The Play-In Plus/Minus: Virginia Women’s Basketball Escapes Past Arizona State

Plus

A win is a win is a win. This game was not an advertisement for women’s basketball, but neither team left anything on the court. Trainers for both teams will be working overtime tonight to treat the bruises that will have come from so many players being pounded to the floor. In particular, any one of four screens on the night would have made Jack Salt proud.

Plus

In my lookahead-to-Arizona-State piece, I said that the game would be played to Tony-Bennett like 55 – 50 scoreline. I should have added that the game would be more like a rock fight than artistic performance. Virginia took an eight-point lead into the half, and after Arizona State clawed back, the Cavaliers opened the lead back to eight midway through the fourth quarter. (Virginia had taken a 48 – 40 lead on nearly identical, back-to-back steals and finishes by Kymora Johnson and Paris Clark.) I wrote at the time, “Could this be dam breaking?” No, it wasn’t as the Sun Devils hit back-to-back threes in response. And then it came down to who made the last shot.

Plus

On the biggest stage of her five-year career, Caitlin Weimar had an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double, needing just five shots to do so. She’s got such a quick release on her shot that she makes think of Jacari White. If he played in the post. In a game where Tabitha Amaze and Sa’Myah Smith struggled in the paint, Weimar was the difference maker.

Minus

This is not a big Arizona State team, featuring only trio of players standing 6’ 1” or taller. Virginia had only a 42 – 39 rebounding advantage, and while they grabbed 15 offensive boards, by my count, the Hoos only scored four second-chance points. Virginia’s length helped force Arizona State into a 36% shooting night (through three quarters, that number would hover around 29%.) Virginia actually shot worse on the night, going 21/65, or 32% from the floor. And for Virginia, it was even worse from deep as the Cavaliers shot 17% behind the arc. For bad measure, Virginia was just 11/17 from the free-throw line.

Plus

Despite the ineptitude, Virginia still came out with the win thanks to their defense. Coach Agugua-Hamilton opened with the zone and was successful switching back and forth between zone and man. Arizona State came in turning teams over 17 times/game and forcing 12 steals per game. Arizona State only had six steals and Virginia only turned the ball over ten times. For a team that was built around playing tough D and converting all those steals into easy points, Arizona State only scored, by my count, four fast break points. That was the game. The Sun Devils controlled the pace but Virgina controlled the ball.

Plus

Arizona State threw a lot of different defenders on Johnson. While she had a team-high 17 points, it took her 18 shots, and eight free throws to get there. But just like she has done all year, she once again showed that she’s the best player on the court every time she’s on the hardwood. Arizona State had just tied the game at 51 on Marley Washenitz’ fifth triple off the night. Following a scrum at half court, Johnson got the ball with State’s Gabby Elliott switched onto her. Elliott is not nearly defender that Last-Tear Poa and Jyah LoVett are and Mo went right at her. Never mind that Johnson was 1/5 from deep at the time, she took this three with 20 seconds left in the shot clock, for in essence, the win. This was a simply audacious shot.

KYMORA JOHNSON SEALS IT FOR VIRGINIA‼️

Her double-double leads the Hoos to the win in the First Four 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2Owv2EiIJL
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) March 20, 2026

In essence, this was the game winner. And the greats make these kinds of shots.

Plus

Sometimes it is good just to be lucky. With six seconds remaining, and Virginia clinging to 56 – 53 lead thanks to a pair of Weimar free-throws, State’s LoVett got into the paint. She had Washenitz, she of the five made threes, wide open behind the line and she kept the ball instead, driving to the rim. I’m sure she was trying to draw the And-1 at the rim. She did make the shot but there was no foul, but Washenitz for the three was the better option. She just missed her.

Plus

Who cares? Virginia got the win by doing what you have to do when tournament time rolls around. Just win so that you can live to play another day. Virgina is now officially in the NCAA Tournament and that was this season’s goal. There was some reporting late in the season as Virginia lost three in a row to end the season, that getting into March Madness was required if coach Mox was to retain her job. In that case, mission accomplished!

Next Up: Virginia now plays seventh-seeded Georgia on Sunday, March 22nd. Game time is 1:30pm and the game is on ESPN2. Georgia finished in a four-way tie for sixth in the SEC and were ranked #24 in the coach’s poll. It’s a lot harder from here on out.