• Slug: Sports – Arizona Wildcats WBB, 770 words.
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By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – The Arizona’s women’s basketball team, four years removed from its national championship appearance under coach Adia Barnes, enters the 2024-25 season in need of a fresh start.

Coming off its first sub-20-win season since 2017-18, Arizona was picked to finish seventh in the conference during the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day in Kansas City.

But those who sleep on the Wildcats do so at their own peril.

“I’m excited because we’re young and we’re up for the challenge,” Barnes said at media day. “We’re chosen seventh in the conference, which I don’t care (where we’re picked).”

Barnes, who is entering her ninth season at the Arizona helm, believes in her team after a year of experience for some young players and some key additions through the transfer portal.

“They’re feeling really good,” Barnes said. “Last year, being able to play through mistakes and gain some confidence, you saw them all grow and get so much better. So they’ve grown a lot, and they’re going to play more like juniors because of all the playing experience.

“But they’ve also taken on leadership roles off the court. They’ve changed their diets. They’ve all changed their bodies drastically. So they are ready and ready to lead. I’m happy and excited to coach them.”

The sophomore class – which features forward Breya Cunningham, and guards Jada Williams and Skylar Jones – gained valuable experience in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament, their fourth straight trip to the Big Dance.

The Wildcats experienced season-ending injuries to six players this season, impacting the team dynamics, and played through adversity by calling on their freshmen players due to the lack of bodies.

After the Arizona Wildcats finished the 2023-24 season with an 18-16 (8-10 Pac-12) record, they will look to make a smooth transition to the Big 12 Conference in the upcoming season. The Wildcats open the season Nov. 4 at McKale Center against UT Arlington.

The Wildcats won a game in the First Four over the Auburn Tigers to advance to the Big Dance. Despite a first-round exit against Syracuse, Arizona walked away a stronger team and more prepared for this year’s transition to a more competitive conference.

Barnes said that the three young players gained valuable experience by necessity.

“Last year, they were thrown into the fire because of the injuries,” Barnes said. “We played the most overtime games in the country last year. We didn’t always come (out) on the winning end of that, but we gained tremendous experience.”

Jones, who adopted a “next-woman-up” mentality last season, averaged 7.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 24.8 minutes per game and earned Pac-12 All-Freshman Honorable Mention. She credits her teammates for boosting her confidence and helping her settle into Barnes’ coaching system.

“My teammates telling me that they need me to step up (my level of play),” Jones said. “Because I didn’t really have the confidence that I needed to in the beginning of the season, because being a freshman is really hard. So I think having all the confidence from my teammates and them encouraging me really helped me get comfortable playing.”

One notable departure includes Helena Pueyo, who the Connecticut Sun selected at No. 22 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. At Arizona, Pueyo made the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team twice and the All-Pac-12 Team last season.

In her absence, the Wildcats will turn to transfers Sahnya Jah and Paulina Paris to deliver on both ends of the court, especially late in the game.

“I think we all have to step up because in crunch time, we always relied on Pueyo. I’m not going to lie, we always ran floppy for (Helena) Pueyo,” Williams said. “So I think everybody just steps up a little bit.

“Not one person takes on that role. Breya scores a little bit more, doesn’t foul as much. Skylar scores a little bit more. I have less turnover. Stuff like that. Everybody just picking up slack in areas like that … We’re not the same team as last year. We’re different. We got different people. They got different skills.”

Added Barnes: “I’m curious to see how we’re going to adjust as a team because our style is also very different than most Big 12 teams. So, I think in some ways, some teams will have to adjust to us, and then we’ll have to adjust to them. And I think adding more depth and size inside will really help us because we know … there’s a lot of big players.

“But I think it’s a fun time. And I feel like with this time in the state of women’s basketball, you’re always constantly adjusting, because every team is different.”

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