Still, there are times when taller opponents will target Arizonaโs undersized front line. For example: Washington Stateโs three 6-foot-plus starters combined for 46 points and 26 rebounds in the Cougarsโ victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.
The Cats have adjusted the best they can. They have two big tests this weekend as they head to Los Angeles to face No. 14 UCLA and USC.
It canโt be stated enough how much the Wildcats miss the 6-5 Wareโs tangibles (her size and shot blocking) as well as her intangibles (communication brought from her volleyball days). She has always been the most vocal Wildcat on and off the court.
The outlook on Wareโs rebab is good, and Barnes canโt wait until the junior can get back on the floor next season.
โLauren actually is doing phenomenal,โ Barnes said. โAnd Iโm really excited. Thatโs one of the things people donโt realize: We lost our starting post player. Our best defender. One of our smartest players. Our best communicator by far. That was a big loss.
โI knew it was going to be a big loss. But I didnโt realize it till things unfolded how big it was. Sometimes I sit next to her like, โHow many more weeks do you have until you can play?โ Sheโs practicing like a little bit, (but) limited right now. With her, we would have been a lot better this year. Thatโs always how it is.โ
Despite not being on the court playing, Ware has been with her teammates every step of the way. Sheโs at practice and on the bench cheering them on during games. Sheโs encouraging, sharing whatโs sheโs seeing and giving tips to rookies such as Nnaji.
For a player like Reese, who spent two years on the court with Ware, it hasnโt been easy.
โIt affects Cate just with communication, chemistry,โ Barnes said. โTheyโre really close. They had great chemistry together. Lauren stepped up big when Cate got hurt (last seasonโs dislocated shoulder). They were very familiar. Theyโre best friends off the court, roommates. I think it affected Cate a lot.โ
Arizona forward Cate Reese elbows her way into the lane against Washington in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center on Jan. 27, 2023.
Trusting the process
Reese was the programโs first McDonaldโs All-American. Now sheโs seen four more players โ two freshman teammates in Nnaji and Paris Clark, as well as two commits in the Class of 2023 in Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams โ earn the honor.
While Reese said โitโs a dreamโ for everyone to be named to the team, the accolade doesnโt give you a leg up on adjusting to the college game.
โFreshman year is a learning experience for everyone,โ Reese said.
When Reese came to Arizona, the program was in rebuilding mode from the bottom of the Pac-12. The Wildcats had won only six games the previous year, and there was a spot waiting for her in the starting lineup.
Thatโs not the case today. As the Wildcats have gotten better, theyโve entered a stage where itโs much harder to do that.
โItโs easy to see someoneโs accolades and say they deserve to play, but I think the reality is in most top programs, the freshmen arenโt as good as a fifth-year senior or theyโre not as good as the seasoned vet,โ Barnes said. โThereโs a learning curve. (College basketball) is different. Itโs faster, more athletic. There is a process.โ
That process takes time. Barnes is always transparent. It starts on the recruiting trail and lasts throughout a student-athleteโs time as a senior. She has a plan for each one of them, and they know exactly what they need to do each step of the way.
Barnes said itโs all about buying into the plan and having patience.
โI love our freshman,โ Barnes said. โFreshmen lose confidence sometimes, which is normal when youโre not playing as much. Youโre getting a couple of minutes; you have a shorter leash. You are going to struggle with confidence, but thatโs a part of the process too. You have to learn to how to play through adversity.
โYouโre coming as a McDonaldโs All-American from high school, you played every single game on every AAU team. You played 30-some minutes. You took all the shots. Itโs different. Itโs a different role. โ
Rim shots
Reese, who has taken some tough spills this season, said her shoulder is doing fine. โI donโt really even notice it anymore,โ she said. โSometimes it gets a little stiff, but besides that โฆ I really donโt feel it anymore.โ
Wednesday was National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which meant a lot to Barnes. โI read this quote and it said something like, โEvery woman has a Title IX story and usually doesnโt even know it.โ And thatโs so true,โ Barnes said. โThere are so many things growing up and playing college basketball I was oblivious to because I was happy with what we had and didnโt even understand that. But thereโs so many more things to accomplish and do to make things equal. ... We need to do more to keep women (and) young girls involved. Iโm trying to create some of that in Tucson.โ
Barnes shared the news with her team on Friday that former UA swimming standout Ty Wells had passed away. It wasnโt easy. โFirst, you give everybody a hug,โ Barnes said. โBecause you never know what life has in store. You never think this can happen to an athlete. Athletes, they all think theyโre oblivious to everything. They donโt think itโll ever happen to them. And things happen. Life happens, and there are a lot bigger things than swimming or basketball.โ
