Arizona is poised to take the next step in the climb: getting back to Final Four, winning it all

Once again, Adia Barnes is entering new territory.

And this stage is unlike anything the Arizona Wildcats’ coach has ever done before.

During the 2020-21 season, the UA women’s basketball program advanced to its first NCAA Tournament since 2005 and made the most of it, advancing to the Final Four and national championship game. Last year, the Wildcats returned to the tournament, making it to the round of 32 before they were eliminated.

Now, the Wildcats are poised to take the next step. They want to compete for national championships every year and be regarded as one of the best programs in the nation.

This year’s roster could get them there.

Arizona has an experienced core group of players in Shaina Pellington, Cate Reese, Helena Pueyo, Lauren Ware and Madi Conner, who all tasted success during the unexpected run to the 2021 national championship game. The UA has added a trio of top transfers in Jade Loville, Esmery Martinez and Lauren Fields. And then there is the top freshman class in program history: Maya Nnaji, Paris Clark, Lemyah Hylton and Kailyn Gilbert should contribute right away for the 19th-ranked Wildcats, who open their season Nov. 10 against NAU.

Shane Laflin, head of Premier Basketball Report and the man who handles recruiting for ESPN’s Hoop Gurlz, said Arizona has the players to make a push.

“You’ve got a new batch of talent, and maybe arguably, higher regarded-talent in terms of before they got to campus. You now have to bump up to that level. We’re just talking levels of greatness and levels of eliteness,” Laflin said. “You have to maintain that success. And that’s the challenge at hand, and I firmly believe it’s possible but they’ve got to prove that.”

Special freshmen

How fast the Wildcats get there will depend on the mindset of the players and when they come together as a team.

Last year’s team proved that talent doesn’t always lead to success. Arizona was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally early in the season only to finish fourth in the Pac-12 and lose in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“It was also adjusting to life without Aari (McDonald),” Barnes said. “It was just different, I think. And then we realized last year, there are so many small things that separate good from great. ... (Now) I feel (we) can make it special, if we have the right mentality and understand it’s not just given to us. ”

Last year could be looked at as a “gap year” between the McDonald era and the face of the next era. Laflin said the UA’s four freshmen complement each other, which is a good sign. Add in a 2023 recruiting class that’s ranked No. 1 in the country, and expectations at Arizona will be high.

Barnes believes the UA freshmen are special. That’s why when other two or three top transfers contacted her last spring and wanted to play for Arizona, she decided to not bring them in. While they may have won a few more games this season, they wouldn’t kept Arizona’s freshmen from developing.

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Besides being highly ranked, these four bring more to the table that makes Barnes excited. They add to the culture.

“(They will) impact the community in a great way. And I love the fact that they’re great students and great players. I’m really proud of that,” Barnes said. “I think they all have a tremendous amount of potential, but how do I get them to fit? And how do I get them to take a step to becoming better every year? I think it’s exciting because they’re all gym rats. They all love the game. They all came here to win. They all bring that every day. … Those four are the future of the program and they can be really special. I see it.”

This year’s roster has as many as 12 players who could contribute. Arizona’s defense, which has become its calling card, has raised the intensity level up a notch or two.

Pellington has worked on the arc of her perimeter shot, increasing her accuracy and consistency. Reese and Ware are coming off injuries yet are stronger and more confident. Conner is better in all aspects of her game, while Pueyo returned to campus in better shape.

All three transfers can score. Martinez is also a strong rebounder.

Run it back?

Arizona’s ascent happened in a blink of an eye — much quicker than anyone expected. Within three years, the Wildcats went from the bottom of the Pac-12 to winning the WNIT championship. Two years after that, they advanced all the way to the national championship game before falling to Stanford. Tucson welcomed the Wildcats home like they had won it all.

At the center of it all was McDonald, arguably the greatest player in program history. When she transferred from Washington in 2017 no one knew what she would accomplish. After sitting out her transfer year and watching her teammates win only six games, she was determined to change the narrative around UA women’s basketball.

The All-American did it all for Arizona, collecting accolades while making her teammates better.

The Wildcats gained confidence and played better with each game during their March 2021 run through the NCAA Tournament. Pellington believes this year’s team has the potential for a similar run.

She’s not the only one.

“They have an opportunity right now to do some special things and it’s showing in the talent they’re bringing in,” said Joan Bonvicini, a former UA coach now working as a Pac-12 Networks analyst. “(Although) if it was easy, everyone would do it. You’ve got to embrace the process, embrace the grind. I cannot overemphasize that. … The thing this team has to do is not look ahead. Live in the present, whether that’s each practice, each drill, each game. More than anything, appreciate the great opportunity they have here to play at Arizona.”