Arizona WBB Adds Interesting Non-Conference Game

It has been a long and busy off season for the Arizona women’s basketball team that all started with seeing former head coach and player Adia Barnes leave the program that she helped build for SMU after contract disagreements that prevented an extension between the two parties.

In the nine seasons under Barnes, the Wildcats had their most successful period in program history with five 20-plus win seasons, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the 2021 National Title game where UA fell 54-53 to Stanford.

"Our model centers around identifying head coaches who prioritize success in coaching, recruiting and the development of high-character student-athletes,” said Desiree Reed-Francois.

“Coach Burke is a proven program builder and rising star in collegiate women’s basketball with a track record of transformational success. She is familiar with the Wildcats and the tight-knit community we have in Tucson. Our search committee did a wonderful job of selecting the right leader as we are proud to welcome Coach Burke, Savannah and Banks to the University of Arizona.”

Now, Arizona has hired Becky Burke to lead the program after having a successful career at Buffalo as the head coach. In her career, Burke is 174-92 all-time and has won everywhere she has been.

“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.”

Recently, the team announced a scheduling update for the 2025-26 season with the addition of New Mexico to its schedule.

It will be a two-game series starting this season in Tucson on Dec. 7. Then, Arizona will play the Lobos in New Mexico the following season with a date of the game still to be determined.

No one knows what to expect from Burke and her team this upcoming season. The Wildcats’ roster has only one player returning from the previous season in which Arizona went 19-14 and saw the year end in the WBIT against NAU in a 71-69 loss at home.

The only player returning is forward Montaya Dew, who has spent most of her time on campus recovering from an injury. However, she played in 29 games last season averaging 2.5 PPG, three RPG and 1.8 APG while playing 19.9 MPG.

Overall, Dew started in four games but really never got a chance to get any type of rhythm going on the floor with the previous coaching staff.