Arizona guard Kailyn Gilbert's 2023-24 path set via heart-to-hearts with coach Adia Barnes

This past offseason, Kailyn Gilbert found a renewed sense of purpose and motivation.

The chance to make a sophomore jump in front of her, she got in a zone, shutting shut out distractions (especially social media).

She went to work.

Now, with the Arizona women’s basketball season just weeks away, her UA teammates and coaches can seen the transformation up close.

It’s in her speed; she is one of the fastest on the team, next to transfer guard Courtney Blakely. Her strength and fitness are off the charts year-over-year and, from all accounts, she’s reading the defense better.

None have noticed the changes more than Gilbert’s best friend and fellow second-year Wildcat, post player Maya Nnaji.

“When we get on the floor, the bright lights on all the fans are going to see she’s taken huge leaps from last year and I’m just excited to see what she’s going to do,” Nnaji said. “Kailyn has transformed her body.

“She’s just ready to take on this big load of being a point guard. With Shaina gone, she’s ready to fill her shoes,” Nnaji added of Gilbert stepping into the role held previously held by All-Pac-12 performer Shaina Pellington. “it’s gotten to a point where sometimes coach is like, ‘Hey, Kailyn, you’ve got to stay out of the gym. You’ve got to rest,’ like they’re telling her, ‘Kailyn, you need to rest,’ because she works so hard. She dedicates herself. She’s obsessed with getting in the gym and being better. She’s so driven and so motivated.”

It took some time for Gilbert to get to this point.

As a freshman, Gilbert showed flashes of what was to come. In four of her first six games as a Wildcat, she hit double figures and played with efficiency. Against Cal Baptist, she scored 25 points, knocking down 4 of 7 3-point attempts.

Gilbert would have typical freshmen ups and downs, but against rival ASU, she came off the bench and scored five consecutive points — a 3 from the corner, and a jumper. It was another efficient night as she scored 12 points on 4 of 7 shooting from the field in 16 minutes.

In her rookie season she averaged 4.9 points, 1.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game.

But Gilbert knew she had more to give and wanted more.

Once a Wildcat, always...

At the end of the season, Gilbert was sure of what was next for her. Teammates were leaving. Five transferred, including two from her own freshman class in Lemyah Hylton and Paris Clark; three others graduated (Pellington, Cate Reese, Jade Loville).

What would her role be? Where would she fit?

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So she entered the transfer portal, despite knowing that her relationship with Arizona coach Adia Barnes was strong — and certain that she really did love Tucson.

Barnes knew Gilbert ultimately would be back as a Wildcat. While Barnes typically doesn’t take players back who aren’t “100% Arizona,” she knew that everything Gilbert was looking for was in this program, including the deep connection the two shared.

After quite a few heart-to-heart conversations with Barnes it became crystal clear that Arizona was where Gilbert was meant to be. They talked about where her coach saw her in her development, what she needed to do to prepare for her second season, as well as Gilbert’s own expectations for the team and herself.

For Gilbert, it all came down to one thing: “I think that Coach Adia is going to help me get there,” she said.

“Pretty much everything I do on the court is for Adia. I love Adia. I came here because of Adia and I stayed here because of Adia,” Gilbert said.

Barnes wasn’t the only one talking to Gilbert. On the plus side for the Wildcats, Nnaji was in her ear every day trying to sway her to stay.

But there were others telling her to go, too. Yet, in the end, Barnes is proud of Gilbert for making what she called a “tough decision.”

“She made the decision; she came back and she adjusted all the things we talked about — and has done even better,” Barnes said. “You’re going to see a much better player this year. You’re going to see a much more confident young woman. You’re going to see someone that plays defense and that was some of our challenge.

“We all know she can score. She can score better than probably anybody in the country,” Barnes added. “But she’s now taking pride in the other areas, which she had to improve on and I’m proud of her. She’s going to play a really big role.”

Last season Gilbert spent extra time in the gym, so that’s nothing new. What is new: this time she had a plan. She had the work ethic, she just needed to know how to channel that into the right things to work on, as well as someone to guide her towards specific goals. She found that someone in the Wildcats new performance enhancement coach, Chris Allen.

They attacked from all sides — conditioning, strength and healthier eating habits. She has become so intentional with her diet that she even “makes sure she gets a certain amount of liquids in her body,” said one of her roommates, redshirt junior transfer Isis Beh.

Gilbert said that losing that body fat and getting toned has helped her with her speed, along with lots and lots of reps. She’ll not only be faster and crashing the boards much, much more, but she’s also watching more film and said that her decision-making, putting her teammates in better positions to score has improved.

There has also been a noticeable jump in her leadership. In practice, she is helping all the newcomers keep their spirits up after missing a shot or making a turnover.

This growth has a direct line to her dad, David.

“We talk about basketball every day,” Gilbert said. “He says, ‘Kailyn, you’re pretty much a vet on this team so everyone is looking towards you (Helena) Pueyo, Esmery (Martinez) and Maya.’

“Just making sure that I am setting a good example for them. It’s really my dad, helping me.”