TUCSON, Ariz. – Both the Pac-12 coaches and media picked Arizona to finish in second in the Pac-12 this season, their highest selection since 2004. The Wildcats received two first-place votes in the coaches poll.
On the individual side of things,
Aari McDonald,
Cate Reese and
Sam Thomas were named Preseason All-Pac-12. All three were named All-Pac-12 last season.
McDonald, who was named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List earlier this morning, was also named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List and became Arizona's first preseason AP All-American last week. Last season, McDonald was the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Winner, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, WBCA All-American, AP second-team All-American, USBWA second-team All-American after leading the Pac-12 in scoring (20.6) and steals per game (2.3).
Reese, who was also named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List this morning, averaged 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while starting all 31 games of the season while being named Pac-12 Player of the Week twice. She has 15 career double-doubles, the sixth-most in school history. Reese was a finalist for the Katrina McClain Award last season and was named to the Watch List last week.
Thomas, a 2020 Pac-12 All-Defense selection, enters her senior season as one of the best defensive players in the country. She was the only player in the Pac-12 last season with 40 blocks and steals while also shooting 38% from three. She finished third on the team with 9.5 points per game and has started every game of her career.
2020-21 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
| Stanford (10) |
120 |
| Arizona (2) |
103 |
| Oregon |
103 |
| UCLA |
88 |
| Oregon State |
83 |
| USC |
69 |
| Arizona State |
61 |
| Utah |
52 |
| Colorado |
43 |
| California |
31 |
| Washington |
24 |
| Washington State |
15 |
2020-21 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
| Stanford (19) |
248 |
| Arizona (1) |
225 |
| Oregon |
201 |
| UCLA |
200 |
| Oregon State (1) |
174 |
| Arizona State |
135 |
| USC |
130 |
| Utah |
94 |
| California |
76 |
| Colorado |
75 |
| Washington |
53 |
| Washington State |
27 |
2020-21 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Erin Boley, Oregon
Kennedy Brown, Oregon State
Aleah Goodman, Oregon State
Lexie Hull, Stanford
Haley Jones, Stanford
Taylor Jones, Oregon State
Brynna Maxwell, Utah
Aari McDonald, Arizona
Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA
Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Alissa Pili, USC
Sedona Prince, Oregon
Cate Reese, Arizona
Sam Thomas, Arizona
Kiana Williams, Stanford
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