Jan 22, 2023; Tempe, AZ, USA; Wilma Wildcat interacts with fans before the Arizona Wildcats face the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gould/The Republic Ncaa Womens Basketball Asu Womens Basketball Vs Arizona Alex Gould / USA TODAY NETWORK

Arizona Looks to the Future with Recent WBB Offer

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 6:00 AM ET

Since being hired as the head coach of the Arizona women’s basketball program, Becky Burke has been busy building the roster for the 2025-26 season and finalizing her coaching staff with high-level assistant coaches from across the country.

Before Arizona, Burke was a successful head coach at four different programs where she was able to turn things around and get them back on track. Overall, she has a record of 174-92 since the start of her career in 2016.

“I would like to thank President (Suresh) Garimella and Desireé for this wonderful opportunity to lead Arizona Women’s Basketball, a program with such a rich tradition,” Burke said. “Wildcats’ fans fully understand the role that elite culture plays in building a program that wins championships. Our staff will be ready to make that a reality as we call Tucson home.”

After the Wildcats had an underwhelming 2024-25 season as the team went 19-14 and missing the NCAA Tournament completely, Burke saw most of the previous season’s roster leave the team with only forward Montaya Dew staying with the team.

So, Burke had to work hard to build up the upcoming season’s roster with a mix of transfers and recruits she was able to land late in the process compared to the rest of the country.

Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the roster set, Burke has shifted her focus to recruiting classes in order to get the program headed in the right direction and back in the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona landed a three-star recruit Priyanka Ponnam and 6-foot-6 center Callie Hinder for its 2026 recruiting class.

Now, Arizona is starting to work on its 2029 recruiting class by offering 5-foot-11 point guard Jaiyana Bogan-Jacobs.

The Campo Verde guard has started to get national recognition with multiple offers from across the country. Bogan-Jacobs tweeted out that she has received offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Louisville, Cal, Alabama and SMU.

Now, there is still a long way to go in the recruitment of Bogan-Jacobs but Arizona is in good position as of this moment as Burke tries to retain local high school talent in the state.

The fact that Burke and Arizona are in the conversation for so many high-level players is a sign of her success at other programs and her ability to be a dynamic recruiter despite the program coming off of an underwhelming season.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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