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 WBB Adds to its 2025-26 Roster

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 8:00 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.

Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

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.

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.

As of right now, Arizona has received two commitments for the 2026 recruiting class in Priyanka Ponnam, Callie Hinder and four-star recruit Jasleen Green with Burke trying to rebuild the program.

Now, Burke and her staff have thrown a curveball at everyone by landing a player for the 2025-26 season in international prospect Blessing Adebanjo, who is a Nigerian forward that is listed at 6-foot-3 to help the Wildcats in the low-post.

Although Adebanjo is a Nigerian player, she spent last season in Japan where she averaged 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.7 blocks at Yamanashi Gakuin University.

“I chose Arizona because the coaches and staff recognized my potential, supported my journey from Japan to the U.S. and offered a program that could transform my basketball career and life,” said Adebanjo. “ [This made it the] ideal place for me to grow both on and off the court. And, I can’t wait to start this next chapter.”

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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