New on Sports Illustrated: Arizona Beats Indiana, Advances to First Women's Final Four in Women's Program History

-

Wildcats guard Aari McDonald led all scorers with 33 points in Arizona's 12-20 victory over Indiana on Monday night.

Arizona advanced to the first women's Final Four in program history on Monday with a 66-53 victory over Indiana in the Elite Eight. 

The Wildcats entered the 2021 women's tournament as a No. 3 seed in the Mercado region. They beat BYU 52-46 in the second round before a blowout win over No. 2 Texas A&M in the Sweet 16. And while Monday's contest was relatively close throughout, a stifling defensive effort vaulted Arizona to the Final Four. 

Arizona held Indiana to just 36.4 percent shooting on Monday night, including an ugly 0-9 mark from three. And as Indiana struggled, Arizona guard Aari McDonald shined. McDonald tallied 33 points on 12-20 shooting in Monday's win, continuing her dominant senior season. McDonald was named the 2021 Pac-12 Player of the Year, and she was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. If McDonald can replicate Monday's performance in the Final Four, perhaps a national title is in store.

The Wildcats face a tall task ahead in the Final Four. They will face

No. 1 UConn in the national semifinal, looking to knock off a Huskies squad that has reached 13 straight Final Fours.

2021 marks Arizona's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005. The Wildcats previously logged just one Sweet 16 appearance in 1998. 

More March Madness Content:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New on Sports Illustrated: The Patriots’ Post-Brady Era Begins Now

-
Image
In Mac Jones, Bill Belichick drafted a Round 1 quarterback for the first time ever—and looks to usher in a return to dominance. Of course the first time Bill Belichick drafts a first-round quarterback, it’s one for whom he could get an unvarnished scouting report from good buddy Nick Saban —and without even having to do any draft-day maneuvering. Now, the post-Tom Brady era in New England really begins. The Patriots treated 2020 as something of a gap year, with a league-high eight opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a starting quarterback, Cam Newton, who didn't sign with the team until June. They were, for the first time in two decades, mediocre, but that 7–9 record bought them the ticket to a fresh start: the No. 15 pick, which they used Thursday night on Alabama QB Mac Jones. The oft-cited statistic that Belichick had never drafted a QB higher than pick No. 62—used on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014—was inherently flawed, given that Belichick had Brady as a starter for 19 of
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 80 Prospect Rankings

-
Image
Ranking the top 80 players in the 2021 NBA draft with the NCAA tournament in the rearview. View the original article to see embedded media. With three months until draft night and the NBA’s regular season winding down , the league at large has begun shifting full focus to the off-season. Players have until May 30 to declare as early entrants for the draft, after which point the predraft process will open up in full, leading up to the combine and lottery at the end of June . Our Big Board is long overdue for an update, and fully expanded out to 80 prospects as we all attempt to make sense of the big picture moving forward. As usual, the Big Board is primarily based on my personal evaluations from both live viewings and on film, in many cases dating back several years. The rankings also incorporate feedback and opinions I glean from NBA executives, scouts, and others around the industry. This is not a mock draft, and team fit is not considered, but it is also intended to be somewhat
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NCAA Board of Governors Unanimously Votes to Extend Mark Emmert’s Contract

-
Despite recent controversy, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to extend Mark Emmert's contract through 2025. The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to extend president Mark Emmert's contract through Dec. 31, 2025. The news was announced Tuesday as a one-line news item buried within a larger update after the board's quarterly meeting. He's the fifth president in NCAA history and has been in the role since 2010. Emmert previously held high-ranking roles at Washington, LSU, Connecticut and Montana State. His base salary is reportedly $2.7 million.  Within the announcement, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to updating name, image and likeness rules. Dellenger: Inside the Hidden Industry of Name, Image and Likeness and the Changing World for College Athletes Emmert came under fire after disparities were shown between the men's and women's college basketball tournaments this year, specifically the weight room. Prior to the public backlash,
Read more