Sometimes, it pays to be the first.
Arizona coach Adia Barnes offered Madison Conner her first Division I basketball scholarship in September of 2017.
Two and a half years later, Conner returned the favor β giving Barnes her first verbal commitment for the Class of 2021. The Gilbert Perry High School guard chose the Wildcats on Monday over offers from Maryland, Indiana, Cal, Pitt and Duke.
Conner said it was the βperfectβ move for her.
βArizona had everything I wanted,β she said. βItβs in my backyard and itβs unbeatable.β
The 5-foot-11-inch Conner averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a junior, making The Arizona Republicβs All-Arizona team. Prospects Nation ranks her as the 56th-best player in the country for the Class of 2021, while ESPN lists her as a four-star recruit and the nationβs 25th-best guard.
Conner was a freshman when the UA offered her a full ride. A quick connection and relationship with Barnes is why she said it was βawesome to get her first offer from Coach Adia.β
Over the next two-plus years, Conner watched closely as the vision that Barnes shared with her recruits came to fruition. With Barnes in charge, Arizona landed top recruits Cate Reese and Semaj Smith and a transfer class that included Aari McDonald, Dominique McBryde and Tee Tee Starks.
Then, the Wildcats started winning. Arizona captured the 2019 WNIT championship, and was on the brink of making and hosting this yearβs NCAA Tournament when the season was canceled.
Conner noticed other changes on her trips to watch games at McKale Center.
βItβs awesome β seeing the fanbase and how Coach Adia has changed the culture,β she said. βItβs so cool when 10,000 people are cheering for you. Itβs a hard atmosphere for others to play in. How far theyβve come shows Coach Adiaβs work ethic and dedication β as well as the players. They are exactly the type of people I want to be around.
βWhen I went into the locker room, I got a good vibe from the players. They are all tight and super-close β exactly what I am looking for. My family is huge, but it felt like it was my home away from home.β
Conner is the second of four girls. Her older sister, Lauryn, is a freshman at Arizona State. Lauryn Conner has informed Madison and her family that sheβll attend her games, but she wonβt wear a UA shirt.
Madison Conner describes herself on the court as a versatile player who is in many ways position-less. She has a mid-range jumper and attacks the basket. Conner said sheβs looking forward to running the pick-and-roll with Reese, who she calls an βawesome player.β Arizonaβs standout forward will be a senior during Connerβs freshman season.
Conner said her conversations with Barnes about basketball β and everything else β made a difference.
βWe had a ton of conversations,β Conner said. βSheβs a great person. She showed me that Iβm not just another number on a jersey. The majority of the time we talked about what Iβm doing and school. Itβs way beyond basketball for Coach Adia.β
Conner, like Barnes, started playing basketball with the boys in the neighborhood. When she was in sixth grade she started playing club for a coach who calls himself βShowtime.β They still train together.
Barnes has been where Conner eventually wants to go β the WNBA. First, Conner β like Barnes β will don the red and blue at Arizona.
βThey are on the come-up: A great program, the kids are great β exactly what I wanted,β Conner said. βCoach Adia has a ton of experience and she knows what it takes.
βIβm never satisfied. Iβll work to do great things and win a title (at Arizona). I definitely think we can do that.β
