The last time the Arizona women’s basketball team was in an NCAA tournament game, Aari McDonald was 7 years old and Adia Barnes was playing overseas after concluding her seven-year run in the WNBA.

It was so long ago — 14 years to be exact — that YouTube just hit the internet. Can you remember that?

Here Arizona is — in the first week of April — and the Wildcats are still in the postseason playing for Barnes with McDonald the catalyst. And it’s not the NCAA tournament. It’s the WNIT.

And 10,135 people showed up at McKale Center to watch the Wildcats (23-13) beat TCU 59-53 on Wednesday night to advance to the championship game Saturday at noon against Northwestern.

“I don’t think any programs in the Pac-12, or anywhere in the country, without even going to a tournament for a decade … I don’t think any school in this country has had a crowd like this under these circumstances,” Barnes said.

“I would put money on it.”

With the way Barnes is building this program, drawing recruits internationally as well as McDonald’s All-Americans like freshman Cate Reese, her vision (as she calls it) for an NCAA tournament-caliber team should evolve starting next year.

Adia Barnes wants at least 12,000 fans at McKale for Saturday's game against Northwestern for the WNIT championship at noon. pic.twitter.com/IrArYmT78U

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) April 4, 2019

A 15-year wait to return to March Madness should come to an end using this April Awakening in the WNIT as a springboard. With how the fans are coming out fervently — Barnes wants 12,000 Saturday — Arizona already has the fan support worthy of a Top 10 team.

“This city is rallying,” Barnes said. “Already, our season tickets are skyrocketed for next year. There’s momentum for us and that helps in every way.

“(The WNIT run) is enormous for this program.”

So enormous that Barnes said the program is serving notice to the NCAA that future March Madness games should be scheduled at McKale Center when — not if — the Wildcats get there.

Man, this place is rocking … pic.twitter.com/tVtI2luYVX

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) April 4, 2019

“I’m sure when we become a top 25 team, it is going to be a factor,” she said. “If we can draw 10,100 in a semifinal of the WNIT or sell out 14,000 in the final of the WNIT, there is no way we couldn’t host.”

Arizona embodies the fight of McDonald which is tough for opponents to match in addition to the crowd.

McDonald, a 5-foot-7 sparkplug, had 19 points against the physically-imposing Horned Frogs on a rough night from the field (making 8 of 23 shots). She made up for that with a team-best nine rebounds and four steals.

She willed Arizona to win and that’s a pretty strong will.

Lost fact: Arizona has played a program-record 36 games this season, including five in last 13 days in WNIT. Aari McDonald played 38 minutes tonight and Dominique McBryde 36. Adia Barnes and staff also doing a good job keeping team conditioned and ready. pic.twitter.com/0M03DDHATm

— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) April 4, 2019

Her turnover allowed TCU’s Kianna Ray to score a layup with 4:25 left, cutting Arizona’s lead to a precarious 46-43. The McKale crowd got antsy. Arizona did not. The Wildcats became even stronger defensively, allowing TCU to make one of its next eight shots.

“I just knew I couldn’t hang my head (after the turnover). I had to step up and have to be that leader for my team,” McDonald said. “I feel like our defense really helped us pull this win out.”

Her steals matched with Dominique McBryde’s three steals and Sam Thomas’ four blocked shots fueled Arizona against TCU’s size inside with Amy Okonkwo and Jordan Moore (combined 33 points and 21 rebounds).

TOP 10 WNIT CROWDS THIS POSTSEASON

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attd,Round,Result
TCU at Arizona,10135,Semifinals,Arizona won 59-53
Wyoming at Arizona,7717,Quarterfinals,Arizona won 67-45
Idaho at Arizona,6307,Third,Arizona won 68-60
TCU at Arkansas,5287,Third,Arkansas lost 82-78
Pepperdine at Wyoming,5134,Third,Wyoming won 61-60
UAB at Arkansas,3939,Second,Arkansas won 100-52
Houston at Arkansas,3689,First,Arkansas won 88-80
Pacific at Arizona,3534,Second,Arizona won 64-48
South Alabama at Wyoming,3405,Second,Wyoming won 78-71
Idaho State at Arizona,3265,First,Arizona won 66-56
[/table]

The Horned Frogs outrebounded the Wildcats 50-33 with guard Lauren Heard also grabbing 12 boards.

The equalizer was Arizona forcing TCU into 15 turnovers, including three shot-clock violations. The Wildcats had a 19-9 edge in points off turnovers while TCU’s edge in second-chance points was only 14-8.

Northwestern is more like Arizona than TCU. The Big Ten team, which lost to Arizona in the WNIT title in 1996 at Amarillo, Texas, had 10 steals on Wednesday night in a 74-69 win at James Madison in the other semifinal.

Pac-12 women season scoring leaders

[table sort=”desc”]
Year,Player,Team,Games,Points,Avg
2016-17,Kelsey Plum,Washington,35,1109,31.7
2013-14,Chiney Ogwumike,Stanford,37,967,26.1
2015-16,Kelsey Plum,Washington,37,960,25.9
2018-19,Aari McDonald,Arizona,36,871,24.2
2011-12,Nnemkadi Ogwumike,Stanford,36,809,22.5
2012-13,Chiney Ogwumike,Stanford,36,805,22.4
[/table]

Northwestern has won three games on the road in the WNIT largely because of its defense (25 points off turnovers against James Madison) and its execution on offense (15 assists on its 24 made field goals against the Dukes).

“I know their coach (Joe McKeown with 675 career wins in 37 years as a head coach) emphasizes a lot of mental toughness, and mental toughness down the stretch,” said McBryde, who played against Northwestern during her two years at Purdue before transferring last season.

“You know they’re going to play hard the whole entire game so we just have to match their intensity.”

2019 WNIT RESULTS AND SCHEDULES

AllSportsTucson.com

Access full bracket at this link.

Arizona’s Quad

FIRST ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Idaho State at Arizona,3265,Arizona won 66-56
Denver at New Mexico,2875,New Mexico lost 83-75
Northern Colorado at Wyoming,2685,Wyoming won 68-60
South Alabama at Lamar,1829,Lamar lost 73-71
Pepperdine at Cal Baptist,833,Cal Baptist lost 91-79
Pacific at Fresno State,599,Fresno State lost 77-72
Hawaii at St. Mary’s,444,St. Mary’s won 67-43
Idaho at Loyola Marymount,315,LMU lost 79-64
[/table]

SECOND ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Pacific at Arizona,3534,Arizona won 64-48
South Alabama at Wyoming,3405,Wyoming won 78-71
Denver at Idaho,1230,Idaho won 88-66
Pepperdine at St. Mary’s,325,Pepperdine won 65-61
[/table]

THIRD ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Idaho at Arizona,6307,Arizona won 68-60
Pepperdine at Wyoming,5134,Wyoming won 61-60
[/table]

QUARTERFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Wyoming at Arizona,7717,Arizona won 67-45
[/table]

Quad 2

FIRST ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Houston at Arkansas,3689,Arkansas won 88-80
Northern Iowa at Minnesota,2549,Minnesota won 91-75
UAB at Troy,2451,Troy lost 93-89
Youngstown State at Cincinnati,1951,Cincinnati won 76-62
Kent State at Green Bay,1269,Green Bay lost 64-59
Stephen F. Austin at UT Arlington,1159,UTA won 60-54
Prairie View at TCU,987,TCU won 72-41
Northeastern at Butler,437,Butler won 89-82
[/table]

SECOND ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
UAB at Arkansas,3939,Arkansas won 100-52
Minnesota at Cincinnati,1945,Cincinnati won 72-65
UT Arlington at TCU,1531,TCU won 71-54
Kent State at Butler,747,Butler won 70-52
[/table]

THIRD ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
TCU at Arkansas,5287,Arkansas lost 82-78
Butler at Cincinnati,2450,Cincinnati won 72-65
[/table]

QUARTERFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Cincinnati at TCU,2436,TCU won 69-55
[/table]

SEMIFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
TCU at Arizona,10135,Arizona won 59-53
[/table]

Quad 3
Opposite of Arizona

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
IUPUI at Middle Tennessee,1492,Middle Tennessee won 59-47
Seton Hall at Toledo,1289,Toledo won 71-65
Morehead State at Ohio State,1114,Ohio State lost 71-61
Rider at West Virginia,1032,West Virginia won 83-43
High Point at Ohio,567,Ohio won 81-74
Old Dominion at Villanova,521,Villanova won 86-81 (OT)
Western Kentucky at Miami (Ohio),338,Western Kentucky won 67-63
Dayton at Northwestern,325,Northwestern won 74-51
[/table]

SECOND ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Northwestern at Toledo,1879,Toledo lost 54-47
Villanova at West Virginia,1388,West Virginia won 64-57
Morehead State at Western Kentucky,1206,Western Kentucky won 68-65
Middle Tennessee at Ohio,867,Ohio won 59-57
[/table]

THIRD ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Western Kentucky at Ohio,1491,Ohio won 68-60
Northwestern at West Virginia,1314,West Virginia lost 56-54
[/table]

QUARTERFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Ohio at Northwestern,1031,Northwestern won 61-58
[/table]

Quad 4
Opposite of Arizona

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Stetson at South Florida,1357,South Florida won 84-50
North Carolina A&T at James Madison,1120,James Madison won 48-37
American at Penn,817,Penn won 64-45
Furman at Virginia Tech,681,Virginia Tech won 92-65
Charlotte at VCU,383,VCU won 65-52
Hartford at Providence,368,Providence won 71-54
Sacred Heart at Georgetown,345,Georgetown won 90-59
Drexel at Harvard,266,Harvard won 69-56
[/table]

SECOND ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
South Florida at James Madison,1120,James Madison won 48-37
VCU at Virginia Tech,781,Virginia Tech won 82-72
Penn at Providence,511,Providence won 64-54
Georgetown at Harvard,322,Harvard lost 70-65
[/table]

THIRD ROUND

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Georgetown at Providence,NL,Providence lost 53-46
Virginia Tech at James Madison,2872,James Madison won 70-66
[/table]

QUARTERFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Georgetown at James Madison,2074,James Madison won 54-44
[/table]

SEMIFINAL

[table sort=”descending”]
Game,Attendance,Result
Northwestern at James Madison,1992,James Madison lost 74-69
[/table]

CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday

Northwestern at Arizona, noon

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.