From Friday, Jan. 19, to Sunday, Jan. 21, the University of Arizona women’s basketball team traveled to Washington to compete against the University of Washington and Washington State University. The Wildcats left Washington with two losses, bringing their season record to (10-9, 2-5 in the Pac-12).

Arizona vs. Washington

The starting lineup consisted of Jada Williams, Helena Pueyo, Kailyn Gilbert, Esmery Martinez and Breya Cunningham. Washington won the tip-off and immediately put in a layup to start the game. Arizona’s defense started off strong, but the Huskies performed great ball movement, getting points on the board early. Arizona started to push the Huskies, creating intensity, but the Huskies were not phased.

Both teams started the second quarter with at least three turnovers. Meanwhile, Cunningham continued to suffer foul trouble, while Elle Ladine for the Huskies was putting on a show in Seattle, adding extra pressure on the Wildcats. 

The third period started with an early foul on Washington, giving Arizona two easy points. The Huskies started off strong, laying in multiple shots to stay in the lead. The open court was a danger for both teams.

Arizona continued to hang around in this last period. Gilbert took over Arizona’s offense in this half. With a steal by Gilbert and a three-pointer by Williams, the Wildcats created a close-scoring game. Arizona finally got their first lead of the night with a tough layup made by Williams. The lead continued to go back and forth. With miscommunication by Arizona on the final possession, the Huskies converted a wide-open layup in the closing seconds to win the game 62-60.

Arizona vs. Washington State

The starters for this game stayed the same as the Washington game. The Wildcats started off strong with a 3-pointer made by Williams. Arizona had a lot of opportunities to rack up the scoreboard, but they couldn’t finish their shots. The Wildcats continued to have a great defense that shook up Washington State.

Early in the game, the score stood at five points apiece, but the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run, led by six points from Gilbert, to take the lead. With a 9-0 run of their own, Washington State took a one-point lead into the second quarter. 

Coming out of halftime, Washington State started to amp up their play. Unable to keep pace, multiple fouls were being called on Arizona. Unfortunately, the Cougars’ offense started to dominate in the paint, getting them a win over Arizona. The final score of the game was 78-57. However, Cunningham had a great performance with eight rebounds and Gilbert recorded her fourth double-double of the season. 

Postgame and looking ahead

Even though the Wildcats lost both of these games on the road, they continuously showed resilience and teamwork as they pushed through these matchups, making it fun to watch. Both games showcased outstanding plays on both ends of the court, creating an exciting and frenetic back-and-forth action.

Arizona’s next game is against the University of California Berkeley in McKale Center on Friday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. 

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