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 In the Middle of a Recruiting Battle

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

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.

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.

Arizona has added to its 2025-26 roster with the addition of 6-foot-3 forward Blessing Adebanjo, who is a Nigerian prospect that played 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.”

Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

Although Arizona has had success on the recruiting trail with Burke leading the charger, one of the Wildcats’ targets in Makayla Presser-Palmer, who took a visit to Tucson back in July has been spotted on a visit to Wake Forest with her posting photos of the Demon Deacons’ football field on her Instagram according to Kim Doss of AZ Desert Swarm.

Right now, the Wildcats are in a recruiting war with West Virginia, Marquette and Wake Forest, which are all trying to land the services of the 5-foot-11 guard.

When looking at the recruiting rankings, Presser-Palmer is rated as a four-star guard that has the ability to control the tempo of the court with the ball in her hands.

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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