Arizona’s Mickayla Perdue Ends Collegiate Career, Leaves a Void Wildcats Are Still Trying to Fill
Mickayla Perdue’s time on the court for Arizona was short, but it was nothing short of electric. On Sunday, the Wildcats’ leading scorer officially announced the end of her collegiate basketball career, bringing a close to a journey that spanned six years, four schools, and a whole lot of buckets.
Perdue played in just 15 games for Arizona this season before a wrist injury sidelined her-and the Wildcats haven’t been the same since. She was averaging 17.6 points per game, leading the team in scoring and providing the kind of offensive spark that Arizona has sorely missed in her absence. Since she went down, the Wildcats have dropped nine of their last 10 games.
The numbers speak volumes. Arizona has topped the 70-point mark just once in those 10 games without Perdue.
Their offense has sputtered, and in conference play, they’re now averaging 64.5 points per game-14th in the Big XII. That’s a steep decline from the team that Perdue helped anchor earlier in the season.
Even after missing the last 10 games, Perdue still leads Arizona in made three-pointers (36) and three-point attempts (103), and she’s second on the team in total points with 257. That’s a testament to just how impactful she was in such a limited stretch. Her scoring outbursts included five 20-point games and two that cleared the 30-point mark-highlighted by a season-high 34 points against Chicago State and 31 against UC-Irvine.
Before the injury, Perdue had climbed to eighth in the Big XII in scoring and was the clear go-to option on a roster that was essentially built from scratch. Arizona’s 2025-26 team featured eight transfers brought in by first-year head coach Becky Burke, and Perdue was one of the most seasoned among them. Alongside fellow veterans Noelani Cornfield and forward Nora Francois, she provided leadership and stability for a team trying to find its identity.
Perdue’s path to Tucson was anything but conventional. She began her career at Toledo, then transferred to Division II Glenville State before spending two productive seasons at Cleveland State. It was there that she truly broke out, earning Horizon League Player of the Year honors in 2024-25 while leading the league in scoring at 20.0 points per game and dishing out 3.3 assists per contest.
When she arrived at Arizona, expectations were high-and for good reason. She was expected to be the focal point of a new-look Wildcats squad, and for the first half of the season, she lived up to the billing. Her scoring touch, court vision, and leadership were central to everything Arizona was trying to build.
Now, with Perdue officially stepping away from college basketball, Arizona is left to navigate the final stretch of the season without her. The Wildcats are tied with Central Florida at the bottom of the Big XII standings with a 2-12 conference record and face a tough closing schedule against Colorado, Baylor, Houston, and Utah.
There’s no sugarcoating it-losing Perdue has been a major blow. But her impact on this team, even in just 15 games, is undeniable.
She brought instant offense, veteran poise, and a competitive edge that Arizona desperately needed. And though her time in the desert was brief, she leaves behind a legacy that stretches far beyond the box score.
Six years. Four schools.
One unforgettable journey. Mickayla Perdue gave everything she had to the college game-and the game is better for it.