The singing and dancing typically starts on the drive home from a win at McKale Center.
When the UA defeated then-No. 17 Arizona State, the celebration started early. Dominique McBryde couldn’t help it.
“After the game we celebrated in the locker room and it was special,” said McBryde, the UA’s junior forward. “Whenever it’s a really good win, we do that. This time it was more fun, a lot more people were involved.”
McBryde loves getting down to 1980s music — and her favorite song, “Every Little Step” by Bobby Brown. The old-school tunes fit McBryde’s throwback style of play. The Purdue transfer is averaging 7.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She has 16 steals and 11 blocks.
Coach Adia Barnes calls it good, solid fundamental play. McBryde and the Wildcats will try to extend their 11-game winning streak on Sunday when they take on Utah in Salt Lake City. The game tips off at noon and will be shown on Pac-12 Arizona.
“If you watch her, she does all the little things,” Barnes said. “Making the right pass in zone, reading a pull or pop, making that extra pass. She always makes the right decision. She’s a good athlete. … She has good body control and keeps the ball high and gets good shots. …
“She plays like a pro. It’s hard not to have her on the floor.”
Arizona is on an 11-game win streak. “We’re stepping up to the challenges,” says Dominique McBryde, left.
That much was apparent in Friday’s win over Colorado. McBryde picked up her fourth foul with 5 minutes remaining the third quarter and exited the game with Arizona leading 46-37. Without McBryde to contend with down low, the Buffs went right at the basket. By the end of the quarter, CU led 57-54.
McBryde re-entered the game with 4:14 left in the fourth quarter with the Wildcats trailing 61-60. The UA went on to win 69-67. McBryde finished with six points, four rebounds nad two steals in 27 minutes.
She seems to have stepped up her game over the last month. She scored 10 points in a Dec. 17 win over UTEP, and a season-high 12 points four days later against NAU. McBryde was good for six points, nine rebounds and four steals in the UA’s upset of ASU. Defensively, she’s been denying and “bodying” her opponent and taking away passing lanes.
“Coach Adia has confidence in me and pushes me to be more aggressive,” McBryde said. “She has always had faith in me. She hyped on me that I was bringing physicality. I’ve progressed and I want to continue to have the defense I did against ASU the rest of my career. I want to be known for that.”
At Purdue, McBryde was honorable mention All-Big Ten her sophomore season.Barnes saw a player who could really help the Wildcats grow — even if it meant sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
“I knew she was good, knew she was smart, knew she was versatile,” Barnes said. “She was better in person than on film. After coaching her, she is a good defender. I also thought that the Pac-12 would fit her game better with more versatility and not as physical. I thought it would fit her style, and it does.”
Arizona forward Dominique McBryde (20) plows over Northern Arizona forward Kaleigh Paplow (23) late in their game at McKale Center, Friday, December 21, 2018, Tucson, Ariz.
McBryde does the little things — finding the right angles, positioning her body correctly and reading defenses.
Teammate Sam Thomas says the Bedford, Indiana, native “has a high basketball IQ and is always a step ahead.”
“I try to watch her, whether it’s on defense or offense,” Thomas said. “Last year she coached me from the bench. I try to take anything from her and incorporate it into my game. She knows how to guide us. She’s a leader and a vocal leader. She’s always telling me to talk on defense — and when I’m not, she gets on me.”
McBryde learned to be vocal early in her college career. Coach Sharon Versyp at Purdue taught her players that no matter what class they were in, communication was key.
“I bring as much as I can,” said McBryde. “People hear me on the TV getting on something or someone. I must be doing a good job if they can hear me at home.”
McBryde said she’ll be sending more time in the gym. There’s more to work on — blocking out in the post, scoring in one-on-one situations and hitting more 3-pointers in transition. So far, however, McBryde — and the Wildcats — are exceeding their expectations.
“We’re stepping up to the challenges,” she said. “It’s about having that mentality to prove we are capable of doing what we set out to do.”
