This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arizona as Arizona Wildcat Shining in the Pros. The history of ...

The history of Arizona women’s basketball isn’t near the success that UA fans have seen with men’s basketball with their 39 NCAA Tournament appearances, 21 Swee ...

Arizona head coach Adia Barnes during an NCAA basketball game against UT Arlington on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. (Rick Scuteri / AP) ...

Adia Barnes has been keeping a secret for 25 years. Well, it’s such a good secret that she really didn’t know about it. Not then. And certainly not all these years later.

“Adia’s a really good coach and it’s fun to watch the team go on this ride.” Barnes was a professional player from 1998-2010, in the WNBA and overseas.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and Arizona coach Adia Barnes are making history at this year’s Women’s Final Four. 2021 is picking up right where 2020 left off: empowering Black women.

Adia Barnes coached Arizona in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game, was an advocate for women of color and even pumped breast milk for her 6-month-old daughter at halftime.

Adia Barnes always says that Arizona is special. After all, she chose it twice. The first time came in the mid-1990s, as a high school basketball recruit out of San Diego.