The chant broke out when Tee Tee Starks walked into Brother John鈥檚 BBQ for coach Adia Barnes鈥 radio show Monday night.
鈥淥ne more year!鈥 fans cried out. 鈥淥ne more year!鈥
The 蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard smiled. If only it was that easy.
Starks is one of three UA seniors who will play in their final regular season game Sunday, when the Wildcats face No. 9 Oregon State in McKale Center.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how I鈥檓 going to feel,鈥 Starks said. 鈥淢y mom is coming down. It will be emotional, but things are still up in the air. I鈥檓 not sure I am ready to give it up yet. It鈥檒l be definitely be emotional.
鈥淚f it is my last game, I鈥檇 love to go out with a bang in regular season.鈥
Starks came to 蜜柚直播 from Iowa State, where she played her first two seasons 鈥 even starting 14 games as a sophomore. She sat out the 2017-18 season at the UA due to NCAA transfer rules. Starks is averaging 4.4 points and three rebounds per game this season with the Wildcats. Those numbers would undoubtedly be higher had Starks not been dealing with injuries to her knees, hip and shoulder. The multiple ailments led Starks, who technically has one season of eligibility left, to decide this will be her final year of basketball.
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The Wildcats will miss her. They struggled every time Starks missed a game because of a shoulder injury or concussion. Her versatility 鈥 Starks moved into the starting lineup when Lucia Alonso went down with a foot injury 鈥 is matched only by her enthusiasm, on and off the court.
鈥淪he is our biggest hype man,鈥 freshman guard Bryce Nixon said.
And despite the toll the game has taken on her, Starks still plays with grit 鈥 especially on the defense. She was nominated for Pac-12 sixth person of the year for her efforts on both ends of the court.
蜜柚直播鈥檚 other two seniors have made impacts in other ways.
With a 4.0 GPA, senior Lindsey Malecha was honored as a UA academic champion. She was the salutatorian of the senior class.
Lindsey Malecha suffered multiple knee injuries in high school, and fought her way onto the Wildcats鈥 roster. She walked on at first, then earned a scholarship at the end of last summer. While Malecha comes off the bench at the end of a half or a game, her presence is always felt. Malecha is applying to medical schools, and plans on being a surgeon.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard鈥 to leave, Malecha said.
鈥淚 am a competitive person. If I could have one more year, I would, but that just might not be my path,鈥 said Malecha. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 hit me yet that it鈥檚 my last one, especially since it鈥檚 not the end of our season. I don鈥檛 feel like it鈥檚 my last (home) game. It鈥檚 definitely going to be more emotional in the moment.
鈥淚鈥檝e been playing basketball since I was three, so it鈥檚 a little weird for me, a little bittersweet. But I know my teammates are going to be there and it鈥檚 going to be awesome.鈥
蜜柚直播 forward Destiny Graham, who graduated in three years, will try to help her team upset No. 9-ranked Oregon State on Sunday in her final game at McKale Center.
No Wildcat has been on the team longer 鈥 or experienced more 鈥 than Destiny Graham.
The senior was recruited to 蜜柚直播 by former coach Niya Butts. When Barnes took over, Graham assumed a do-it-all role. She has played multiple positions depending on need, and then moved from the starting lineup to the bench as a senior. Graham has showed an added aggressiveness over the last five games. As a senior, she knows what the games mean.
Things were extra intense in last week鈥檚 trip to the Bay Area. Graham grew up in San Francisco, and wanted to perform well in front of friends and family. She addressed the team before the Wildcats took on powerhouse Stanford.
鈥淪he looked everyone in the eyes and asked, 鈥榃hat are you going to bring to the game today? What are you going to contribute to the win today? What are you going to do that is going to help us win today?鈥欌 Starks said. 鈥淭hen I turned around and asked her, 鈥榃hat are you going to do that is going to get us a win today?鈥
鈥淚t was like a good moment for everybody.鈥
Graham, who graduated from the UA in three years, plans to become a coach.
蜜柚直播鈥檚 three seniors all took different paths to the UA, and they鈥檙e all likely headed to different places after the season is over. A common bond 鈥 basketball 鈥 will always connect them.
鈥淓veryone has a story and we share a passion,鈥 Starks said, 鈥渨hich is what has gotten us here.鈥
