Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams are best friends.
On the court, Williams will regularly know the exact spot Cunningham will be — sometimes even before Cunningham knows herself; Williams proves it when she zips a pass into her longtime teammate’s hands under the basket.
Off the court, in addition to the usual hanging out and how often they’re seen laughing together, the closeness is apparent in how the second-year Arizona Wildcats finish each other’s thoughts. They don’t typically talk over each other; it’s more of a natural pause by one as the other swoops in with the last words; it’s almost like they have created their own special cadence.
Williams and Cunningham, key contributors as freshmen to the fourth straight Adia Barnes coached-roster to win at least one NCAA Tournament game, are also currently starring in a social media-driven video series for Overtime, a network of sport-specific social media accounts targeting sports fans on Instagram. In the spots, which are co-branded as a “partnership with Chase Bank,” the pair ask each other various questions related to basketball and beyond.
It’s just one of their numerous name, image and likeness deals.
Arizona sophomores Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham have been teammates for years (in high school and college) and are best friends off the court.
“It was the easiest,” Cunningham said of this particular NIL deal, compared to their others. “Because it was what we would do anyway — just sit there and talk to each other.”
Arizona guard Jada Williams shoots the ball during practice at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium on July 23.
They agreed that their relationship, “is a stupid conversation”; Cunningham said it while Williams nodded her head.
Williams spent a little time trying to come up with a question for Cunningham on the spot, just like they do in the videos. Finally, “What is your favorite color?” she asked.
“Are you serious?” Cunningham responded.
“Purple … blue? Blue,” Williams guessed.
“Right, yeah” Cunningham said. “It’s blue.”
When Williams asked Cunningham to guess her favorite color, Cunningham answered in half a second: “Orange.”
“You’re a good friend,” Williams said, and they high-fived each other.
In the Instagram sessions, the sophomores sit across from each other talking with a video playing in the background. Sometimes, the video is of them playing high school ball.
The two don’t remember how many sessions they taped, just that they “filmed them all in one day, for a couple of hours and they post them throughout each month,” Williams said.
Arizona forward Breya Cunningham passes the ball to teammate Isis Beh during a drill as part of a summer practice at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium on the UA campus on July 23.
So far, at least 10 videos have been posted on Instagram, with the most recent coming on Sept. 25 as Cunningham asks Williams “What was it like having LeBron (James) watch you play?”
The range of questions get more serious, relating to financial items like “What are you saving your money for?” others that are more fun like “If you played in middle school game, how many points are you scoring?” and “What was your biggest takeaway from your rookie year?”
Cunningham’s favorite was who they wanted to come sit courtside to watch one of their games.
“The Savannah James one, hopefully she sees it and comes to a game,” Cunningham said as both of them giggled.
Arizona guard Jada Williams shoots during a July practice.
This is not the first time these two have teamed up with each other on screen. In high school, they did a video reality series, also with Overtime, that followed their final two seasons at La Jolla Country Day School near San Diego..
That went deep into the games and recruiting. It delved into Williams decommitting from UCLA and eventually signing on to play for Barnes at Arizona; it also showed Cunningham finishing up a final exam just minutes before playing a game, including her not warming up yet coming out with her shooting touch on point.
Williams was one of the top women’s athletes with NIL deals coming out of high school, and last November, On3, which has its own formula to attempt to provide NIL valuations to college athletes across numerous men’s and women’s sports, listed her seventh on its Women’s NIL top 100 list.
They both have similar deals that have run this fall: selling customizable basketball jerseys on Fanatics and Walmart videos showing each of them in their bedrooms showing off new outfits they got from the multinational big-box chain.
Arizona forward Breya Cunningham (25) dribbles toward the hoop during a summer practice at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium on the UA campus on July 23.
Williams was asked to take part first; “I told them: tagging my girl Breya along with it, we could do it together.”
They even got to keep the five outfits they modeled, as well as school supplies and a variety of other things.
Both said they would like to continue doing the videos or similar NIL opportunities together.
“It would be fun,” Cunningham said. “Just be able to just sit down and talk.”
Rim shots
- As has become tradition in Adia Barnes’ time at the UA, the Wildcat players once again have to earn their “A”; Barnes wants her players to work for the right to wear gear with the UA’s well-known Block “A” on it.
Barnes instituted it in 2019, noting that it was something she picked up from legendary UA softball coach Mike Candrea. She bases it on the idea that what is on the front of the jersey (Arizona) is more important than what’s on the back (the player’s name).
In practice, the UA players wear plain gray T-shirts and red shorts. The 2024-25 twist: Barnes put players in groups to evaluate who has made progress toward earning their “A,” and players aren’t linked with their best friends.
Barnes said she paired up experienced players with younger players and new players with returnees. Each week, the players are evaluated on which teammates have done enough — battling hard for rebounds, 50/50 balls, communicating, helping others, academics and doing things the right way.
