TUCSON, Arizona — As unranked 9-4 Arizona women's basketball faces top ten opponents this week at McKale Center, Adia Barnes was about about the state of her program.
"We're definitely in a rebuild mode," said Barnes.
The Wildcats are playing multiple freshmen such as Breya Cunningham, Jada Williams, and Skylar Jones.
"They are playing hard. They are not giving up. We are making mistakes but getting better. They're improving."
Giving young players minutes is something Barnes didn't do the past two seasons when she brought in graduate transfers. Many of the transfers weren't difference makers. Several underclassmen, such as Madison Conner, transferred due to playing time, and are now excelling at other schools. Conner leads undefeated Texas Christian in scoring.
"If money makes you happy, you chase that. If playing time makes you happy, you chase that. I'm all for that, because I want people who want to be here."
Dissatisfied with her playing time and the program's relentless emphasis on defense, Kailyn Gilbert entered the transfer portal after her freshman season, only to withdraw her name and return. As a sophomore, she's now Arizona's leading scorer.
"We're a young team in a young phase and trying to keep that core in tact."
Arizona enters a Pac-12 season in which they might be looking up in the standings, a reality Barnes is prepared to accept.
"They're a good group of kids, and I think we have a bright future. They're going to get better, and they're going to get better fast. And, they're going to get a lot of experience that is valuable in the future."
