SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior UA forward Elizabeth Pickney drives to the basket between two Washington State defenders on Jan. 11 in McKale Center. Pickney and fellow senior LaKeisha Taylor were chosen in the WNBA Draft after the end of a disappointing year for the womenâs basketball team.

The Arizona womenâs basketball teamâs season didnât go exactly as planned.

After posting a mediocre 14-14 record, then being eliminated in the first round of the Pacific 10 Conference Tournament ÷ which ended their chances of earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament ÷ the Wildcats still managed to accumulate many accomplishments this season.

WNBA COMES CALLING

Senior forward Elizabeth Pickney and center LaKeisha Taylor were drafted in the fourth round of the 2002 WNBA draft and became the first two players in Arizona history to be drafted in the same year.

The Sacramento Monarchs selected Pickney, while the Indiana Fever drafted Taylor.

Pickney, a first-team All-Pac 10 player was the 12th pick in the fourth round of the draft.

ãI was excited and surprised that Sacramento drafted me,ä Pickney said. ãI just wanted to get the opportunity to get to play.ã

As UAâs leading scorer, with an average of 16.1 points per game, Pickney was the only Wildcat who started in all 28 games.

She is also the UA programâs all-time leader in games started with 112 and blocked shots with 147.

With 1,620 career points and 736 rebounds, Pickney is second in Arizonaâs history.

Taylor, the first pick of the fourth round, was the 49th pick overall.

In her senior year, Taylor averaged 9.6 points per game and grabbed an average of 5.7 rebounds per game.

Taylor finished the year with six career double-doubles and 28 career double-digit performances.

ãThis is a great way to go out in my senior year,ä Pickney said.

HIGH HONOR

Minutes before the award was announced, freshman guard Dee-Dee Wheeler said she had a feeling she was going to be named the Pac-10 Freshman Player of the Year after seeing herself in the season-recap video four times.

ãI was smiling and my teammates were yelling,ä Wheeler said. ãGirls on the other teams were also very supportive.ä

She was right, and Wheeler became just the second Wildcat to receive the award. Adia Barnes was the last UA player to have won the award after the 1994-95 season.

ãSheâs such a hard worker and very coachable,ä UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said. ãI definitely thought she deserved it and am extremely happy for her. This is just the beginning for her.ä

Wheeler was the Wildcatsâ second leading scorer with 12.6 points per game, including 19 double-digit scoring performances.

ãI either give it all up or I might as well go home,ä Wheeler said. ãBut the (award) does make me feel good.ä

BUZZER-BEATER ON IRISH

As time was about to expire ÷ with Notre Dame and Arizona tied at 70 ÷ Pickney hit a game-winning layup to defeat last yearâs NCAA Champion, 72-70, on Nov. 24.

With 27 points, 21 coming in the second half alone, the senior converted a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line to give the Wildcats one of their biggest wins of the season.

Junior forward Krista Warren tied the game with 20 seconds left just before Wheeler did what she does best ÷ the freshman picked off Notre Dameâs inbound pass.

Junior guard Julie Brase found Pickney down low for the winning shot.

Wheeler finished the night with a career-high 18 points.

REVENGED RIVAL

Every UA team has one thing in mind when it comes time to face rival ASU ÷ winning.

For the Wildcats, their season closing rematch marked just that.

Thatâs because the last time these two teams met, Bonvicini heard an ASU player state on national television that UA doesnât like to play defense.

ãI took that personally,ä she said. äOur team really wanted to win here. Records go out the window and itâs about winning and putting it on the line.ä

UA defeated the Sun Devils, 72-66, on its home court.

Taylor contributed 13 points and six rebounds.

The other half of the twin tower, Pickney, was held to just four points in 19 minutes.

ãBecause we were playing a rival, all we wanted was revenge,ä sophomore guard Aimee Grzyb said. ãWe wanted to show people that we were better than what they think.ä

For that one game, although the Sun Devils eliminated them in the first round of the Pac-10 Tournament, the Wildcats momentarily gained the respect they were looking for.