Once Cate Reese got over the initial shock of being injured for the first time in her career, she knew her goal: Heal quickly and get prepared for the NCAA Tournament.
Reese was determined to not only come back, but perform at the same level that earned her All-Pac-12 and honorable mention All-America honors this season.
Reese did just that in Saturday’s 72-67 win over UNLV in McKale Center, scoring 16 points in 20 minutes. The fourth-seeded Wildcats (21-7) expect more of the same on Monday, when they face No. 5 seed North Carolina (24-6) in the second round. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Another win would place the Wildcats in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. The Wildcats would face No. 1 overall seed South Carolina (31-2), which defeated No. 8 seed Miami on Sunday.
Reese, who dislocated her right shoulder on Feb. 20, wasn’t feeling too sore on Sunday afternoon. That’s a good sign.
Arizona coach Adia Barnes said she was “really impressed” with how Reese responded. “But that’s who she is,” Barnes said. “I’m not surprised at all.”
“I would have been shocked if she didn’t come in have at least 12 to 15 points because I have been watching her every day in practice,” Barnes added. “It was almost a month to get better. I think that also gave her a lot more confidence because she had time in practice to get the banging (in) and so it’s not like her first contact was the game. She had been doing that for a week and a half in practice. I think that correlated over to the game to be confident, ready and I think not hesitant.
“The mentality of Cate is a separator, and one of the things that makes her special is that she can just come in the game and do that. It’s different having contact and practice and then a game when people are hanging on you.”
Arizona's Cate Reese reacts as UNLV forward Khayla Rooks forces the ball out of of her hands during Saturday's first-round NCAA Tournament game.
It wasn’t easy for Reese to return from a dislocated shoulder, an injury that even pros struggle to return from. A United States government study of 50 NBA players with the same injury showed players returned to play in an average of 3.6 weeks.
Reese got her mobility back fairly quickly, then worked on her shooting form. She went against someone holding a soft target in practice before moving on to scrimmaging with her teammates.
Reese, ever the team player, was quick to defer to her teammates — and her trainer, Jessie Johnson — for the assist. Shaina Pellington, who has endured the same injury a few times, was quick to offer advice.
“She said, ‘Just go out there. Don’t be nervous. Don’t think about it, because a lot of times when you think about it, that’s when you can hurt yourself,’” Reese said. “I just went out there and did exactly that and didn’t think about it one time. She’s been great, especially right after the injury. I came back after the X-ray and she was in the locker room. She was really talking to me and just telling me keep my head up, work hard, focus on rehab.”
It didn’t take long for Reese’s presence to be felt on the court Saturday. She sank a 3-pointer 72 seconds into the Wildcats’ win, giving her the confidence that she could really do it.
A little later, Reese tightened up her defense on UNLV’s Khayla Rooks, getting in Rooks’ face. It was clear that Reese was back.
“Cate’s been a competitor; she’s always been a competitor,” senior forward Sam Thomas said. “She is probably one of the most competitive people on this team. In practice she’s going hard like it’s the last second play of every game. I feel like every possession. … She was just going to work as hard as she could to be back here because she obviously wanted to help us out during the March Madness run. I’m just seeing her dedicated, doing rehab all the time, working with Jessie on the side. Then, not rushing back into it; really vocalizing what feels good, what doesn’t feel good.”
This determination made Reese’s return to play happen.
Arizona missed Reese’s point production, sure; she averaged 17 points per game in Pac-12 play. But they also missed so much more, including her experience. A veteran of Barnes’ system, Reese has also proven that she can shine in the tournament. The Wildcats advanced to last year’s national championship game.
From right to left, Arizona guard Bendu Yeaney, forward Cate Reese and forward Sam Thomas answer questions during Sunday's news conference in McKale Center.
Reese “knows what it takes to win and is a winner,” Barnes said.
“It’s about her getting hyped on certain possessions and plays. (It’s) about her talking on the floor. (The) chemistry between her and Lauren Ware. (They) are very cohesive and our starting five as a cohesive unit,” Barnes said. “Off the floor, bringing energy on the bench. All those things make (her) even more valuable. The times when we need a big bucket, we can rely on her and she had some great moves down the stretch. Then her aggressiveness. Because a lot of times we tend to not be super aggressive, and she brings that. It’s all those things, in addition to her scoring that make her special, a leader on our team. …
“I think anybody who loses one of their best players … it’s very different without them. (When) you’re bringing them back it’s the psychology of a team, too. They’re more confident. You know you have another weapon. I think it’s all those things play a factor because the mental part of our game is really important.”
