Growing up, my parents always told me to remain optimistic. They were also pretty good at making excuses for me.

When I was cut from the travel basketball team — three times — in middle school, my mother insisted I wasn’t making the team because these type of things are “all political.” It wasn’t about my skills.

The reality was I just wasn’t that good of a basketball player. I’m still not that good.

That reality has finally set in, eight years later.

The Arizona women’s basketball team does not have eight years. It has lost eight games in a row, though, and 11 of its last 13. It is plain to see that the season, for all intents and purposes, is over. Time to look toward next year and a potentially bright future.

An 11-1 start to the season provided optimism for the team’s postseason chances, and showed that this team might have some ability. Davellyn Whyte’s torrid start helped the Wildcats win 11 games. Whyte’s recent slump has played a big role in Arizona losing 11 games since the game on New Year’s Eve.

Obviously, the struggles of an entire team can’t be placed on the shoulders of one girl. But on a team where the talent around her has been inconsistent at best, scoring 11 points or less in five of the last eight games just won’t cut it.

It’s a great time for realization. This team just isn’t good. That’s not saying they won’t be decent in the future, however.
An 11-1 start is great, but it doesn’t mean anything with a 2-11 finish. Every single one of those losses came in the Pac-12 Conference.

This is college, it comes right before the real world, and the time for sugarcoating things and blaming failures on ‘politics” has ended. Niya Butts is a good basketball coach and there are players on this team with talent.

Whyte is one of the best players in the Pac-12, but she has proven she can’t lead this team on her own. Candice Warthen, Erica Barnes, Shanita Arnold and Aley Rohde have all shown flashes of talent — but never at the same time.

In talking to Butts and players in press conferences and postgame interviews, the team still seems to remain optimistic. And that’s fine — going into a game expecting to lose is not a good way to go about things. But positivity off the court doesn’t necessarily bring positive results on it.

The 11-1 start was an unfortunate tease, and largely why the Wildcats remain confident about their chances going forward. In theory, any team can go on a run in the Pac-12 Tournament and win every game.

In theory, I could try out for the team and become a Jewish Juwanna Mann.

In reality, however unfortunate that may be, that isn’t going to happen.

Most importantly, the Arizona Wildcats will not win the Pac-12. They will not make the NCAA tournament.

And no, Mom, it’s not political. They just aren’t very good.

— Zack Rosenblatt is the assistant sports editor. He can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatSports.