TEMPE – Following a loss to then-No. 11 TCU, Adia Barnes told the Arizona Wildcats that a new season was starting. The goal was to go undefeated in this mini, 4-game season, and the Wildcats have done just that. Going back to Arizona’s 66-59 win over ASU in Tucson in early February, the Wildcats have won five of their last seven to wrap up the regular season, including a season sweep over the “School Up North”. Arizona heads to Kansas City next week with the 8th-seed in the Big 12 Tournament secured, giving them a well-deserved day of rest. See what head coach Adia Barnes had to say postgame following the Arizona Wildcats’ 71-59 win over ASU in Tempe.
Adia Barnes
Adia Barnes postgame on her overall thoughts of how Arizona played against ASU:
“I thought that this was a really physical game. I’m proud of our team, a couple of things, the way we like kept our composure with very physical play. The other thing is finding different ways to win and gain momentum. As the end of season came, we had a goal – it was to win the four games and put ourselves in a good situation going into the Big 12 Tournament. So I’m really glad we’ve been able to do that and end our season. And also I think ASU is a good team. I think they’re scrappy. I think they have some really good players, and one that we did not have an answer for, not only Skinner and Brown, but Parkinson was a beast today and played really good.”
Adia Barnes on Arizona finishing in the top half of the conference:
“Well the first thing, that comment stings, because I’m such a competitor, so to come to the point where, oh, you finish the top half is hard, obviously. We’re a young team, but with our personnel, and our experience, and kind of where we are right now, and who we are, I’m proud of that. I think it’s a good accomplishment. And if we go to the tournament with this team, I think it’s a really big accomplishment. Our players have grown so much throughout the year, so I’m proud.
And then think about tonight, like we didn’t – Sky did not play well, Breya didn’t play her best game, and we still found ways to win. Katarina came out and has not played really all year, and played a really good game. So I love the fact that different people are stepping up at the right time. We’re finding different ways to win.”
Adia Barnes postgame on Arizona hitting 15 3-pointers and shooting over 50 percent from beyond the arc against ASU:
“So three point shooting has not been our strength. There’s been some games that we’ve been hot, but at first, you look at halftime, I was like, 15, but we were, I think we’re eight for 15 the first half. And I was like, okay, but you don’t want to live and die by three. That’s not who we are. I thought Lauryn came out on fire, and Isis is always hitting one, Jada hit a couple. It just was contagious.”
Adia Barnes postgame on what getting a bye in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament means for Arizona after sweeping the season against ASU:
“That’s huge for us. So, you know, it’s funny, because I didn’t want to talk about the other game before our game, but they were all they were all whispering. I heard them. They’re not supposed to have their phones, so not sure how that happened. But I think that just keeping like it, staying in the moment, and worrying about yourself is the most important thing. Like for us, it was like, we want to win those four games and and because we felt, remember, I said four games, but I said we felt that this part of the Big 12 season was, like more favorable. I thought we played the really top heavy teams early, and then we had a more favorable schedule.
So that was what we could control. And I told them, new season. So we were 4-0 on that season, and then now it’s one game at a time, anybody can win. And I think us resting one day is huge. Montaya is gonna be out for the rest of the season. We have a short bench, and so it is what it is. So we have to play different people. And I think I have a lot more confidence today because Katarina stepped up and filled some big shoes and played, you know, in place of Montaya.”
Adia Barnes on what senior captain Isis Beh has meant to Arizona down the stretch this season:
“Isis Beh has been huge. She’s been one of our most efficient, our best players. She also has been valuable off the court in the locker room as one of our captains, and leaders, and the mother of the team, because she’s like a lot older than everybody. And so I think she’s just been so valuable just to watch her grow into that role. She couldn’t have done any of this, off or on the court, like she’s doing this year. So I like that, like, as a coach, like those are rewarding moments, and you get to see these aha moments, moments where she’s playing well, she’s on the Dean’s list. I mean, last year, was not like that at all, but to see that 180 is just good, because it means that I had impact on her, or the staff had impact on her. So I think that’s, that’s important to me.”
Adia Barnes on the growth and development of freshman Katarina Knezevic:
“We all know she’s put in some situations that are harder. Remember, she’s a three. They moved her to the four because we thought she has better match. So she can be a really good four. And then there’s some actions in the game, but then we have to remember she’s at the four sometimes. So some of it, you know, she was running some of those actions wrong, so they were on her. And some of it’s a language barrier. So some of it’s quick, and she’s got to translate in her head. So sometimes she’ll miss stuff. But then we corrected her and she made those adjustments. So I thought she played good though. She was guarding Kennedy Basham sometimes. I mean, she hit the three, she was rebounding, she was tough inside. I think she really stepped up.
And that’s not easy to do when you hadn’t played the whole year. I mean, she’s played a couple games here and there. In her last game, she didn’t play a lot game before she played, but then the whole season she hadn’t played. So I think mentally, that’s hard for players to stick with it and still have confidence, and she does have the confidence. And you have to remember, Katarina, she’s so not only as a freshman, but like, she doesn’t play basketball that long. She was a phenomenal soccer player, so she wasn’t so basketball is new, so she’s behind what most of players are. So I think her ceiling is really, really high.”
Adia Barnes postgame on the number of Arizona fans that made the trip to Tempe to support the Wildcats against ASU:
“Well, our crown was great. I think we had probably more fans, but we brought three buses up here. Hopefully there’s no alcohol, those buses, because they were rowdy. No, I’m just kidding, but three buses out here, really good. And then we had a send off. So they all came to the hotel. I mean, it was like, 180 people all came to hotel, rallied us. I thought that was really cool, and that’s meaningful for us, because it helps, because they were very, very loud. So that gives us momentum, and it ignites us when we’re not playing well. So really good, cool. And I want to thank all the fans, actually. Thank you so much for bringing three buses down to Tempe. You guys helped us win, we wouldn’t have won without you.”