Haley Jones, Stanford Hold off Arizona to Win 2021 NCAA Women's Championship

For the third time in program history, Stanford is a national champion.

The top-seeded Cardinal knocked off No. 3 Arizona 54-53 in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament Sunday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Following a shot-clock violation by Stanford, Arizona had 6.1 seconds to get the last shot. Stanford smothered Arizona star Aari McDonald, whose heave at the buzzer hit the back iron.

Earlier this year, Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer passed Pat Summitt as the winningest coach in Division I women's basketball. While the Cardinal have been one of the most consistent teams in the country, bad luck often conspired against them in March.

Now, VanDerveer caps off a record-setting season with her first title in nearly 30 years.

Notable Performers

Lexie Hull, G, Stanford: 10 points, 10 rebounds, two assists

Haley Jones, G, Stanford: 17 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one block

Aari McDonald, G, Arizona: 22 points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals

Shaina Pellington, G, Arizona: 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals

Stanford Simply Too Much

Connecticut star Christyn Williams told reporters the Huskies probably underestimated the Wildcats prior to their loss in the national semifinals. Stanford, on the other hand, wasn't going to overlook a Pac-12 rival.

The Cardinal were unable to open much breathing room on Arizona over the course of the game, but they consistently did just enough to keep their opponent at bay.

The Pac-12 champions held Arizona to 28.8 percent shooting and had a 47-29 edge on the boards. The Wildcats didn't have the height to match up with Lexie Hull (6'0"), Haley Jones (6'1") and Cameron Brink (6'4"), either.

Stanford did its best to throw this game away with 21 turnovers, and the Cardinal's final possession was particularly bad. Kiana Williams dribbled out much of the clock, leaving little time for the offense to run an actual set.

This wasn't one of Stanford's best performances under VanDerveer's watch, but that won't dampen the excitement of lifting a national title.

McDonald Unable to Overcome Familiar Foe

While Arizona was more than a one-woman squad, McDonald was the driving force behind the Wildcats' first-ever run to the final.

To some extent, the Cardinal were the worst possible opponent for the Wildcats because of how well Stanford neutralized McDonald during the regular season. Stanford won both of its head-to-head meetings against Arizona in large part because McDonald shot 11-of-42 from the floor and 1-of-12 on three-pointers.

Life wasn't much easier for the senior star Sunday.

Despite McDonald's struggles, the Wildcats continued to hang around due to the havoc they created on defense.

Arizona had just one Sweet 16 appearance prior to this season. Head coach Adia Barnes recounted how she was told not to take the job because it was a dead end.

Barnes is clearly building something in Tucson and defying the skeptics. This probably won't be the last time the Wildcats make a deep run in March under her watch.