Arizona went into Monday's NCAA Tournament bracket release knowing that it would be part of the 64-team field after going 16-5 this season and finishing the regular season as the second-place team in the Pac-12 this year.
Still, it was a big moment for the Wildcats when their name flashed across the screen as a No. 3 seed considering the program has not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2005.
Head coach Adia Barnes will lead her team into the Mercado Region starting next Monday at 11 a.m. MST when the Wildcats take on 14th-seeded Stony Brook. UA's portion of the bracket includes several national brands including second-seeded Texas A&M.
A win over Stony Brook would give the Wildcats an opportunity to face No. 6 seed Rutgers or No. 11 seed BYU as those two teams are set to match up on Monday morning as well.
The Wildcats will avoid playing other top Pac-12 teams until the final rounds as Washington State is the only other program from the conference to be included in the Mercado Region.
NC State is the top seed in the region.
The last time UA went into the postseason tournament as a No. 3 seed was over 20 years ago in 1998 when Barnes was a player for the Wildcats, so the process has come full circle for the Arizona head coach.
"It's an amazing feeling, and it shows just how much we've turned everything around," Barnes said Monday evening. "And it's been because of the players. The players have poured their hearts out. We've gotten some good pieces and other good players joined, but we're just in the start. This is hopefully not a one-and-done thing.
"This is something I hope every year we're in this conversation and we're at this level. So, it's awesome to have been there as a player and now to do it as a coach. I think a lot of people don't have success at their alma mater. It's not easy. ... It's rewarding to do it because our hard work is paying off."
Arizona struggled heading into the conclusion of the regular season losing its final two games before the Pac-12 Tournament. After beating Washington State to open their time in Las Vegas earlier this month, the Wildcats fell their second matchup of the tournament as they lost to UCLA, 58-49.
Barnes' squad has been ranked throughout the entire season and has climbed as high as No. 6 on the Associate Press Top 25 poll. UA heads into the tournament as the 11th-ranked team in the country.
UA was on track to host during the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament last year before the event was canceled making the Wildcats even more eager to make their first appearance in The Big Dance under Barnes.
Arizona will be guided by its veterans led by Pac-12 Player of the Year and Pac-12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year Aari McDonald, who has named a preseason AP All-American heading into her final season with the Wildcats.
Barnes said her team has put together a one of its best week in the time since it left Las Vegas and the Pac-12 Tournament ahead of Monday's announcement. Bouncing back from its rough stretch is something the team is looking forward to doing once next Monday arrives.
"That loss it did hurt ... but we can't dwell on that loss," McDonald said of UA's semifinal loss to UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament. "It's only up from here. We have to get better. I'm really excited to see what we do."
McDonald participated in the NCAA Tournament when she was a member of the team at Washington, but senior forward Trinity Baptiste has not been able to take part in the postseason event during her career. Part of the reason she landed at Arizona after transferring from Virginia Tech was to be able to play the NCAA Tournament. She said Monday that she's happy to be busy for spring break this season as she prepares to play with the Wildcats next week, and she also understands that UA has to be ready for a new level of play coming off its rough stretch.
"This week has just been preparing ourselves mentally and physically as well, but mentally just to be ready for what's next," Baptiste said. "We plan to be there for a long time in Texas and we have to be mentally tough. That's been the biggest focus this week in practice between my teammates and I."
The entirety of this year's Women's NCAA Tournament will take place in Texas with San Antonio serving as the main hub for games. The Wildcats' first-round matchup against Stony Brook is set to be televised by ESPN2.
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