Arizona’s Aari McDonald named Pac-12 Player of the Week
The Washington transfer, Aari McDonald, is fitting right in with Arizona.
Arizona’s Aari McDonald was named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week for games played last week. It’s McDonald’s second time taking home that honor this season.
It’s also only the second time Arizona has had a two time player of the week. The last was Candice Warthen back in 2015.
In two games played last week, McDonald averaged 26.5 points per game, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.5 steals. She helped extend Arizona’s winning streak to five games with victories over Incarnate Word and San Diego State.
She had 24 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the win over Incarnate Word, and then followed that up with 29 points, nine rebounds, and four assists in the win over San Diego State.
Not only has McDonald been the Wildcats leading scorer this season, she is second in the nation in scoring with 26.6 points per game behind only Buffalo guard Cierra Dillard’s 26.7.
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McDonald is a redshirt sophomore having sat out last season after transferring from Washington. Arizona head coach Adia Barnes was an assistant coach with the Huskies for McDonald’s freshman season.
McDonald isn’t just an explosive scorer, she is one of the best defensive players in the Pac-12 as well. She’s already made a major impact on the Wildcats in her debut season. Arizona won only six games all of last season, finishing at 6-24.
They’ve managed six wins already this season and currently sit at 6-1, good enough for fifth in the Pac-12 through non-conference play.
When McDonald won conference Player of the Week earlier in the season, she was actually leading the nation in scoring. In Arizona’s only loss of the season to Loyola Marymount, she had a career-high 39 points.
McDonald will look to continue her hot start to the season this week when the Wildcats host Montana on Dec. 5 then travel to Long Beach State on Dec. 9.