In a season that’s already notable for numbers — a No. 7 national ranking, a No. 2 predicted finish in the Pac-12 — the Arizona Wildcats’ women’s basketball team can add another one. The Wildcats’ signing class is ranked No. 15 nationally by ESPN.
The three-player class of Madi Conner, Anna Gret Asi and Aaronette Vonleh signed national letters of intent on Nov. 11. Coach Adia Barnes said she may add one more player to the class this spring — and, if recent history is any indication, the Wildcats could take on a transfer.
Barnes said the recruiting class will change the look of her team. The Wildcats open their 2020-21 season, Aari McDonald’s last, against NAU on Sunday.
“We’re going to be different next year,” Barnes said. “We’re going to be talented, but we’re going to shoot the ball a lot better. Losing Aari is going to be a huge deficit. … But we’re going to add some outside perimeter scores, which I think will help fill that void.”
Recruiting comes down to relationships, and Barnes’ connection with all three recruits made a difference.
Conner, the first player to commit for 2021-22, felt it right away. The four-star shooting guard is playing for Arizona Compass Prep this season. Last season at Gilbert Perry, she averaged 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a junior and was named to The Arizona Republic’s All-Arizona team.
“When I first got to Arizona five years ago, I knew I wanted her,” Barnes said. “She’s a great shooter. She’s got a very high basketball IQ. She’s got a very fast release. And I think what I loved more than all of this stuff was she’s feisty. She’s a competitor, she’s not afraid. And most of the time, shooters aren’t like that. Most times, she was want to shoot but they don’t want to get down and play defense. They don’t want to fight. And she’s got … that edge.
“She’s going to help us a lot. Madi is going to be a good college player. I’m excited about her.”
Vonleh is also a four-star recruit. Like Conner, her first offer came from Arizona.
Barnes found out about Vonleh from Lisa Griffith, her former UA teammate and a former Wildcats assistant coach. Griffith coached Vonleh at the Nike AAU club FAST in Portland. Vonleh’s brother, Noah, plays for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.
“I watched her grow,” Barnes said. “The special thing about Aaronette is she’s got very good size, she’s really good around the basket. But she’s got very soft hands. To have the size and stuff, you usually don’t have the hands and footwork she has. It must be in her genetics — her brother has the same thing. I think she’s going to be a good player. … What she brings to Arizona is a true post presence, someone that can like be physical and score inside. I don’t feel we’ve really had someone who we can really pound the ball in to. I think eventually she can evolve into that.”
The 6-foot-3-inch forward plays at West Linn High School. Last year, she averaged 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 64% from the field. Vonleh is a two-time first-team all-state pick.
Aaronette Vonleh was recommended to Adia Barnes by Lisa Griffith, a former UA player and assistant.
Asi, a 5-10 shooting guard from Estonia, is rated a 4.5-star recruit by ESPN. Last season, she averaged 22.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 5.3 turnovers and 2.4 steals per game at the University of Tartu.
“She is very unique in the sense she could score and she can create her own shot. She can score, she has floaters, a good 3-point shot — just talented with the ball, a good passer,” Barnes said. “She’s going to be someone that can break you down, can score. She’s going to be a very good college player.”
