3/29/2020 basketball Edit

Arizona star Aari McDonald will return for final season with the Wildcats

Matt Moreno • GOAZCATS

Senior Editor

Matt Moreno is the senior editor at GOAZCATS.com. He joined the staff in August of 2011 and began as senior recruiting editor with the site before becoming senior editor in June of 2014.

It was an announcement that Arizona fans had been waiting on and it was one that was going to determine a ton about the future of the women's basketball program heading into next season. Sunday, star junior guard Aari McDonald gave fans what they wanted as she announced that she will be coming back to play for the Wildcats in the 2020-21 season.

"I am already counting down the days until I can get back on the court with my teammates, and I can't wait to play one more season in front of the best fans in the country," McDonald said in a message posted to Twitter.

McDonald finished the season with plenty of accolades and remains in contention for many others including Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. She was already named an All-American by the Associated Press and USBWA plus she earned the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award in addition to being named an all-conference selection.

The Fresno, California native led the Pac-12 in scoring by averaging 20.6 points per game in addition to having a league-high 2.3 steals per contest. She finished out her junior season as the 10th-best scorer in college basketball.

The topic of her potentially moving on had become realistic throughout the season as she continue to shine for the Wildcats in what turned into an impressive season overall for the team. The year was cut short when the NCAA decided to cancel the NCAA Tournament with UA likely set to host in the first two rounds.

It would have been the team's first appearance in the tournament since 2005.

"This past season was one that I will truly cherish for the rest of my life," she said. "There were so many memories that I created with my teammates, and I hope our fans enjoyed the ride as much as we did."

McDonald's return means the Wildcats will have their star back for another season and while the team will lose some key pieces there is plenty of talent returning meaning UA could end up back in the same position a year from now.

The junior, who followed head coach Adia Barnes as a transfer from Washington, is sixth all-time in Arizona history with 1,486 total points in just two seasons as a Wildcat.

Her 596 points this year was the fourth-most points any player has scored in one season in Arizona history. In her two years at Arizona, she has averaged 22.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.