Long-Term Roster Construction Paying Off for Arizona Women’s Hoops

The Arizona women’s basketball team is going through a youth movement right now. 

Five of the top six scorers on the team are either freshmen or sophomores, and while young, they are gaining a ton of experience on the court through two years. 

In an era where teams can bring in convoys of older players through the transfer portal, head coach Adia Barnes fought that urge in 2023. She opted to give four freshmen – Jada Williams, Breyan Cunningham, Skylar Jones and Montaya Dew – to find the court early and often and learn from vets like Helena Pueyo and Esmery Martinez. Dew suffered an injury that knocked her out for the season, but the other three players were mainstays on the court.

Now sophomores, and with freshman Lauryn Swann added into the fold this year, this group is helping the ‘Cats hit its stride in the Big 12. 

The ‘Cats win over No. 16 West Virginia on Saturday is the latest example that Barnes’ foresight could be paying off.

And it feels like this group is just getting started.