Arizona’s Cate Reese shines in McDonald’s All-American game

Cate Reese broke barriers Wednesday, becoming the first Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball recruit to play in the McDonald’s All-American game.

The five-star prospect had 8 points and 5 rebounds on 4-7 shooting in 14 minutes in a winning effort.

The 6-foot-1 Reese displayed a smooth jumper, her usual tenacity on the glass, and even the ability to handle the ball as the West took down the East, 82-79, at Phillips Arena in Atlanta.

Reese is the headliner of Arizona’s highly-touted 2018 recruiting class. The group, which consists of five signees, ranks No. 5 in the country, per ProspectsNation.com.

Reese is pegged as the No. 14 overall prospect in ESPN’s rankings. She is the highest-ranked recruit Arizona has ever landed.

Reese averaged 30.6 points and 15.3 rebounds in her senior season at Cypress Woods High School in Texas, leading her to be the 17-6A District MVP, and first team All-Region and first team All-State.

Reese, who had offers from traditional powerhouses like Baylor and South Carolina, will join an Arizona team that is coming off a 6-24 season, and has not had a winning campaign since 2010-11.

However, the Wildcats are destined to rise in 2018-19.

Not only will they be adding five star-studded freshmen, but also three transfers — Aarion McDonald (Washington), Dominique McBryde (Purdue), and Tee Tee Starks (Minnesota) — who were forced to sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA rules.

Plus, Arizona returns Sam Thomas, a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, and two-year starter Lucia Alonso, setting it up for a promising season.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire