LAS VEGAS — Aari McDonald and Sam Thomas. If you’re going to beat Arizona, you’re going to have to go through them first.
The Wildcats have rarely had a 1-2 defensive punch like McDonald and Thomas. On Tuesday, both were recognized by Pac-12 coaches — McDonald as Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Thomas as a member of the five-person all-defensive team. Better, they were the two top vote getters.
McDonald and Thomas have been key to the Wildcats’ defensive success. They’ll need to keep it up if Arizona is going to make a run in the Pac-12 Tournament, starting Friday. The fourth-seeded Wildcats (23-6, 12-6) take on 12th-seeded Cal (11-18, 3-5) at 12:30 p.m. at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The Golden Bears upset fifth-seeded ASU 71-67 in Thursday’s opener, setting up a rematch of Sunday’s game with the Wildcats. Cal spoiled Arizona’s Senior Day with a 55-54 win in McKale Center.
Despite the loss, Arizona earned a first-round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament, the first in program history.
McDonald is lightning-quick. She reads her opponents, knows their tells and seems to know when to poke at the ball. Listed (generously) at 5 feet 6 inches, she has a knack for the ball — as evidenced by her Pac-12-best 67 steals. Said coach Adia Barnes of McDonald: “She’s gritty; she is diving for 50-50 balls.”
The 6-foot Thomas, meanwhile, plays the angles and uses her long arms to tip passes and swap balls. She’s capable of guarding any player on the court — and usually does.
“You don’t hear about two players on the team at the same time creating havoc on the defensive end,” McDonald said.
It’s so rare, in fact, that Barnes couldn’t think of any pairs that she played against professionally who were as good as McDonald and Thomas. And those were could defend were offensive liabilities.
That’s not the case with McDonald, who leads the Pac-12 with 20.5 points per game, and Thomas, who is averaging 9.7. points per game.
“In the WNBA years ago, there was Tully Bevilaqua,” Barnes said. “She was a phenomenal defensive player, but she wasn’t really an offensive player. There was Debbie Black, who was like Aari on the ball. You couldn’t bring the ball up. When Debbie Black guarded you in the WNBA, they would just pass the ball and the two guard would bring the ball up. But, then she wasn’t a dynamic scorer. No, I have never coached or played alongside a player like Aari or Sam.”
Joan Bonvicini, former UA coach and current Pac-12 Networks analyst, compared McDonald to two of the best in NBA history: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
“Michael was the best offensive player and the best defensive player — (that’s) Aari,” she said, “while Scottie was so long and athletic — I think of Sam.”
That’s quite a comparison. But, in a way, it fits.
Arizona basketball players Aari McDonald, left, and Sam Thomas joke around during a press conference about their team’s postseason and Thursday night’s WNIT opener against Idaho State in McKale Center on March 19, 2019.
Jordan, a Hall of Fame guard who is considered the greatest player of all time, was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 and was selected to the NBA’s all-defensive team nine times. Pippen, a Hall of Fame forward, was on the all-defensive team eight times. Together, they won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls.
McDonald, like Jordan, punishes opponents on both ends of the court.
“Aari puts so much pressure on the ball — she just drives people crazy,” Bonvicini said.
And like Pippen, Thomas can do it all on defense relying on her long arms, her timing and her positioning. By narrowing the passing lanes, she gets tips to her teammates who then pick up steals. Thomas grabs plenty of steals, too; she has 52 this season, fourth-most in the Pac-12.
Thomas draws all eyes when she blocks a shot — especially when, like on Sunday, she swats it into the fifth row. Her shot-blocking is the result of superior body control and incredible instinct.
“Usually when a player like Sam blocks a shot they, are jumping out of the gym — 30-inch vertical. But you don’t see Sam doing that,” Barnes said. “I think you are surprised at some of the defensive plays. Like ‘Wow, how did she do that?’ She’s just so smart, so consistent. She’s never out of position, she’s not reaching for balls. She’s not reactive, going for 10 steals — misses seven and gets three. She’s just solid and keeps people in front of her.
“I also love the fact that Sam’s always been this way. Nothing’s changed. I think because we’re really an organized team defensively. I think some of her stuff showed a little bit more and we’ve talked about it, but Sam has been doing this for two years. I’m just happy that people started recognizing it.”
Forward Sam Thomas looks to pass to guard Aari McDonald. McDonald was recognized Tuesday as the Pac-12’s top defensive player. Thomas made the all-conference defensive team.
With McDonald and Thomas leading the way, Arizona has emerged as one of the country’s peskiest defenses.
Arizona has 305 steals this season, with McDonald and Thomas combining for 119 of them.
Arizona has held nearly all of its Pac-12 opponents under their scoring average. Utah, the lone team that wasn’t held under — hit their average of 69 points.
Barnes wasn’t surprised at all to hear that McDonald and Thomas were named to the league’s all-defensive team. She knows what the Arizona defense can do.
“I think what the statistics have showed all year that we’re solid defensively.”
