Adia Barnes is building something special at the University of Arizona.
From a 14-16 season in her first year as women’s basketball coach of the Wildcats in 2016-17, the former Mission Bay High standout has led her team to the NCAA Tournament the last two seasons, going to the Final Four in 2019-20.
Wednesday, the Wildcats took a giant step forward, signing three five-star players on the first day of the NCAA’s National Letter of Intent period.
The class includes Breya Cunningham and Jada Williams of La Jolla Country Day as well as Montoya Dew from Centennial High in Las Vegas.
All three are rated five-star players by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Dew is the eighth-ranked player in the class of 2023. Cunningham checks in as the No. 14 player in the class. Williams is the 21st-ranked player.
ESPN ranks Arizona’s as the No. 1 recruiting class in 2023.
Williams and Cunningham represented Team USA, winning gold medals at the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
Both Cunningham and Williams cited a connection with Barnes in choosing Arizona.
“Adia is really passionate,” said the 6-foot-4 Cunningham. “When she was recruiting me, we really meshed.
“I was born in Tucson, have family there. Adia has been recruiting me since eighth grade. We’re similar personalities. She understands me. I’m comfortable around her.”
Cunningham averaged 18.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game last season for La Jolla Country Day, the San Diego Section Open Division champion.
The Torreys beat Santa Ana Mater Dei in the Southern California Regionals, then lost by a point to Sierra Canyon.
The 5-7 Williams committed to UCLA early in her high school career.
Once she decommitted from the Bruins, Cunningham convinced her to take a look at Arizona.
“For me, a deciding factor was playing with Breya,” Williams said.
“Adia is a passionate coach. It’s important that you respect your coach. Arizona is really into women’s basketball (averaging 7,500 fans a game last season). Adia has built a culture of winning at Arizona. It was just a better fit for me.
“I’m a high-energy player, a leader. I plan to come in and be the driver of the bus.”
Barnes was an assistant coach at Washington when she crossed paths with La Jolla Country Day coach Terri Bamford, convincing Torreys star Kelsey Plum to cast her lot with the Huskies.
Plum went on to become National Player of the Year and is a star in the WNBA.
“Girls that play for Terri Bamford are ready for the next level,” Barnes said. “She’s one of the best coaches in the country. Breya is a dominant inside player.
“She has the ability to score in the paint, and she can step outside and make shots. This makes her hard to defend. Breya is also an elite rebounder. She is a force.”
Barnes didn’t start recruiting Williams until after she decommitted from UCLA.
“Players gravitate to Jada,” Barnes said. “She’s a high-energy player, a leader.
“Kids want to be around her.”
Williams averaged 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.8 steals last season.
In addition to Cunningham and Williams, LJCD guard Sumayah Sugapong signed with UC San Diego.
“I wanted to play in a Division I program close to home, so UCSD is perfect for me,” Sugapong said. “I can play in front of my family and friends.
“The academics are great, and I had a great connection with the coaches.”
Barnes liked the fact LCJD players are battle tested.
Bamford said her team will play six nationally televised games this season, will play in the Nike Tournament in Portland, the Hoops Hall Classic in Massachusetts, as well as the Gieco Challenge and against Sierra Canyon in Crypto.com Arena.
“These events are great exposure for the girls,” Bamford said. “It’s exciting for all of us.
“These are great kids. But you don’t get invited to big events unless you have good players. And we have good players.”
Close to 150 athletes signed Wednesday with women’s soccer leading the way with 32.
Baseball had 16 sign, softball 13, men’s soccer 12 and women’s volleyball 25.
Players signing with Ivy League schools Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown and Colgate as well as Pac-12 schools, USC, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Oregon, Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, Washington and Colorado.
In addition, Clemson, Michigan, Florida State, Auburn, Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Houston, North Carolina, Duke, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Miami, Texas and Tulane signed San Diego players.
And great academic colleges like the University of Chicago, Claremont Harvey Mudd and Pomona Pitzer got San Diego athletes.
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