The whirlwind that is the NCAA transfer portal often has been compared to speed dating.
Arizona women’s basketball coach Becky Burke and her staff experienced that phenomenon in the spring when they had to put together almost an entire roster in about a month’s time.
Arizona coach Becky Burke gathers the Wildcats for a strategy session during an officiating review in the second quarter of their game against UC Riverside, Nov. 6, 2025, at McKale Center.
Their work wasn’t done when the 2025-26 squad was formed.
Burke and her staff quickly shifted gears to the 2026 recruiting class. Other schools had a significant head start. But Burke and her assistants did their best to make up the stagger. They ended up with a four-player signing class that left Burke feeling “ecstatic.”
“Our staff did a really good job,” said Burke, whose team hosts Grambling State on Sunday. “When we finished putting this team together to be able to compete this season out of the portal, it was immediately on to the 2026s. We were really far behind. All four of these guys have been recruited for two, three, four years by (other) institutions. We just get here in April and try to start talking to them — and actually didn’t start talking to them until June or July.
Arizona coach Becky Burke reacts while talking to a game official after a foul was called on the Wildcats during the first quarter of the game against UC Irvine, Nov. 9, 2025, at McKale Center.
“The fact that we got to build those relationships as quickly as we did, with the caliber of players that we did, I’m so thankful for our staff and their hard work. Just all coming together and being able to sign as many top-100 kids as we did is super impressive.
“I know staffs at Power Four schools that don’t even get top-100 kids on campus to visit within their first couple years. The fact that we got four of them signed is just a testament to how hard we’ve been working in recruiting.”
Burke did have prior relationships with two of the signees: forward Priyanka Ponnam and guard Makayla Presser-Palmer. That helped.
Burke recruited both players while she was at Buffalo. Presser-Palmer’s first Division I offer came from the Bulls, Burke said.
“We always wanted to recruit those ‘cusp’ kids,” Burke said. “We wanted to recruit these players that have the potential to go P4. But if they don’t, we wanted them to slip down to us at Buffalo. ... Those previous relationships really helped seal the deal here at Arizona.”
The other members of the class are guard Jasleen Green and center Callie Hinder. Green, Hinder and Presser-Palmer cracked Rivals’ Top 100. Green and Presser-Palmer are rated as top-65 prospects by ESPN.
“It’s just something to be excited about moving forward,” Burke said. “You add some transfers in the portal come April and May of (next) year, and we’re gonna be looking pretty good.”
Midyear mojo
Hinder will arrive earlier than her classmates. The 6-foot-6 Australian, who’s currently enrolled at Phoenix PHH Prep, is planning to come to Tucson in December as a midyear enrollee.
Burke has no intention of playing Hinder this season. She will use her redshirt year to get acclimated to college life, practice with the team and spend time in the weight room.
From top left, clockwise: Arizona women’s basketball 2026 signees Priyanka Ponnam, Makayla Presser-Palmer, Callie Hinder and Jasleen Green.
“She needs to get stronger,” Burke said. “She needs to get in our system and live in the weight room and just be immersed in our player-development system.
“It’s gonna be really good for her to spend a semester with us before her teammates come in June and join her. If I could go back and do it, I would enroll early in college.
“She’s gonna be a little bit homesick, figuring out how to live on her own — let’s get all those things out of the way right now. So when she arrives back here in June with the rest of her teammates, she almost feels like a sophomore.
“There’s a lot to adjust to — how to cook on your own, where you’re eating, what you’re doing, your schedule, just being a self-sufficient young woman. I’m excited to help her through that.”
More Magot?
Freshman Daniah Trammell and transfer Nora Francois have split time at center through Arizona’s first two games. Achol Magot, a 6-7 transfer whom Burke envisioned having a big role this season, barely has played.
Arizona center Achol Magot (20) gets her legs loosened up on the sideline before the Wildcats take on Cal State LA in an exhibition game, Oct. 30, 2025, at McKale Center.
Magot’s usage, or lack thereof, is mostly due to matchups.
“These nonconference games are tough for Achol,” Burke said. “As much as you think you could probably use her on the offensive end against some of these mid-major teams, it’s a really hard defensive matchup for her. And I’m a defensive coach, so it’s hard for me to put her in some of these games where they’re playing almost five guards at times.”
UC Irvine’s tallest starter was 6-2. UC Riverside’s was 6-1.
Burke also prefers man-to-man defense, so there’s no opportunity for Magot to camp out in the paint as she would in a zone.
Hannah and Lani
Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo had a historic performance Wednesday against Akron, scoring 44 points and recording 16 steals — the latter an NCAA record by a male or female player.
Hidalgo is just 5-foot-6. Her style reminds Burke of UA point guard Noelani Cornfield, who’s also 5-6. Cornfield ranks among the Big 12 leaders with an average of 3.5 steals per game.
Arizona guard Noelani Cornfield (4) tries to get to the rebound over UC Irvine forward Nohealani Stores (13) during their game Nov. 9, 2025, at McKale Center.
“I just think about what she said,” Burke said of Hidalgo. “It was like, ‘I’ve always been the smallest one on the court, so I’ve got to really be savvy and I really gotta use my instincts and my speed.’ It just makes me think of a player like Lani.
“Those players that have the level of competitiveness that Hannah has ... they’re just so small in stature that they have to have that grittiness about them. The ones that do, they’re really special.”
