The Arizona Wildcats won the WNIT Championship Saturday.
Sunday was a day of rest. Well, for everyone but Sam Thomas. She was back in the gym 鈥 that happens when you are a coach鈥檚 daughter.
The rest of her teammates are taking a few weeks off before starting to train for next season.
Meanwhile, the UA athletic department is getting back work Monday to 鈥渄o it again. To feel that again. It鈥檚 not time to sit back on our laurels. We have to take it and vault,鈥 said Dave Heeke, the UA鈥檚 athletic director.
The Star sat down with Heeke on Sunday, in between a Pac-12 men鈥檚 basketball conference call and a UA tennis match, to talk about the WNIT run, the investment in women鈥檚 basketball, and UA star Aari McDonald.
With a mysterious process of hosting in the WNIT 鈥 no seeded teams 鈥 how was Arizona able to host all six games?
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A: 鈥淚t was a combination of attendance, revenue generated and enthusiasm around the games. The WNIT was looking for electric places. All of these things worked in our favor. I give credit to Adia (Barnes), the players and the fan base for making the WNIT so exciting. We wanted to make sure we were financially competitive.鈥
It didn鈥檛 look like you would host the Wyoming game, but Barnes said you 鈥渕ade an offer they couldn鈥檛 refuse.鈥 What was that offer?
A: 鈥淲yoming has a history of drawing well. I won鈥檛 get into the specific numbers 鈥 we went back to work as a team, internally, and sharpened our pencils to put together a very attractive business deal. The WNIT saw the excitement here and we made them a very attractive offer so it was worthwhile for it to be here. We have to be financially responsible 鈥攚e never went into it spending money we didn鈥檛 have.鈥
Why were you all in supporting Barnes and this program?
A: 鈥淲hen I was hired at Arizona, I had a chance to spend time with Adia and hear her process, her vision for this program 鈥 her passion for the UA, playing here and how important it is to her. She inspires me to want to be her partner in that and help her reach her goals. I am all in on all sports here, but with Adia there is so much opportunity. This has a lot of energy going forward. I like being her partner and being on her team.
鈥淭hese things work when you have great alignment. There is great alignment with Adia, and it works into what we鈥檙e trying to do. At that point it鈥檚 about making strategic investments. They鈥檝e been in the early stages the last two years. The other thing we did was make women鈥檚 basketball a priority here 鈥 the way we support it. It鈥檚 a priority to help it move in a really positive direction.
鈥淎dia does an incredible job engaging with the community. They feel and see the energy. She cares about people. Yet she demands excellence, demands effort and focus. She doesn鈥檛 shy away from wanting to be great.
During the celebration on the court Saturday, you high-fived Semaj Smith. How excited were you that this team won the championship?
A: 鈥淚 am so happy when I see smiles on their faces. It鈥檚 neat to be around them. It鈥檚 an unbelievable memorable moment 鈥 a huge moment for those student-athletes. I couldn鈥檛 be more happy for Adia, the staff, all the people behind the scenes and more important, the student-athletes. Happy to see the pure joy of being successful and winning the championship. It鈥檚 fun to be along for the ride.
鈥淎nd I can鈥檛 wait for the future. You get great runs and you have to take advantage of them. You don鈥檛 know when it鈥檚 going to happen again.鈥
You鈥檝e seen a lot of great players over your career, what do you think of Aari McDonald?
A: 鈥淎ari is fabulous. She鈥檚 so exciting. All the things she can do 鈥 she is remarkable. She鈥檚 made an impact this year and in the game. She reminds me of Magic Johnson in high school in Lansing, Michigan, and in college at Michigan State. He changed the game for me. The things they do 鈥 multiple 鈥榃ows鈥 every night. She鈥檚 exciting. The great ones have the ability to be great on the court and be humble off the court. And they rally their team, so it works.鈥
So, are you going to give Barnes a lifetime contract?
A: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what a lifetime contract looks like. But, Adia and I have talked about it. We want her to be able to realize her goal of putting Arizona back on the map. We have every intention of keeping her here for a long time.
鈥淭here is a lot involved and it can鈥檛 be done in a few days. We have to look at the budget, the facilities and other things 鈥 all these pieces together, so she can be successful.
鈥淲e are taking a deep dive and putting it in a place for the long term. We are asking Adia what she needs that helps her move the needle to get the program where she wants it. We鈥檙e going to do those things.鈥
The buzz was 鈥榯he truth鈥
Reggie Geary and Corey Williams were seniors on the men鈥檚 basketball team in 1996 鈥 when the women won the WNIT title. They鈥檝e known Barnes a long time and both aren鈥檛 surprised that she鈥檚 brought the program to this point.
鈥淚f you are around Adia day in and day out, she exudes confidence that comes from a long history of success,鈥 said Geary, who is now UA鈥檚 director of development. 鈥淚f your head coach is confident and expects that, it bleeds into the team and is in the makeup. They are a well-organized, competitive and feisty group鈥攎uch like how Adia played.鈥
Williams added: 鈥(Back in 1996) the buzz about Adia was the truth. She was a very good player. She was a special player. She had a different energy level than anyone on the court. It鈥檚 not a coincidence at all that Adia is here. I believe when you have a coach who it means more to on a personnel level, it seeps over. It鈥檚 got to bring something extra.
鈥淎s a young person to have your coach believe that you can do things you don鈥檛 think you are capable of doing is everything. Her desire, her drive, she infuses that into her players and they play the same way.鈥
Brenda Pantoja 鈥 who dished out 13 assists in that 1996 championship game 鈥 knew that Barnes would be successful.
鈥淓veryone knows what Adia means to this program and to the university and what she鈥檚 accomplished is incredible,鈥 said Pantoja.
鈥淚t鈥檚 special and a great success story. I played with one of the most driven, committed and hungry players 鈥 wanting to be the best on the floor every day. What you are seeing her accomplish doesn鈥檛 surprise me. This is a great run for the players, and everything she鈥檚 done is a class act 鈥 from her playing at Arizona, playing professionally, and broadcasting to taking over as coach at her alma mater 鈥 that鈥檚 Adia. That鈥檚 who she was and who she will always be.鈥
鈥淲e Are the Champions鈥
As Dominique McBryde climbed the ladder to cut the net Saturday, the song 鈥淲e Are the Champions鈥 by Queen came over the sound system at McKale Center. A perfect song for the occasion and even more perfect for the player who loves music from that era and is always singing and dancing.
She didn鈥檛 disappoint the fans as she sang and acted like Freddie Mercury on stage.
鈥淚鈥檓 glad the song came on so I could do all that. It was fun,鈥 said McBryde. 鈥淚鈥檓 glad the crowd got involved with it. That鈥檚 definitely who I am. I鈥檓 glad my teammates were part of it 鈥 and I鈥檓 going to get jokes about it later. But, that鈥檚 just who I am.鈥
Teammate Sam Thomas was surprised they actually got to cut the net.
鈥淚 never thought I鈥檇 be doing that. I didn鈥檛 even know if we won we鈥檇 be cutting down the net. I just thought we鈥檇 get the T-shirts that said WNIT champs. But we got to cut down the net. It was the most amazing feeling ever,鈥 said Thomas.
No postgame speech
Wonder what Barnes said to her team in the locker room after they won?
鈥淪he (Barnes) really didn鈥檛 say anything,鈥 Thomas said. 鈥淲e just poured water on her. She said some words like 鈥榞ood job. I am so proud of you guys.鈥
鈥淲e were still pouring water and had confetti. We had some poppers in there. We just had everything.鈥
