Adia Barnes said that she would describe this year’s Arizona women’s basketball team in one word: gritty.
That sounds exactly like a throwback to her earlier teams — as well as Barnes’ mentality as a player.
“We’re tough and we’re working hard,” Barnes said in her press conference at Arizona’s Media Day on Monday.
“(There aren’t any) egos and they really are accepting coaching and they want to get better. That’s been fun. I feel like we’re going to be blue-collar gritty. And I said, it wouldn’t always be pretty. It’s not going to be pretty at first because we have a lot of new players. But I think the grittiness and the toughness is something that’s going to stand out.”
With seven new players this season — six who will be playing as freshman since Montaya Dew, who is the highest-rated recruit in UA history, is sitting out after ACL surgery to her left knee in August — each one seems to have a hunger and something to prove.
From the posts — fifth-year senior Esmery Martinez, freshman Breya Cunningham and transfer Isis Beh — to the guards, this mentality seems contagious.
Barnes said transfer Courtney Blakely is one “tenancious defender” and Sali Kourouma, who is “really tough and physical and chemical brute, but then just athletic and just plays hard,” Barnes said.
“I think it’s a different level — a sense of urgency,” Barnes said of Kourouma, who is stepping up to play at a Power 5 school.
Martinez is proud of this squad’s “toughness.”
There was a moment for Martinez last spring when she was flirting with going professional or even transferring to another school; in the end, she knew she was a Wildcat.
In the offseason, she worked on everything from her dribbling to her trapping and even how to stay on the floor longer. Martinez, who collected her 1,000th point and 1,000th rebound last season and earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention, was prone to fouling. While Martinez did not reach the top 10 in UA history for fouls, she was close with 97. (Barnes is No. 2 on the list with 113 in 1996, and Margo Clark takes the top spot with 116 in 1991.)
“The coaches have told me that I’ve improved a lot on my defense,” Martinez said. “I know I’m tough. I’m going to dive on the floor. It’s not that I want to foul, it’s just that I am too aggressive. I can control that. I don’t want to do that.”
Martinez and Beh were teammates at West Virginia at played for former coach Mike Carey, who was known for his tough and disciplined teams. When Beh played against the Wildcats last spring in the Mountaineers’ first-round game of the NCAA Tournament, she was diving for loose balls and showing the mentality that exemplifies this year’s squad. It’s easy to see why Barnes signed her.
“Isis was strong. She holds the ground, she’s super-efficient inside,” Barnes said. “I wanted somebody to give us more size, experience and (toughness) inside and she’s been great. She’s a great teammate. She’s a good player. She’s been in a lot different programs. So, she knows what to expect and she gets it. She gets the whole process and gets how to take a freshman under her wings. (She) brings a lot of valuable things that we needed. I’m really happy with her. I’m happy with everything that she does right now. And I think she’ll really help us.”
Making the grade
Martinez reached a special milestone recently as the first in her family to graduate from college. Martinez, who is from the Dominican Republic, earned her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and is now working on a graduate certificate in Health Administration during her fifth year. She and teammate Helena Pueyo are taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility given by the NCAA because of COVID-19.
“I’m really proud of myself (for graduating),” Martinez said. “It’s not easy to go to a different country and learn a new language. Now my brothers and others in my family can follow me.”
Martinez spent some time in her offseason home — a rare trip — after competing for her national team at the AmeriCup. The message from her mom, who was also proud of her for going further than most in her country, is to “keep going.”
Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting
September has been constant recruiting time for Barnes — from visits to prospects’ homes to them coming to UA for official visits. Many players in the Class of 2024, who will be signing letters of intent on Nov. 8, have not verbally committed to schools.
A few who were in Tucson this past month include Vivian Iwuchukwu (ranked No. 53 by ESPN’s HoopGurlz), a 6-foot-3-inch forward out of Florida’s Montverde Academy and Sira Thienou, who is from Mail and playing for Virginia’s Shining Star Academy.
UA is also in play for a handful of others for the Class of 2024, including Kennedy Smith (No. 6) and Izzy Arenas (No. 94) — the daughter of former UA men’s basketball standout Gilbert Arenas.
On Sunday, Aaliyah Chavez (Lubbock, Texas Monterey H.S.), who is the No. 1 player in the Class of 2025, included UA in her top-10 list.
Rim shots
The Wildcats are having an open practice for fans on Oct. 12 from 2:30-4 p.m. This is the first time during Barnes’ tenure that there will be an official open practice before the season starts. Fans must RSVP. The UA has asked fans to park in Cherry Garage and enter McKale Center through Gate A.
Blakely and freshman Skylar Jones were celebrity chefs last week for the Easter Seals Blake Foundation’s Cooking with the Stars at Mr. An’s Teppan Steak & Seafood Sushi Bar. Blakely said it was fun to watch the real chefs and she took in a trick and was excited to try it out at home. “I learned how to do the choo-choo train with the onions,” she said.
VIDEO: UA and NBA alumni Channing Frye and Richardson Jefferson share their perspective on Arizona's coaching search that ultimately brought Tommy Lloyd to Tucson, during a virtual interview Sept. 27, 2023 ahead of the the Wildcats' 2023 Red-Blue Showcase. Frye and Jefferson are in Tucson to co-host the Sept. 29 event. (Video courtesy Arizona Athletics)
