Where can you catch a world champion and world-record-holding waterskier who’s also a starter on the University of Arizona wheelchair women’s basketball team?
When can you check out some defending national basketball champions and possibly some Olympians?
Answer: At the women’s and men’s National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball tournament next week here at McKale Center, when the Wildcats host 14 schools from across the country over four days of basketball. The UA is home to the largest and most competitive collegiate adaptive athletics program in the country with seven sports.
The UA men’s team is the defending national champion and seeded third. It opens play April 2 at 2 p.m. against the winner of Eastern Washington and Southwest Minnesota State University. The Arizona women’s team is also seeded third. It plays No. 2 University of Texas at Arlington on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Abby Dunn helps lead the Cats. A starter on the women’s team, Dunn is also a world champion and world-record holding waterskier. At the world disabled waterski championships she’s won the seated ladies trick division and set world records in points scored for the last four years. That means she did tricks, including spins, flips and wake jumps at 15 miles per hour on a board as a boat pulled her. And she does it better than anyone else in the world.
When it’s not basketball season, Dunn trains on lakes near Queen Creek, she said.
In her fifth year of athletic eligibility, Dunn is pursuing her master’s in public health. She aims to play basketball overseas after earning her degree and just advanced to the second round of tryouts for the U.S. national basketball team. Her goal? The 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.
In her own words, here’s how star who grew up in Susanville, California, envisions her final intercollegiate national championship run:
“I’m super excited the tournament is here because it’s my last year and all my family and some friends are coming — like 10 or 12 people. Some of them haven’t even seen me play basketball before, so I think that’ll be special to just end my college career here. I’ve been playing wheelchair basketball for about nine years. Alabama and Utah recruited me, but once I found out about Arizona and I had some meetings, I really loved the culture and when I started there were six people on the team, so the ability to grow a program was super interesting to me. I signed without a coach so I took a leap there and being able to grow the team while I’ve been here and see players grow and see who we can recruit from other countries even, has been great.
National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball tournament
Where: McKale Center
When: April 2-4
Cost: UA students, staff and those under 18 are free, a $25 ticket for others covers every game, no single-game tickets
Who: 16 teams from across the country
“This season’s been one of the best seasons I’ve ever had at Arizona. We’ve never been third seed before. We’ve never beat Illinois before and I think that we’re capable of so much more. I think we’re able to win a championship. I think it’s our time to prove we can win. We’re super motivated and just excited to be the underdog and upset.
“It’s definitely home-court advantage. We’ve never had nationals here. And so, going to other places, you see how many fans they have. I want to double that for us. And I think that Arizona has a super-good culture to do that with our students.
“I think this team is really good at lifting each other up and focusing on each other’s strengths. We have to stay out of our heads and focus on what we can control.
People will see, we are just super-strong athletes that put their whole lives into it. We’re just like any other D-I sports. We deserve the support from the community like the able-bodied teams get. So come out and support.”
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