TUCSON – They arrived early, some lining up at the entrances to McKale Center two hours before tip-off, and they stayed late, just to watch their Wildcats dance and bang a drum to celebrate a victory over Arizona State.
Arizona coach Adia Barnes took the microphone.
“There aren’t a lot of venues like this in women’s basketball,” she told the crowd. “Thank you.”
Less than a year ago, McKale Center was not a venue “like this,” at least not in the women’s game. An arena that was loud and intimidating when the men played, McKale was cavernous and echoey when the women played.