Arizona Wildcats Reporters Round Table Video: Aari McDonald's Drysdale Award Carries Historic Ramifications for Arizona

All-American Guard Among Men's & Women's Elite

Never in the history of women’s basketball at Arizona since the program started in 1972-73 had a player won a national player of the year honor.

The Wildcats’ coach, Adia Barnes, was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1997-98, the highest individual honor achieved by an Arizona player until Monday.

Aari McDonald added to her accolades as the winner of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for the top shooting guard in the country, as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

McDonald is the first player in school history to win one of the five Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame women’s positional awards.

She joins an elite club in the history of Arizona men’s and women’s hoops to earn a national player of the year distinction. Only eight men have that honor including the likes of Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott, Jason Terry, Jason Gardner, Mike Bibby, Deandre Ayton and Stanley Johnson. 

You can read more about McDonald at AllSportsTucson.com.