Arizona WBB Looking to Land a Bryant

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.”

Now, as Burke is trying to rebuild the program and get things going on the recruiting trail, it was reported on Monday by 24/7 Sports’ Dushawn London that four-star center Cydnee Bryant will be taking an official visit to both Utah and Arizona.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. Cydnee is the sister of former UA forward and No. 14 overall pick Carter Bryant.

The 6-foot-4 center is ranked as the No. 33 overall recruit and sixth best prospect at her position while being ranked as the fourth best player in the state of California.

It will be a long process of recruiting Cydnee for Arizona but this is a massive target for Burke as she lays the foundation for her program moving forward.