Arizona takes a lot of pride in defense, but a defensive-oriented unit was not the fix against Washington State. A more offensive-minded unit got Arizona back into a game that was mostly dominated by the Cougars, but it wasn’t enough for the Wildcats to avoid the upset. A crucial momentum shift 30 seconds into the final quarter was a big reason why.
Four of Arizona’s starting five had double-digit negative +/- led by Cate Reese with -22 in 28 minutes. Lauren Fields was next with -17 in 18 minutes of play. Shaina Pellington had -13 in 18 minutes of play and Jade Loville had -11 in 22 minutes.