Trinity Baptiste, a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech who was instrumental in Arizona’s run to the national championship game, announced today that she will move on from the program after earning her master’s degree in Entrepreneurship this spring.
“This has been an unforgettable year,” Baptiste wrote in a social media post. “Thank you to my coaches, teammates, and all the wonderful people I was able to meet and build relationships with this past year.
“There is nothing that I would change about my journey. Most importantly thank Jesus for allowing me to spend my senior year at Arizona. … I am excited to see what God has in store for me in the next chapter of my life.”
Aari McDonald, a fifth-year senior, has announced she will move on to a WNBA career. Sam Thomas announced Monday during the welcome back celebration at Arizona Stadium that she will return for a fifth year.
The NCAA is allowing restored eligibility for athletes this school year because of the uncertainty of scheduling due to COVID-19 protocol.
Baptiste, 6-foot power forward from Tampa, Fla., came on strong in the NCAA Tournament averaging 9.5 points and 7.3 rebounds in the six games. She also shot 46.2 percent from the field, including 45.5 percent from 3-point range.
After Arizona beat Indiana in the Elite Eight, Adia Barnes said Baptiste “made a huge impact on our program.” This was after Baptiste had 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots against the Hoosiers in the 66-53 win.
“She’s brought muscle and toughness,” Barnes said. “She showed up big in controlling the boards. She has been phenomenal. I wish I would have coached her for four years.”
Baptiste averaged 8.6 points and 6.1 rebounds a game throughout the season.
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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.
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