Nonconference games are typically used as a warmup for the league season.
While these games count, programs use them to hone their system and performances.
For the Arizona women’s basketball team, that means learning the system and teammates’ tendencies — everything from where they like to catch the ball to where their favorite spots are on the floor to shoot.
There is a lot to learn, and even though these Wildcats spent the summer together, getting live reps in games is where everything starts clicking.
Some years, the athletes pick up Arizona’s tenacious defense and the offensive scheme faster than other seasons.
This year’s squad is experiencing — in the words of Arizona coach Adia Barnes — “growing pains.”
The Wildcats have been getting back to basics and working on fundamentals every day, from ball handling to cutting down on turnovers to staying disciplined and making the right pass at the right time.
If Monday’s game against Seattle is any indication, this extra focus is working. The Wildcats played better team ball on offense — sharing the ball and not making one-handed football passes.
On defense, the Wildcats were more disciplined in trying to disrupt the Redhawks — both individually and as a team with trapping.
Arizona (7-3) hopes this progression continues when it hosts Grand Canyon (5-2) Thursday night at 6 p.m. at McKale Center.
A young team
Barnes has repeatedly said her team is young. But what does that really mean?
It comes down to experienced upperclassmen. Arizona doesn’t really have this right now with 10 of 13 active players underclassmen.
Looking at the roster, sixth-year Isis Beh was a reserve for most of her career and is starting for the first time this season.
Paulina Paris is a junior but she was a reserve guard for most of her time at North Carolina and was injured the back half of last season. She is starting to assert herself over the last five games, culminating with Monday’s 22-point, 8-assist performance.
The other junior is Erin Tack, the former walk-on who is coming off an ACL injury and is a reserve.
Still, three of those sophomores — Breya Cunningham, Jada Williams and Skylar Jones — played a lot (averaging at least 22 minutes per game) and even started last year.
And while all three came back, transformed their bodies and strengthened their games, it’s not as easy as flipping the switch. They are learning about their new teammates and are now expected to take on slightly different roles.
Montaya Dew is coming back from a torn ACL and not playing for nearly two years and she had her best performance yet Monday night against Seattle. She’s pursuing offensive rebounds — something the Wildcats typically haven’t done — and those rebounds she hasn’t secured, she’s used her long arms to tip the ball. She’s keeping her opponent in front of her and not letting them find a lane to the basket.
Sahnya Jah, who didn’t play much last year at South Carolina, has shown more discipline in her play.
“They are getting used to things, getting their legs back, getting stronger again,” Barnes said. “… They all have to learn. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Progression, not perfection.”
What’s missing to help them through this awkward stage are those experienced seniors/fifth years — like Helena Pueyo and Esmery Martinez, who graduated last spring.
There weren’t too many who were more experienced than these two.
“I’m really patient with teaching (this year’s team), because I am not going to make them get all this experience like Helena had in a couple of months,” Barnes said. “They’re learning stuff new from years of bad habits or years of different system, or years of lack of understanding, so you don’t just start reading the defense and understanding passing angles and stuff. It just takes repetition, time.”
While each year stands on its own, it’s important to acknowledge what Pueyo and Martinez brought to the Wildcats. It’s hard to replace their output on the court.
Pueyo is the UA’s steals leader with 312 and a Pac-12 first-teamer and all-defensive player. Last year, she averaged nearly 10 points, four assists and four rebounds per game and was one of the original stat stuffers, doing all the little things that helped the team win.
Martinez scored more than 1,000 points and pulled down more than 1,000 rebounds during her career, including two seasons at Arizona. As a Wildcat, she collected 482 rebounds, scored 702 points, picked 116 steals and dished 131 assists. Last year, she averaged 11 points per game.
But the hardest thing to replace is that experience — playing through almost everything a five-year career can throw at you — including a pandemic. It’s the NCAA games both played and that Pueyo played in the Wildcats run to the national championship game.
Both players took over games last season in their own ways to help Arizona win. Whether it was Martinez playing through a migraine or scoring 17 points to help UA beat then-No. 3 Stanford or Pueyo playing every minute (55) of a 3OT win over Washington and completely taking over the NCAA game in the last minutes to beat Auburn.
This year’s squad is working to figure everything out.
“When you have a young team, you have to teach and you have to work on it daily,” Barnes said. “We’ll be better in a month.”
