Arizona's Aari McDonald takes a selfie with fans following the Wildcats' arrival ceremony at Arizona Stadium on April 5, 2021. Roughly 1,200 fans cheered for the Arizona women's basketball team as it arrived home after its run to the NCAA Tournament championship game.

 Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star

As expected, Arizona women's basketball star Aari McDonald is turning pro.

McDonald tweeted on Tuesday that she has declared for the WNBA Draft, ending her college career.

McDonald was long expected to turn pro following this season, even though NCAA rules allowed anybody who played during the pandemic to retain an extra year of eligibility. She told Star correspondent PJ Brown in late February that "this is the last year you will see me in an Arizona jersey.

"It’s time to grow and get better each game, make my teammates better and just keep making history," she said then.

Of course, McDonald proceeded to do just that. The Wildcats' star point guard dominated the NCAA Tournament, scoring more than 30 points twice as the Wildcats advanced all the way to Sunday's national championship game against Stanford. She was named the most valuable player in the Mercado Region, which Arizona win.

McDonald and the rest of the Wildcats were hailed by Tucsonans when they returned from San Antonio on Monday. McDonald is scheduled to throw out the first pitch in Tuesday night's nonconference baseball game between Arizona and ASU. First pitch is 6 p.m.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.