Big 12 play starts Monday for the Arizona women’s basketball team, but it won’t change the way the Wildcats prepare.
UA coach Becky Burke said she treats every game “like it’s the national championship.” So, in that regard, there’s no difference between Bellarmine (Arizona’s final nonconference opponent) and Utah (its first league foe).
But the stakes are higher, and the level of competition will be greater. That was the message Burke conveyed to her players after concluding noncon play Thursday night with a 105-59 romp over the Knights.
“It's a new season,” said Burke, whose team faces the Utes at noon Monday at McKale Center. “I don't care if we went 0-11 or 11-0 nonconference. All that stuff gets scrapped, gets thrown in the garbage. You are 0-0 starting on Monday.
“This is the season. You just played a preseason. This is your real season. ... There is no room for slippage from this point forward.”
Arizona women's basketball coach Becky Burke watches her team in the second half against Southern University at McKale Center, Dec. 3, 2025.
Arizona’s actual record is 9-2. But, as Burke emphasized, that’s almost immaterial.
The greatest value of the preseason was “getting 11 games worth of minutes together,” Burke said. All 11 active Wildcats are new to the roster. They needed time together on the court.
Burke sometimes struggles to accept the concept of process over results, but she understands that it’s the right mentality to have in the first year of a rebuild.
“As much as I hate it, and I'm not comfortable saying that or being that way, it's reality with what we have and who we are this year,” Burke said. “That's something my assistants have been doing a great job with. I don't like it. I'm uncomfortable saying it. I like to win. That's what I'm here to do.
“But if our team is getting better, if our team is improving, and it's a loss here or there while we're doing that, then I have to have some perspective and some grace and some understanding of that, or I will go absolutely crazy.”
Burke measures success in ways that aren’t easily quantifiable. How hard did her players compete? How well did they execute the game plan? How sharp was their attention to detail?
Arizona head coach Becky Burke huddles her team with 33.1 second left in the second half against New Mexico at McKale Center, Dec. 7, 2025.
That approach applies to every game. It’s also the only way to assess the Wildcats’ preseason performance.
Depending on which website you prefer, Arizona’s strength of schedule ranked between 303rd (Massey) and 333rd (Warren Nolan) entering the weekend. The Wildcats’ last two opponents, Chicago State and Bellarmine, were in the 300s in the official NCAA NET rankings.
The Knights weren’t even the best version of themselves. They had only seven available players and were without their leading scorer.
Burke was pleased that her team maintained its focus and effort level for the full 40 minutes in a situation where it would have been easy to lapse. That matchup also gave her a chance to try two-big lineups featuring some combination of Nora Francois, Daniah Trammell, Achol Magot and Blessing Adebanjo.
Arizona forward Blessing Adebanjo (14) bats the ball away from Bellarmine center Haya Abdel Aal (13) to guard Noelani Cornfield (4) during the fourth quarter of their game, Dec. 18, 2025, at McKale Center.
Arizona will need bigger bodies against Utah and the rest of its Big 12 opponents. The Wildcats were last in the league in rebounding margin (plus-1.0) and next to last in blocked shots per game (2.55) entering Saturday’s slate.
Despite Burke’s constant harping about defense — “She’s always saying, ‘We need to get a stop,’” Adebanjo said — Arizona allowed the second-most points per game (66.2) in the Big 12 entering league play. The Wildcats were 13th in field-goal percentage defense (39.4%).
Arizona’s lack of size undoubtedly plays a role in that. But the Wildcats’ style of play might be just as big a factor. They play at the fastest pace of any Big 12 school, averaging an estimated 76.7 possessions per 40 minutes, according to Sports-Reference.com.
Thanks mostly to point guard Noelani Cornfield, Arizona ranked fourth in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.16-1). The transfer from Buffalo was tied for third nationally in assists per game (7.9) entering the weekend.
Regardless of the opponent, the Wildcats will play hard, they’ll play fast, and they’ll play unselfishly. How that will translate in the Big 12 remains to be seen.
Arizona guard Noelani Cornfield (4) slashes her way to an and-1 against Bellarmine forward Andrea Chiquemba (14) during the first quarter of their game, Dec. 18, 2025, at McKale Center.
“We're gonna have to compete every single day,” said Magot, who spent her first two seasons of college at Texas Tech. “It's gonna come down to the wire. Nothing's gonna come easy.
“We're gonna have to fight, scratch — we're gonna have to do all that. We're the underdog. So it's gonna be tough.”
Dew still down
The one player who returned from last year’s team, forward Montaya Dew, remains sidelined while rehabbing a knee injury.
Burke described Dew’s status as “day-by-day” but said a decision would need to be made in the next two to three weeks as to whether she’ll play this season or pursue a medical redshirt.
“It's just been an up-and-down process,” Burke said. “We think she's making some really good strides, and then there's a setback. We're keeping all the options ... on the table right now. We're not counting her out for this season. But we're also not 100% sure that she will join us.
“I know she's attacking the rehab. She wants to be out there. ... And it's not a minor injury. We know that. So it could just take time.”
Forward Montaya Dew talks to a reporter during media day for the Arizona women’s basketball team at Richard Jefferson Gymnasium on Sept. 30, 2025.
Dew, a top-10 national recruit in the class of 2023, missed all of the ’23-24 season after hurting her knee. She appeared in 29 games last season before reinjuring the knee Feb. 25 vs. Texas Tech.
Rim shots
– Every Big 12 team will have played its first conference game by the time Arizona and Utah tip off Monday. The Wildcats-Utes game is the last one before a nine-day leaguewide break for the holidays.
– Arizona and Utah have had one common opponent, UC Riverside. The Wildcats defeated the Highlanders 62-59 in the season opener. The Utes beat them 61-52 on Wednesday.
– Incoming freshman Callie Hinder is scheduled to join the team Jan. 3 or 4. The 6-foot-6 center from Australia is expected to redshirt while spending the spring semester with her new teammates. “She'll be with us, practicing full go, traveling, getting versed in everything,” Burke said. “We're excited for her to be here.”
– Burke celebrated her 36th birthday Saturday. She said she would allow herself at least a few moments to put basketball aside. “I’m gonna have Utah over here, like in the back of my brain,” Burke said, holding her hands behind her head. “But we’ll enjoy it.”
