Adia Barnes has always been about more than just basketball.
She also wants to use her platform as Arizona’s coach to help women, mothers and those who are underserved in the community.
And it when it comes time to help a friend, Barnes is there.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats (3-0) will take on Marist (2-1) on Friday night in a game they’re dedicating to Lino Cordova, a 20-year-old friend of Barnes’ who has been battling leukemia since he was 8 years old.
Barnes is encouraging fans to bring boxes of tissues to McKale Center on Friday to help Cordova and others who are hospitalized. The tissues will be donated to Banner-University Medical Center to distribute to patients.
Anyone who has been in the hospital understands the tissue problem. They’re often hard and scratchy or lack absorbency.
Barnes said Cordova suggested the donations when she visited him in the hospital on Thursday.
“I was there today, and I actually saw the (tissues) — they’re hard, they’re small, they’re really bad. It’s just little things like that that can make a huge difference,” she said. “I need your help by helping me raise 5,000 boxes at least.
“I want to be greedy and get more, but at least (5,000) because I think that’s something small and something we can do and dedicate tomorrow’s game to Lino. It’s something special to me, and I really want to make him happy.”
Expect to see Barnes and other Wildcats wearing #LinoStrong T-shirts on Friday night. Cordova will FaceTime in during the game.
Barnes first met Cordova, a longtime fan, this spring. She calls him “a fighter" who is "fighting really hard now.” After Barnes visited on Thursday, Cordova welcomed another visitor: UA softball coaching legend Mike Candrea.
“He’s just a great kid with a huge heart thinking about other people during his hardest time,” Barnes said.
Rim shots
Starting in March, the NCAA Tournament field will expand to 68 teams. Additionally, the women’s “Selection Monday” has been moved to Sunday. It has been 16 years since the men’s and women’s selection show was on the same day. The new “First Four” women’s games will be held March 16-17 at the host sites of the first-and-second-round games. In 2023, they’ll will be played at a neutral site.
Barnes had mixed feelings when she first heard of the expansion, but after hearing the other perspective, she thinks it is a good move.
“Why not give for more women’s teams experience? I think it’s a valuable experience,” Barnes said. “For me, I don’t really care about the quality. … I don’t really care, because if you look at some of the men, the quality people making the tournament’s the same. I’m all for giving four more women’s programs experience of the NCAA Tournament. I think that’s an amazing experience. I’m all for it.”
UA sophomore Derin Erdogan won the gold jersey in practice this week for the first time in her career. It was a close race as three other players were within a point of claiming it.
“That was pretty cool to see different people before it used to be, like, the Cate Reese jersey,” Barnes said. “She always got it, but now different people (are). I like that. And Derin was really happy.”
As the top practice player, Erdogan gets to pick the meals this week and she will get the ball first on offensive and defensive drills in practice. She also doesn’t have to run during practice.
The gold jersey is based on points for scoring, offensive rebounds, diving on the floor, attitude, body language, etc. The players can also lose points for turnovers. It’s tallied up daily and at the end of the week, the player with the most points wears the jersey.
Arizona ranks sixth nationally in attendance through the first two games. Arizona is averaging 6,208 fans.
Barnes said that once the Pac-12 conference season starts and they settle into Fridays at 6:30 and Sundays at noon, expect the numbers to be higher.
“I think people were like, ‘Are they gonna be good or not?’ So now (that) we’re gonna be OK,” Barnes said with a laugh. “I think we’ll get more fans, but you know how that is people are always just wondering how you’re going to be when you lose good players.”
