Washington scored the first points in Sunday's game against No. 10 Arizona, but that was about the only thing that went in favor of the Huskies. The Wildcats eventually led by as many as 26 points thanks to strong play from seniors Aari McDonald and Sam Thomas in what could be their final appearance at McKale Center.
The UA duo combined for 40 points to secure a 75-53 victory over the Huskies and complete a home sweep of the Washington schools in the final home games of the season.
Thomas and McDonald have been key pieces of building the program into what it is today, so being able to shine one more time at home is certainly an appropriate send off if they don't return next season.
"Definitely had a lot of fun playing today," Thomas said. "Shaina (Pellington) hit a three, Lauren (Ware) hit a three. Everyone was just hitting today. So, it's definitely nice to have that on Senior Night our last time playing in McKale all three together as well. So, it was just a great experience and to have our families there.
"... My teammates just found me. In practices we knew Washington was gonna play a lot of zone, many different types of zone. So, we just knew that the threes were gonna be open, so I just tried to do my job and hit when my teammates fed me the ball."
While McDonald is well known for her ability to dominate the game on the offensive end of the floor, Thomas has become known for her abilities as a defender. However, Sunday it was Thomas who was able to showcase her offensive abilities as she hit six 3-pointers to finish with 20 points in the win.
That performance helped the Wildcats (14-2, 12-2 Pac-12) hit a new single-game program record for 3-point shooting percentage after knocking down 12 of 16 shots from deep against UW (5-11, 2-11).
"We're just so much better when Sam is on point and she's aggressive," UA head coach Adia Barnes said. "We're just a better team. We spread the floor better. I love it when she's aggressive and doesn't pass up shots. We're just a better team with Sam playing like that.
"We know Sam is always going to be constant and consistent on defense, but when she's doing that and she's looking for her shots and she's hitting them and looking for her drives we're just a better team overall. So I want her to continue to do that."
The win helped Arizona seal an 11-1 record at McKale Center this season with team set to finish the regular season on the road for its final three matchups starting with a key road trip to the Bay Area next week followed by a visit to Tempe to take on Arizona State.
A win in the matchup with Stanford would help continue to boost Arizona's stock heading into the postseason while also giving the Wildcats a shot at winning the Pac-12 title.
However, after taking missing a couple weeks because of COVID-19 issues Barnes has her team focused on the here and now not what is coming down the road. For now the Wildcats are confident they are playing their best at the time when it matters.
"We're on an upward trajectory, we're playing better," Barnes said. "Our offense has improved, but I think a lot of that is coming from the work we're putting in. Skill work, we're still doing a lot of those little things. We're still working on our fundamentals and it's starting to show because it's paying off now."
As for the senior trio of McDonald, Thomas and Trinity Baptiste the UA head coach feels confident that at least one member of the group will be taking advantage of the opportunity to return for one more season with a chance that two of players come back for another year.
"Someone will come back," Barnes said. "Not sure who but someone will. I don't think I'll be three for three. I'll be one for three or two for three. I'm pretty confident in that."
The NCAA is allowing all athletes to have an extra season of eligibility because of how much the COVID-19 pandemic impacted teams this year.
Arizona's next game will come Friday afternoon on the road against Cal with tip off set for 1:30 p.m. MST.
WATCH: Arizona's seniors discuss their final home game at McKale Center
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