Arizona Wildcats (2-0) at UC San Diego Tritons (1-1): Locking down rotations, team play, pro 'Cats
Arizona (2-0) at UC San Diego (1-1) | LionTree Arena | 3 p.m. Sunday | ESPN+ | 1400-AM
She said it
Adia Barnes on playing four games in eight days: "The objective is film, then skill, then film for preparation for these upcoming games (with very few days of practice in between games). ... I think it's just me managing them well and putting in all the stuff. Practices are always longer now, which is a lot on your legs, because there's so much teaching with eight new people. I think that it's just the process. Focusing on one or two things per practice, not on (the) 10 ... things we need to do before the next couple of weeks, but one thing at a time."
On the sidelines
More playing time: In the first two games of the season, all 12 active Wildcats — Brooklyn Rhodes is in concussion protocol — have earned plenty of minutes.
For now, at least, expect Barnes to keep using different rotations and playing as many Wildcats as she can. It's a luxury for the Wildcats to have a deep bench and be able to show multiple looks. Last year there were times, especially down the stretch, that they only had six or seven active players.
It's not only about continuing to build chemistry. Barnes now has the talent to prepare and give reps to in situations that will help as the season wears on.
At guard, Barnes said this means bringing in Mailien Rolf to play point guard and moving Jada Williams to the shooting guard position. And even sliding Paulina Paris over to the point, "What if, Mailien was in foul trouble, or Jada (Williams) was in foul trouble? We need that third person that can play the one," Barnes said.
"Paulina is really poised and has done a good job in practice," Barnes added.
While, it may have looked a little uneasy for Paris (or Williams) with the shots not falling as much early on, Barnes was fine with that as she knows that will come and "We have to do those things, so (Paris is) prepared."
Barnes is even giving Lauryn Swann reps at point guard, even though she wants to have her more at the two — shooting guard — because she's "a really good shooter."
"I like her being aggressive; she's not only a shooter, she's good at driving to the basket, she's good at other things, and she's a great kid," Barnes added. "She's coachable. She does whatever you ask."
It's not just the guards. Barnes is working on expanding the chemistry with the posts. The main combination of Isis Beh and Breya Cunningham works extremely well together. Now, it's a matter of being able to go deeper to play duos like Montaya Dew and Sahnya Jah, Jah and Beh or Jah with Cunningham.
It's all about the team: While it's early and the Wildcats have things to work on, Barnes is really enjoying this team and it shows.
Barnes' staff has always tracked effort plays in practice and in games and rewards players with a gold jersey each week. But this year, it seems different. Just two games in and the little things that Barnes values already seem ingrained into this year's squad.
"I do emphasize those positive things," Barnes said. "When we're watching film, and they're all jumping off the bench, I stopped that in film. I showed 'This is an awesome bench.' Or when Jada dove on the ball, they all run and pick her up, that's what we emphasize in practice. We value those things, and we chart those things. I hope you're seeing those things on the court. We're a much better, much better team than last year, even the beginning of the season. I think we had better individual players last year, but not a better team."
Pro Wildcats: Former UA standout Esmery Martinez, a first round draftee by the NY Liberty (she was cut at the end of the WNBA training camp), is now playing for Flammes Carolo Basket, a team in France's first division, out of Charleville-Mézières (21⁄2 hours north of Paris). Martinez tallied a triple double — 24 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists — in her second game.
Another former UA standout from the 2021 National Championship team, Trinity Baptiste, is playing for Hebei in WCBA China this season.
Tritons investing in women's basketball: Just shy of two weeks ago, UC San Diego hired former Triton men's basketball coach, Bill Carr, as GM for both men's and women's hoops squads.
His role is implementing an NIL program and he will pitch in on roster management and recruiting. This is big step forward in the evolving environment of college sports — and especially investing in the women's team.
USC recently hired Amy Broadhead as the women's basketball GM. She joins Washington and Iowa in the Big Ten with this role for their women's basketball programs. Meanwhile, none of Big 12 teams, including Arizona, have any "GMs" listed on their rosters.
Fly away, fly away: Arizona is hitting the road for the first time this season. Flying commercial for a quick trip to San Diego where both Barnes and Cunningham grew up.
Two games, two wins and two times that Cunningham has banged the drum as player of the game. In the season opener she had a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) and she followed that with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and one steal.
The Wildcats were on the verge setting yet another record in season ticket sales on Thursday. How close? Just a handful off the mark, 5,898, sold last season. Arizona has now crossed the 5,400 mark for four consecutive years. This time, with little marketing. To put this into perspective, the year after the Wildcats won the WNIT, they sold a tad more than 3,000.
Triton sophomore, Sumayah Sugapong, who played high school ball with Cunningham and Williams at La Jolla Country Day, was Big West Freshman of the Year last season. She averaged 14 points, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in nearly 28 minutes per game.
Through Friday, two Wildcats were ranked in the Top 20 in the Big 12 in rebounding. Sophomore forward Cunningham averaging nine is tied for sixth, while freshman guard Mailien Rolf, averaging 7.5 per game, is in the 15 spot. Cunningham is also fourth in blocks, averaging 2.5 per game.
— PJ Brown
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