Arizonaβs system is not the easiest to grasp, especially on the defensive side.
This is a given for every player β rookie or transfer β who comes to Arizona.
Some Wildcats never played defense in high school. Others come from a college program that doesnβt value defense the same way UA coach Adia Barnes does.
It all takes a moment to get up to speed and get comfortable playing for No. 14 Arizona (14-2, 4-1 Pac-12).
Itβs ideal for some rookies to come in like Madi Conner did and each year progressively grow in the system. Now a sophomore, Conner is playing with more confidence β and a few extra positions on the court. She is even more tenacious on defense. None of this has been easy. For Conner, it comes down to the extra hours she puts in during the season and offseason.
Others, like senior transfer Jade Loville, settle in once the Pac-12 season starts.
Loville is typical of the top transfers during the portal era. In the past, players like Aari McDonald, Dominique McBryde, Tee Starks and even Shaina Pellington had to sit out a year. During that tough year of being able to only practice and not play, those players were able to take a breath and get to know their teammates and the system.
Now, transfers play right away. Getting used to things happens on the court β quickly.
Some, like Loville, are not only learning the system at a fast pace but striving to improve their game day by day.
βJade, in particular, is super hungry, and she works super hard,β said Barnes, whose team visits Colorado on Friday. βThere isnβt a day ... where she isnβt shooting. But not (just) shooting; some people go in there and just like to mess around and shoot half-court shots, itβs not like anything really. Sheβs in there working β passing, curling, fading off the dribble. Sheβs sweating and working on her game.
βIf sheβs even in a slump, I know itβs going to come back because she works on her craft. So you fall back to your habits. I think thatβs one of the reasons why you see someone like her who is determined to go pro work on it every day because those are her goals. When youβre younger, you donβt understand that sense of urgency.β
Another former UA standout who has the same type of work ethic that McDonald and Loville have is Trinity Baptiste, who played on the 2021 national-championship team.
Barnes said that when Baptiste transferred from Virginia Tech, she was not a good defender. But she βhad a mindset,β Barnes said. βShe was tough.β
βSheβs one of my favorites of all time,β Barnes said. β(She) wanted to be good, studied it, was going to watch film and wanted to learn so badly. She was going to be good. She ended up being one of our best defenders. And being a good defender now, (she) is having a great pro career, improved her 3-point shot, didnβt do that before.
βAll these things she turned into (is) because she wanted it. When you want it, youβre going to get it. Youβre going to figure out a way.
βI see that with some of the transfers. If you see quick improvements, thatβs usually attributed to their mentality.β
Charters are the way to go
For the first few years of Barnesβ tenure as UA coach, the Wildcats flew commercial. It wasnβt until the pandemic hit and Arizona invested more into the womenβs program that they started flying charters.
Barnes said it is one of the best moves Arizona has made. It helps with the Wildcatsβ physical and mental health. No more getting back from a road trip after 1 a.m. and having to attend an 8 a.m. class. No more exhaustion or sitting around an airport for hours. Or even worse.
One time in Colorado, Barnes, Sam Thomas and McBryde all had the flu and went back to the hotel to sleep while the rest of the team went to a restaurant to wait five hours before catching their flight.
Charters help especially during the upcoming weekend at the mountain schools, Colorado and Utah, which requires flying from one state to another.
βChartering flights is a game-changer,β Barnes said. βIf you think about it realistically, and as a conference, it is a competitive advantage when you charter. You are at a disadvantage when you donβt. Maybe if you are in L.A. because there are so many flights, but you are still at a disadvantage because the whole process takes longer.
βLess risk for flu, for strep, for COVID. Youβre staying healthier. Itβs way more efficient on time, youβre off your legs more, you have more freedom on the flight.
βI think itβs really not a fair situation. (Some) teams are because of finances. And (some) teams arenβt.β
Barnes knows that itβs a big expense, but she thinks there has to be a way to make it easier and level the playing field for all student-athletes at every Pac-12 school.
βThere has to be deals and ways. I feel like there should be so much more done to where itβs more cost effective,β she said. βItβs shared more between partner schools. ... There has to be a way β a more budget-friendly way.β
Rim shots
For Loville, playing at Colorado and Utah are just the next road games. βWe play our game, we stick to our plan and we go for for the wins,β she said.
Arizona State wonβt be playing against Utah and Colorado this weekend, as injuries are piling up and the Sun Devils donβt have enough healthy players. According to the Pac-12, ASU forfeits these games, with Utah and Colorado each picking up a win. For Arizona, this means that both of their opponents will play only one game this weekend while the Wildcats will play two.
Arizona will have bus service for fans who want to attend the ASU game in Tempe on Jan. 22. To reserve a spot, call 520-232-5563 or go to Arizonawildcats.com/wbkbustrip.
Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams, both members of Arizonaβs class of 2023, were named McDonaldβs All-American nominees for the West team. The final 24-player roster will be announced on Jan. 24 on ESPN during the βNBA Todayβ show. The game will be played on March 28 in Houston.