Five newcomers to Arizona women’s basketball arrive on campus
Things are starting to come together for the 2024-25 Arizona women’s basketball team. Apartments have been occupied. Numbers have been handed out. Most importantly, five of the program’s newcomers have arrived on campus and are taking part in offseason workouts.
The Wildcats will welcome seven newcomers this season. Three are freshmen and four transferred in from other programs. That group began arriving in Tucson last weekend with freshman Lauryn Swann, North Carolina transfer Paulina Paris, South Carolina transfer Sahnya Jah, and Pepperdine transfer Jorynn Ross settling in first.
A few days later, FIU transfer Ajae Yoakum arrived, joining 11 of her 13 new teammates. Only the two international freshmen have yet to land in town.
The group gathered at the home of head coach Adia Barnes and her husband Salvo Coppa over the weekend before getting back into conditioning mode at the beginning of the week.
There was other business to take care of, as well. The program has finally posted the 2024-25 roster, although it is incomplete. It currently lists the 12 players who are in town this summer with their jersey numbers. The two international freshmen are not yet listed on the official roster.
Jersey numbers for all 14 players were posted to social media. The only returner who changed her number is sophomore forward Brooklyn Rhodes, who will wear No. 14 next season. She will be Arizona’s first No. 14 since Sam Thomas exhausted her eligibility in 2021-22.
Swann takes over No. 1, which was last used by Courtney Blakely during the 2023-24 season.
Yoakum will wear No. 5. That number has not been used since Koi Love wore it in 2021-22.
Jah takes the No. 11 jersey that Rhodes wore last season. It is a change from her freshman year at South Carolina. She wore the No. 24 jersey for the Gamecocks.
German guard Mailien Rolf will wear No. 13 when she arrives, stepping into the big shoes of Helena Pueyo. Pueyo was 13 for the past five seasons.
Paris wore No. 2 at North Carolina but excitedly announced that she would return to the No. 23 jersey when she committed to Arizona. That number was last worn by Lauren Fields during the 2022-23 season.
Ross will keep the No. 24 jersey that she wore at Pepperdine as a freshman. Arizona has not had a No. 24 since Bryce Nixon last donned it in 2019-20.
The other international freshman, Katarina Knežević, will wear No. 34. That was Maya Nnaji’s number during 2022-23 and part of 2023-24.
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