Adia Barnes' ninth season leading the Arizona women's basketball program officially begins Monday afternoon, Nov. 4, when the Wildcats host UT Arlington at McKale Center at 4 p.m. The Star's PJ Brown offers insights into the early-season nonconference matchup.
UT Arlington (0-0) at Arizona (0-0) | McKale Center | 4 p.m. Monday | ESPN+ | 1400-AM
She said it
Arizona coach Adia Barnes on UT Arlington: “They have a really good mid-range game. They are better when their defense is set, they'll throw different stuff at our on-balls. But I think one of the weaknesses would be transition defense and offensive rebounding, which we're getting better at — offensive rebounding — that's not our strong suit. But pushing the ball is so that could be an area where we have an advantage.”
Arizona coach Adia Barnes and sophomore standouts Jada Williams, Skylar Jones and Breya Cunningham were in Kansas City on Oct. 22 for Big 12 Women's Basketball Media Day ahead of the Wildcats' first season in their new league.
On the sidelines
No trap game: The last time Arizona played UT Arlington, the game was played on a Wednesday in December 2022 in Arlington, Texas. The matchup had all the makings of a trap game. Arizona had just played in Waco, Texas, at No. 18 Baylor, and this was the final outing before Christmas. Barnes has said that that is one of the hardest games, because players are already thinking about their break and not as focused on what’s in front of them.
Not so fast. The Wildcats cruised to a 78-59 victory, finishing the trip 2-0 and the nonconference slate 12-1; the only blemish came against Kansas, who is now a Big 12 foe.
Against the Mavericks, Esmery Martinez was the do-everything player. She nearly had a double-double with 13 points (5 of 7 from the field), nine rebounds (five offensive), three steals and two assists.
The only player on either side who played in that matchup is still with their team — transfers and graduation for both squads — is Alexsyah Goudeau. She was a starter, played 25 minutes and scored two points. Junior Nya Threatt was on the Mavericks but did not see the court in that game.
Arizona forward Isis Beh (33) holds onto the ball as Washington guard Elle Ladine (24) tries to grab it while UA guard Jada Williams (2) closes in during the second half of the Wildcats' 90-82 triple-overtime win over the Huskies in February 2024 in McKale Center. Entering the 2024-25 season, the now-fifth-year Beh and sophomore Williams are UA coach Adia Barnes' choices for team captains.
Captain, O Captain: Barnes picked the most seasoned player on the team, sixth-year Isis Beh and one of the UA's sophomores, Jada Williams, as captains for the 2024-25 season.
Both took jumps in their leadership at the end of last season and into the summer training. Beh was always super excited on the bench when her teammates did something good on the court; when she was on the court, she was a steadying influence, too.
She worked to get into top shape this offseason — adding strength, eating better, getting better sleep — and has worked to help her young teammates understand the Arizona system. It was clear to Barnes that Beh was already taking a leadership role.
The same was true for Williams. It was easy to see last season that she was a leader-in-training. When she stood up in a team meeting and told Barnes, “We have your back, coach. We are 10 toes down,” it was crystal clear that Williams was next up as a Wildcat leader.
“I think we kind of took on that role, not even know it was going to be (for) captains, just kind of the people we are,” Williams said. “We come into practice holding each other accountable; holding our teammates accountable. We are the ones that are the most vocal. I think we hold ourselves to a higher standard, and I think that bled over into who's captain.”
Then-Arizona Wildcats Koi Love (5), Anna Gret Asi (0) and Derin Erdogan (11) pump up the crowd during the fourth quarter of the UA's matchup against UNLV in first round of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at McKale Center on March 19, 2022. Arizona will see two of the three this season, with Love now at UT Arlington (in Tucson Monday night for the season opener) and Gret Asi at Big 12 foe Oklahoma State (Wildcats are in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in February). Erdogan played for Northeastern after leaving Tucson.
Making a return: There will be a familiar face on the other side at McKale Center on Monday night as former Wildcat Koi Love plays for the Mavericks in her now sixth year in college. Love transferred to Arlington in the offseason after being removed from the squad at USC last fall. She is now at her fourth school and has reunited with the Mavericks head coach, Shereka Wright, who recruited her to Vanderbilt in her first stop.
Vote, vote, vote: With Election Day on Tuesday, some of the Wildcats, including Beh, Williams, Paulina Paris and Ajae Yoakum, have used their platform to try to influence their peers to vote over the last few weeks.
Williams, who is a first-time voter, stressed that it was important for her because it’s about her generation using their voice and taking “pride in (voting).”
While she hopes she inspired others to vote, it wasn’t about imposing her beliefs on who to vote for. Williams knows that it all comes down to “what you believe in and what you think that person is going to do for you and your beliefs and represent what you believe most.”
For Beh, when she sent in her ballot, “I breathed out like ‘Oh, hopefully my vote makes a change.’”
“I feel like especially with this election either way it goes, it's going to be a big difference in what's going to go on in the country. It just felt really important this year,” Beh said. “Every vote is important.”
Bounce house: The Mavericks celebrated Halloween in their only exhibition game on Oct. 30. Students handed out candy, and fans of all ages dressed up. In addition, there was a balloon artist, a chance to win prizes on the court after the game and a bounce house just outside the arena.
The Wildcats celebrated Halloween at Barnes’ house by dressing in costumes plus pumpkin-carving contests, decorating cookies and eating plenty of candy.
By the numbers
2: The Wildcats and Mavericks have only played each other twice. Prior to the game two years ago, these two programs played in 1989 in a tournament in Miami, Florida, with Arizona winning that one by a nose 68-66.
4: Arizona is playing four games in eight days to start the season.
1: UT Arlington plays one other Big 12 team during the Mavericks' nonconference schedule (at Houston).
