Ify Ibekwe will go down as one of the best players in school history, and on Friday, November 23rd, she will forever be enshrined in McKale Center as her name will be hung from a banner in the Arizona Ring of Honor during the game against South Carolina State. She will find her name next to the likes of Davellyn Whyte, Dee Dee Wheeler, Shawntinice Polk and current head basketball coach Adia Barnes.
"She was an incredible player here at Arizona," Barnes said. "I got a chance to get to know when I was broadcasting for the Seattle Storm. She was athletic, had good size and was able to play multiple positions."
Ibekwe came to Tucson in 2007 with the chance to make an immediate impact. She came off the bench in the first six games of her career, but broke into the starting lineup after scoring 22 points on 10-11 shooting against Middle Tennessee in late November. She would go on to start in a total of 13 games as a freshman and record six double-doubles, putting her on her way to becoming the Arizona career record holder in both rebounds and double-doubles.
After four seasons in Tucson, Ibekwe is now the all-time leader in rebounds (1,194) and double-doubles (55), and is also second in blocks (166), fourth in points (1,653 points) and fifth in steals (228). She has three of the top five rebounding totals in a single season, including the top spot, and has the second and third spot in double-doubles. She left as a two-time All-American, a three-time All-Pac-10 honoree, a Pac-10 All-Freshman honoree and was the 2011 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
Ibekwe was a member of Arizona's last team to play in the postseason in 2011 when she led the Wildcats to the WNIT with a 21-11 record in the regular season. She averaged 16.1 points and 9.8 rebounds as a senior while putting up 16 double-doubles.
"She is the type of player I would love to have on my team," Barnes said. "She is a great person and works hard. Ify is one of those players that I want to create here at Arizona culture wise. She is a perfect example of a person who achieved her goals because she worked hard, and our players can learn from that."
ArizonaWildcats.com caught up with Ibekwe to get her thoughts on being inducted into the Ring of Honor.
Q: Did you ever think it was possible to have your name up in the rafters at McKale Center?
A: On my recruiting trip I went to McKale and the moment I walked in there I got chills. I looked up and I told the coaches that I was going to be up there. I already knew I was going to commit to Arizona and I had a feeling my name was going to be up there. I was in tears when they called me to tell me I was going to be in the ring of honor. The fact that I said that and it happened is amazing and it's a blessing.
Q: What does it mean to you to have your name forever enshrined in McKale Center?
A: It's a legacy that will live on forever. My family, my children and my children's children will be able to see it. I don't think it will hit me how special it is until I'm there. Just thinking about it is an amazing feeling."
Q: What do you think is the biggest reason you had so much success?
A: Coach Joan Bonvicini lit a fire under me when I was there. I had a lot of good coaches when I was at Arizona and they all lit a fire under me. It was something inside me that I wanted and I wanted to make a statement. I love Tucson and it is an amazing atmosphere.
Q: What was your favorite memory from your time in Tucson?
A: There are so many. Beating ASU my senior year was a huge one, I think I had over 20 points and 20 rebounds. Getting to play in the postseason my senior year and being named to the All-Freshmen team was special too. I have a lot of great memories with my teammates and I'm still good friends with them. We were so hyped when we beat ASU because we hadn't beaten them in a long time. I knew I wanted to beat ASU before I left. There are a lot of good memories, but that one sticks out.
Q: What do you want to do after basketball?
A: I think about it all the time. I try to reach out to coaches to talk to them about life post-basketball. I would love to be a Director of Basketball Operations. I also majored in Psychology and I'd love to go back to school to become a sports psychologist. I would love to come back to Arizona and just be a part of an NCAA Women's Basketball team.
Q: What is something you would tell the current team?
A: It can be hard and it can be stressful, but if you have a goal, don't think that it is impossible to achieve. You have to be dedicated, disciplined and you have to have that constant passion. There will be times where you don't want to go to 6 a.m. workouts or you don't want to go to practice. Whatever it is, if you have a goal and you want to reach that goal, you will have to make sacrifices. You have to discipline yourself and you have to be on yourself. I think being positive mentally is so important. I would say never be afraid to be great at something you're good at and that is something that I had to constantly tell myself. If you have to come in early or stay late, that is something you have to do. You can only do this one time in your life.
