Aari McDonald wasn’t a top 10 recruit. She wasn’t a McDonald’s All-American. The No. 55 recruit in the Class of 2016 was one of the best college basketball players in the country for her three years on the court at Arizona, though.
What made the difference for her and that Arizona team that pushed its way into the national conversation on a run to the national title game? Buying in and sticking together, the Wildcat great said.
McDonald noted that when Arizona got to the national championship game
in 2021, most of the core had been together for a while. Sam Thomas had been around for four years. McDonald had been in the program for four years, including her year in residence under the old transfer rules. Cate Reese had been in the program for three years. Helena Pueyo was a sophomore. Shaina Pellington was in her second year in the program after sitting out the previous season due to transfer rules.
“The team I was on, we went to the tournament and made that deep run, we all been playing each other for years, so we knew the system, we knew each other’s tendencies,” McDonald said.
It wasn’t all about familiarity, though. Two of Arizona’s starters transferred in that season. It was the only year that Trinity Baptiste spent on the roster. Bendu Yeaney was in the first of her two seasons as a Wildcat. What about them? That was all about the buy-in and players embracing their roles under former head coach Adia Barnes’ system.
“We all had a common goal,” McDonald said. “We wanted to win. Obviously, we fell short, but I think that we were all competitive. We wanted to win. We bought into what Coach Barnes was teaching us, and we…didn’t have anything to lose. So, I mean, I think that’s what made it click for us.”
McDonald and her teammates found their way into the hearts of Tucson, too. Her best memory was selling out McKale Center for the 2019 WNIT title game. She didn’t want to take all the credit for that, though.
“You got to give our coach credit,” McDonald said. “We were always in the community doing work, and we knew we always had to start there. I mean, without our fans and our community, you were nothing. So just for them, just to pack the house out for us and make McKale one of the hardest places to play, I appreciate that. So I mean, in return, all I can do is just play hard for them.”
McDonald sees that in new head coach Becky Burke and the current Arizona team.
“I feel like, with everyone being new here, I think I definitely see that potential, just building that core, and then it’s just grabbing pieces and just making sure everybody know their role, and just make sure they’re buying into what Coach Burke and other coaches are presenting them,” McDonald said. “But I mean, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it’s going to take some time, and just got to be patient and just keep stacking days and get better.”
McDonald definitely sees some of herself in another diminutive point guard. Lani Cornfield is tied for second in the country in assists per game after Arizona’s win over NAU. She went into the game in first, but her 8.8 apg are now narrowly behind Kentucky’s Tonie Morgan (8.9). Cornfield is also working on the other end with 2.0 steals per game.
“Of course, her downhill drives, her defensive tenacity and just how she can create shots for people,” McDonald says. “I think she leaves the league—or the nation, I’m sorry—in assists. So I’m a fan of her…I think she has that dog mentality, and I just can’t wait to see the improvement in that.”
Having “that dog mentality” and improving on it have kept McDonald on the court through the ups and downs of her professional career. They have taken her two three WNBA cities, a brief stay in Hungary, a season in Australia, and a stint in China. While she had great showings in Australia and China, things weren’t good in Hungary and she’s had to fight for time on the court at times in the WNBA.
“I feel like just throughout my career, I just had to really fight and just scratch and claw and just always constantly had to prove myself,” McDonald said. “But, I mean, I’m used to this as part of my journey, as part of the grind, and I kind of love when my back’s against the wall and make it feel like no one believes me. I feel like that’s always kind of been my story.”
Since leaving Arizona, McDonald was drafted No. 3 by the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, spent a couple of years in an unsettled system in Atlanta, was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, then was cut before the season last year after one year in LA.
“That was one of the hardest things I had to go through, but just had to take it day by day,” McDonald said. “I gave myself a couple days to sulk, but, I mean, after that, it was back to work. I was back in the gym, back at home in Fresno. I’m working out and just making sure that I stayed grounded, had a positive mindset, and I just knew that my opportunity would come, but I had to be ready for it.”
That opportunity did come. It came with the Indiana Fever, a team that gets more attention than any other in the league. That all comes down to Caitlin Clark. While McDonald and Clark were only simultaneously healthy for “about four games,” McDonald has a high opinion of her teammate.
“It felt good to be CC’s teammate,” McDonald said. “She’s a really good person, and got to know her, been around her a little bit all season, just rehabbing together. Really great person, great teammate. And it’s just impressive, just how she handles everything, all the attention and it’s like she doesn’t pay any mind to it. And so I really admire her about that. But then again, she always shows love to her fans, and the kids always comes out to support us.”
McDonald has dealt with injuries a few times her last two years in the WNBA. She didn’t play the whole 2024 season in LA, although she got healthy and went to China in the offseason. Despite always describing herself as a “homebody,” she was planning to go back this year before an injury on Aug. 7 forced her to have surgery.
“Oh, I love China,” McDonald said. “We were in Beijing last year…It was amazing. Definitely a culture shock. Had to get out our comfort zones. But, I mean, I loved it, and I still talk to the girls to this day.”
McDonald said she’s 12-13 weeks post op now, so most of her time has been focused on getting healthy for the 2026 WNBA season. That, of course, assumes that the CBA will get worked out in the interim.
Since she wasn’t going to be ready for overseas leagues, McDonald will be playing in Unrivaled for the Breeze this offseason. The 3×3 league is going into its second year. It will be a new way of playing for McDonald.
“I just wanted to make sure I’ll be healthy within my timeline,” she said. “And so I felt like Unrivaled was the best opportunity for me, and just make sure that my body is healthy. And we’re gonna see how this three-on-three format is gonna go. I mean, I feel like just watching it last year, I feel like it suits me in my style of play, just three on three and just fast full court. So I’m very excited, and I can’t wait to see how this goes.”
She also gets to hook up with former teammates and opponents. Cameron Brink was her teammate with the LA Sparks in 2024 and will be once again on the Breeze. She was also on the Stanford team that kept Arizona from getting its first title in 2021.
“We briefly talked about it,” McDonald said. “You know, I thought that was gonna be the first thing that she was gonna mention, cuz I’m like, All right, that’s still a little sore spot. But we talked about it briefly, and she was like, Dude, we know you’re gonna get the ball. We just had to stop you. So we just laughed about it, but I’m over it. It’s hers. She can have it.”
Another big name on the Breeze didn’t fair as well against McDonald in 2021. Paige Bueckers was a freshman on the UConn team Arizona upset in the Final Four.
“It’s gonna be interesting,” McDonald said. “It’s all love with Paige, though. She’s good people, good player, and I’m excited to finally play with her, so we’ll see how that goes. But, I mean, I think we have a squad on Unrivaled.”
As for the Arizona squad she came back to support, McDonald left them with one overriding message. It was one of alumnae being there for the next generation.
“I’ve been watching,” McDonald said. “I’m a fan of theirs. In just our small, brief moments, I just made sure to tell them…use me as a resource. When I played here, I kind of didn’t have that many resources to come back and give that game or that knowledge to us. So, I mean, I just told them, if you can see me, you can be me. It’s about the visibility and just that if they need anything, just reach out to me and I’ll be there for them.”
