UA’s Marlee Kyles has been saying it for weeks.
After Sunday’s game, JaLea Bennett agreed.
And on Monday afternoon, Sam Thomas joined in.
With no pressure and no expectations, the No. 11-seeded Wildcats are loose, having fun and thinking of an upset or two in this week’s Pac-12 Tournament. The UA (6-23, 2-16) plays in-state rival ASU (19-11, 10-8) Thursday night at Key Arena in Seattle.
“We’re underdogs,” said Bennett, who was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention. “We’re going to surprise some people and shock some people.”
The Wildcats came oh-so-close to an upset Sunday in the last home game of the regular season. The Wildcats cut No. 6 Oregon’s lead to five points with less than four minutes left, then watched as the Ducks hit back-to-back 3-pointers.
Oregon held on to win 74-61.
The Wildcats believe they can get closer — and pull off a win — this week, giving them their first conference tournament victory under coach Adia Barnes. The team can only make the NCAA Tournament by winning out, which is unlikely.
“We’re going to bring our best and try to steal one,” said Thomas, who was named to the All-Pac 12 Freshman team Tuesday. “No one is expecting it, so we are going to go out with nothing to lose. I hope we do it; it’s our goal. You never know what can happen.”
Thomas is feeling a lot of emotions as she heads into her first Pac-12 tournament.
“Everyone told me it’s really fun,” said Thomas. “I’m excited. Everyone stays at the same hotel. Everyone in the Pac-12 is playing against each other and everyone is so good right now. It definitely hits you all at once. We have to be ready. I don’t know how long to pack for; if you lose, you are done. If you win, you keep playing.
“I get nervous before every game. You never know what to expect. But this is just another game, we have to play our best.”
Lucia Alonso, a sophomore, has a better idea of what to expect this time around.
“The games are completely different,” she said. “We can win if we play like we played” Sunday.
Arizona and ASU played two weeks ago, with the Sun Devils winning 69-45 .
“They know us and we know them,” said Alonso. “We need to play with post-defense because we are undersized. On offense when we share the ball we play better. … When we play together, we play good. We need to be mentally prepared.
“Our legs are tired from playing 38, 39 minutes per game. … We have to leave everything on the court.
“JaLea is leaving; (senior) Kat (Wright) is leaving. I’ll try to look for them like I did last game. I look for JaLea to drive and I always look for Kat at the 3-point line. This might be the last game this group plays together.”
This year marks Arizona’s third straight as the Pac-12’s No. 11 seed. Still, it feels different, Alonso said.
“It feels like the process, the practicing and preparation is for the future,” said Alonso, who is from Leon, Spain. “We’re learning how to play together, and understanding the offense and the defense. It’s more overall than just winning and losing. The environment is different. We have fun on the court and the relationships are special.”
Rim shots
- Thomas was named to the Pac-12 all-freshman by the league’s media. She is the only player in the Pac-12 to average both 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Thomas is also the only player in the conference in the top 12 in rebounding, steals and blocks.
- Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu was been named the Pac-12 player of the year on Tuesday, and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer was named coach of the year.
