Becky Burke is taking over as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball program and she’s calling it a “rebuild from the studs.”
She isn’t shy about the fact that she believes it will take time for the Wildcats to become the kind of program that can challenge for a Big 12 title. The program returns just one player from a year ago as she had to tap heavily into the transfer portal to put together a team that could be competitive in year one.
Here is a preview of the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Wildcats
2024-25: 19-14, 10-8, eighth place in Big 12. Lost in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Did not participate in any postseason play.
Head coach: Becky Burke takes over the program from Adia Barnes, who took the same job at SMU. She was at Buffalo the past three seasons, where she led the Bulls to 30 wins and the WNIT title last April. She has a 174-92 record in nine seasons, beginning at Embry-Riddle in 2016.
Big 12 history: Arizona joined the Big 12 last season after spending decades in the Pac-12. The program reached the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2021 but has never won a national title.
Arizona Schedule: Click here for a complete 2025-26 Big 12 schedule.
Arizona 2025-26 Roster Review
Gone: G Jada Williams (12.7 ppg), Breya Cunningham (11.0 ppg), Skylar Jones (10.7 ppg), F Isis Beh (8.4 ppg), G Paulina Paris (8.3 ppg), Lauryn Swann (8.0 ppg), Sahnya Jah (6.6 ppg), G Mailien Rolf (3.2 ppg), F Katarina Knezevic (2.8 ppg), F Jordyn Ross (1.1 ppg), F Erin Tack (0.8 ppg), F Brooklyn Rhodes (0.0 ppg), G Lauryn Swann, F Ajae Yoakum.
Returning: F Montaya Dew (2.5 ppg).
Incoming transfers: G Mickayla Perdue (20 ppg at Cleveland State), G Kamryn Kitchen (redshirted at Virginia), G Sumayah Sugapong (15 ppg at UC San Diego), G Noelani Cornfield (10.9 ppg at Buffalo), F Fredriecka Wallace (redshirted at Kansas), G Tanyuel Welch (10.8 ppg at Memphis), F Nora Francois (15.0 ppg at New Orleans), F Blessing “Adde” Adebanjo (15.1 ppg at Yamanashi Gakuin University), C Achol Magot (did not play at Texas Tech).
Incoming freshmen: G Molly Ludwig, G Mireia Jurado, F Daniah Trammell.
Projected Starting Lineup
G Mickayla Perdue: If her scoring at Cleveland State translates to Arizona, the Wildcats will be in good shape.
G Noelani Cornfield: Played for Burke at Buffalo last year and knows the system.
G Sumayah Sugapong: Another double-digit scorer at a mid-major who has potential to make the transition to high-major ball look easy.
F Nora Francois: Averaged double figures in two straight seasons with the Privateers.
C Achol Magot: Hasn’t played a college game yet but, at 6-foot-7, she has something one can’t coach.
Starting Lineup Crashers
G Tanyuel Welch: Memphis prepped her for the chance to come off the bench or, under the right circumstances, start.
G Kamryn Kitchen: Redshirted last year but was a Top 60 recruit per ESPNW when she signed with Virgina.
Lineup Competition
Even with all the newness on the roster, there may not be as much competition for starting spots as one might think. Perdue, Cornfield and Sugapong averaged more than 40 points at their respective institutions last season and should draw starting spots right away. Francois is another experienced player with scoring ability. Magot hasn’t played a college game because she redshirted her first year and was injured last year. But at 6-foot-7 she provides potential defensive strength and rebounding. That’s one area where one could see a lot of changes from Burke as she tries to determine what big works with her perimeter players.
Early Prediction
Don’t be surprised if Arizona has a great record going into Big 12 action. There isn’t a single high major program on the Wildcats’ non-conference schedule, which could be a nod to the need for Burke to work through rotations and build her team’s confidence before conference play. As of now, all of Arizona’s non-conference games are in Tucson, aside from its multi-team event. Arizona’s success in the Big 12 will hinge not necessarily on facing stiff high major competition in non-conference but more on how the team gels together before the league opener.
