New Arizona Women’s Basketball head coach Becky Burke isn’t set to be officially introduced until Friday afternoon, but that hasn’t stopped her from already hitting the ground running. After being named as the program’s new head coach on Wednesday, Burke has secured her first pickup from the transfer portal. On Friday, former Buffalo guard Noelani Cornfield announced via social media she is transferring to Arizona.
The 5-foot-6 guard and Gowanda, NY native was one of the most productive players for the Bulls last season. She averaged 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.5 steals per game last season. Her assists and steal were both team-highs. She also shot the ball at an efficient clip, shooting 45.3 percent from the field. Cornfield was named to the 2024-25 All-MAC Defensive Team.
She is heading into her sixth season of college basketball thanks to the NCAA waiver that granted players additional eligibility for their time at the JUCO level. She began her career at JUCO Northwest Florida (2020-22), before spending two seasons at Souther Miss (2022-24). Arizona will be her fourth stop.
It’s the first step in the right direction for Burke and the roster as she gets established in Tucson. With Noelani Cornfield transferring to Arizona, the Wildcats now have two scholarship players on the roster, Cornfield and Montaya Dew, heading into the 2025-26 season. A number of other Buffalo players entered the transfer portal earlier this week, including guard Kirsten Lewis-Williams. The sophomore guard averaged 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, but has not announced her new landing spot.
[…] Montaya Dew, who is recovering from a knee injury suffered late last season, and Buffalo transfer Noelani Cornfield, who committed to Arizona hours before Friday’s press […]