'We made history today': 蜜柚直播 Wildcats react to winning WNIT championship

Justin Spears
Apr 6, 2019
Apr 6, 2019 Updated Apr 8, 2019

Best video clips from 蜜柚直播's celebration after winning the 2019 WNIT championship.聽

UA takes down Northwestern to claim WNIT championship

Adia Barnes, Aari McDonald — Justin Spears / 蜜柚直播

For the first time since 1996, the 蜜柚直播 women's basketball team cut down the nets after winning the WNIT championship. In front of a sellout crowd of 14,644 at McKale Center 鈥� a program and Pac-12 record 鈥� the Wildcats cruised by Northwestern 56-42 on Saturday.聽

UA sophomore guard Aari McDonald finished the afternoon with 19 points and seven rebounds to be named the tournament MVP and to the all-WNIT team.

蜜柚直播 finished 6-24 last season, improving to 24-13 this season after six wins in the WNIT to account for the largest turnaround in program history.

All five starters in McDonald, Cate Reese, Sam Thomas, Tee Tee Starks and Dominique McBryde are set to return to UA next season. Head coach Adia Barnes and her starting lineup spoke during the postgame press conference and sported the WNIT championship t-shirts, here's what they had to say.聽

蜜柚直播's celebration

Adia Barnes cut down the nets in the 1996 championship as a player. Barnes gets to do it again as a head coach for the Wildcats. 鉁傦笍馃弳
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Cats hoist the hardware after winning the championship. 馃弳
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

champs. 馃弳
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Ball game! 蜜柚直播 women鈥檚 basketball wins the WNIT championship for the first time since 1996!
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

蜜柚直播's 'magical run'

Adia Barnes after winning the WNIT championship in front of a sellout crowd at McKale Center: 鈥淚t was amazing. It was magical. We made history today.鈥�
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

McDonald, the MVP

蜜柚直播 guard Aari McDonald on receiving MVP honors:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Returning all five starters

Adia Barnes on having all five starters return for next season:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Expectations have been set for 2019-20

Adia Barnes says 蜜柚直播鈥檚 expectations for next season is to receive a bid for the NCAA Tournament.
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Stark's big decision was an easy one

Tee Tee Starks says returning to 蜜柚直播 for next season 鈥渨asn鈥檛 a hard decision.鈥�
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Competitive Cate

Where does Cate Reese get her competitive drive? Reese:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Locking down in third quarter

Sam Thomas on 蜜柚直播 cleaning up in the second half:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Cats looking forward to summer

Aari McDonald and the Wildcats are eager to return to the gym over the summer and prepare for next season. 鈥淲e can build something special.鈥�
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

蜜柚直播's core became leaders this season

Adia Barnes says 蜜柚直播鈥檚 returning cast for next season has matured and become leaders. 鈥淓very single one of them has taken a big step towards better leadership.鈥�
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Players on Adia Barnes' coaching style

Tee Tee Starks, Aari McDonald and Cate Reese on what makes Adia Barnes a special coach:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

UA legends rally behind team

Aari McDonald and Cate Reese on the support videos from UA community leading up to championship:
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)

Using the sold out McKale Center as a recruiting tool

Adia Barnes says today鈥檚 sellout crowd at McKale Center builds momentum for recruiting. 鈥淗ow many places in the country for women鈥檚 basketball have 15,000 fans? ... This helps. Recruits are watching.鈥�
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)