Arizona Basketball: Adia Barnes receives well deserved contract extension through 2024

Arizona Women’s Basketball head coach Adia Barnes received a contract extension through the 2023-24 season.

After becoming the Arizona Women’s Basketball head coach in 2016, Adia Barnes has taken this program back into the national spotlight. One of the greats to have played for Arizona Basketball, Barnes understands what it meant to get Wildcats women’s basketball back to winning. This past season she did that and was rewarded with a contract extension through the 2023-24 season. Barnes also earned a 70% raise to $400,000 that was approved by the Board of Regents.

Barnes went from 14-16 in her first season to a 24-13 overall record this past season and oh yeah, a WNIT Championship! Ironically enough the last time the Wildcats won the WNIT Championship in 1996, Barnes was a player under coach Joan Bonvicini. To have the success Barnes has had at Arizona says a lot about her drive to do whatever it takes to become a champion.

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Hard work paid off for Barnes, as she led her team to win not just the WNIT, but to gain the support and fan base for women’s basketball. The attendance inside McKale Center increased every round they advanced and by the finals they sold out McKale Center! That’s unheard of, especially in the finals of the WNIT. Fans were even standing in line to buy season tickets for next year after the championship game.

Before and after each game, Barnes was self-marketing her team on social media and to the fans watching. She set attendance goals for each game and Tucson delivered. Her team winning helped that cause. Barnes overall personality, passion for Tucson and women’s basketball is what makes her such a great hire and investment for the future of this program.

What she had done for this city and this program couldn’t have come at a better time. With men’s basketball missing out on postseason, it was the perfect time for women’s team to capitalize and they did.

Winning attracts great talent. Since they have won the WNIT, Barnes has been able to recruit some high quality transfers and incoming freshman. They recently signed two transfers, Amari Carter from Penn State and Shania Pellington from Oklahoma.

At Zona Zealots we would like to congratulate Adia Barnes on receiving a contract extension through 2024. She has made such a big impact on not just women’s basketball, but to Arizona Athletics. We look forward to continued success, for at least five more seasons. Bear Down, Arizona!