Arizona women's basketball at No. 9 UCLA: Scouting report, body image, Kailyn Gilbert watch

Arizona (12-10, 4-6) at No. 9 UCLA (17-4, 6-4) | Pauley Pavilion | 9 p.m. Friday | TV: Pac-12 Networks | Radio: 1290-AM

She said it

“They are a lot different without (Lauren) Betts for sure. She changes a lot around the rim. She’s really, really good. I think it’s one of those things where you don’t talk about it, you don’t put focus on it, because we started playing better with shorter numbers,” UA coach Adia Barnes said of playing No. 9 UCLA, which, like Arizona has a limited bench.

UCLA is down to most likely seven players for Friday night’s tussle with Arizona. This week, Izzy Anstey announced that her basketball career is over because of injuries. Lina Sontag (German) and Angela Dugalic (Serbian) are in Olympic qualifying tournaments this week, and Betts has been out for two weeks because of an undisclosed medical reason. On Wednesday afternoon, UCLA coach Cori Close said that Betts is day-to-day.

“Other people step up, they get an opportunity,” Barnes said. “They haven’t played a lot so they’re really wanting to play well. I think sometimes people play better. They’re good. Kiki (Rice), Londynn (Jones) — they (are) really good players. We know they’re going to play well at home.”

On the sidelines

Mounting pressures on women: It’s not easy being a college student these days, especially with the extra pressure that comes from social media. Whether it’s having to look a certain way, showing a perfect life or getting a certain amount of likes for a post, it all takes a toll. Young women have always faced body image issues, but now it seems to be tenfold because of the immediacy of social media with harsh comments and more.

Barnes said that she sees how hard it is for these young women that she coaches. She’s also been subject to some of these mean reactions, as well.

After Barnes had her children, it was hard. Especially, after Capri, who is now 3 1/2 years old. She received a critical letter from someone who was not happy that she posted she had gotten her COVID-19 vaccination. It was a letter she will never forget.

“(I was) thinking it was a good thing because like ‘oh, if I can get people (to) want to get vaccinated,’ that was a good thing,” Barnes said. “Then there was this seven-page letter from some guy — a critical letter. At the end of the letter, it was like, ‘You know you’re beautiful and you can like stand to lose 30 pounds.’ I was so mad. … I was so offended. Oh my gosh, I felt pressure. For me, I felt a certain way because I was this pro athlete that was like really fit before. I had never been overweight. I have always been in athletics. I’ve never was a head coach with kids and it was hard.

“I felt bad and that’s just me at 40. I can’t imagine the pressures now for younger women with all these things like Tik Tok and social media and NIL. You want to look good, play good, be good.”

As a coach, she said part of her role is to “teach her young women to be confident.”

“But I can’t just say ‘Be confident’. I have to put them in situations where they gain confidence,” Barnes said. “Whether that’s media, whether that’s etiquette class — ways to get better and get more confident. I make them say (positive things) about themselves, like a couple things that are positive or ask specific questions where they have to think of it and answer. I try to do that a lot to try to build confidence.”

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Barnes added that she takes pride in seeing how her players including alumni Sam Thomas and Aari McDonald have grown to embody this confidence.

“It makes you proud because you left an imprint. But it’s hard nowadays for women,” Barnes said.

New role, same role model: Former UA softball coach Mike Candrea began his new role as Arizona’s interim athletic director about a week ago. Barnes, who counted Candrea as a mentor of her early on in her head coaching career at Arizona, was happy to see him accept this role.

“I love Mike Candrea,” Barnes said. “I think that was a brilliant decision because he has so many good relationships here in Tucson. He’s loved. The donors love him. He’s a great connector. He gets it all. He’s been a coach. He loved his (time) in his role working with coaches. I think that he just understands every aspect and understands this department better than anybody.

“He’s a good man and someone we all turn to.

“It’s funny because as a coach, you’re really busy. But then you leave, go to practice, go to your element where you love. As an AD, I don’t think you’d leave or just sometimes. It’s a lot harder, but especially right now with everything. But he’s loved and I think he’s a good leader and I think he’ll do a good job.”

Kailyn Gilbert watch: On Tuesday, it was still unknown if Gilbert would be available to make the trip to the L.A. schools. Barnes said it depends on how Gilbert feels — if she is ready to step back on the court — and if she is participating in practice.

“If you’re not with the team, you’re not practicing, you’re not playing and you are not traveling,” Barnes said. “If you are, then you are traveling and you’re playing.”

Gilbert, however, was seen participating in practice Wednesday, and did make the trip with the Wildcats to Los Angeles.

Olympic qualifying: Former UA standout Shaina Pellington is on Canada Basketball’s roster as it looks to qualify to compete in this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. The qualifying tournament runs Feb. 8-11 with Team Canada in Hungary and USA Basketball in Belgium.

By the numbers

6: Arizona matched up well against Arizona State this season, swatting six balls each time they faced off. Breya Cunningham had five in the December matchup and two last Sunday. Helena Pueyo chipped in with three last time out, which tied her career high.

2: In the four games UCLA has played without Betts, who was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2023, they have won two (Cal and UW). In the last three games without Gilbert, UA’s leading scorer averaging 16.7 points per game, the Wildcats have also won two (Cal and ASU).

1.7: UCLA holds its’ opponents to scoring only 63.3 points per game. Arizona holds its’ opponents to 65 points per game — a difference of 1.7 points.

— PJ Brown