TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona women's basketball team is set to host Western New Mexico in their first and only exhibition game of the season. It will also mark as the first time head coach Adia Barnes will be on the sidelines for Arizona as a coach.

Arizona Links
Game Notes // Schedule // Roster // 2015-16 Stats

Western New Mexico Links
Schedule // Roster // 2015-16 Stats
 
Experience Pays Off
Although there is a brand new coaching staff in place, this team is generally made up of players who were a part of the 2015-16 campaign. 12 of the 14 current players on the roster are returning this year and have played in a combined 552 games. Only one other Pac-12 school has more than nine returners (Colorado returns 11).

Go DJ, That's my DJ
Senior forward Dejza James has played more than 13 games in a season just once in her career due to injuries, but she is healthy now and ready to return to action. Last year in 13 games, she grabbed 6.2 rebounds per game and scored 5.3 points per game. She had two double-digit rebounding performances as well, which included 10 against San Diego on Nov. 21 and 13 against New Mexico State on Dec. 2. James finished the game with at least six rebounds in seven of her 13 games played.

TG For Three
Redshirt sophomore Taryn Griffey has been through her fair share of adversity as she has undergone multiple knee surgeries, but she is back this year after having a solid start to her college career in the 2015-16 season. Last year, she shot 42.4% from downtown, which was the third-highest three-point percentage for one season in school history. She started off the season by shooting 6-9 from deep against Toledo on Nov. 14 and also drilled seven against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 21.

Cleaning the Glass
The Wildcats will lean on seniors LaBrittney Jones, Dejza James and Breanna Workman to dominate the boards this year, which isn't a bad thing. Last year, James averaged 6.2 per game, Jones averaged 5.9 per game and Workman averaged 4.8 per game. Jones grabbed double-digit rebounds four times last season while James did it twice last season. James' season was cut short last year though due to injury as she only played in 13 games. 

LB in the Record Books
Senior LaBrittney Jones is back for her senior season in Tucson. Jones will go down as one of the great Wildcats as she is sure to climb the record books should all go well. She is currently fifth all time in blocked shots with 99 and needs 23 to pass Marte Alexander for fourth. Jones is also 118 rebounds away from cracking the top 10, which shouldn't be an issue as she has averaged a little over 161 boards a year. Her average of 5.8 rebounds per game for a career is tied for seventh all time. Finally, Jones needs just 180 points to crack the top 20 in Arizona history.

Washington's World
Malena Washington led the Wildcats in total points scored last year as she scored 346 for an average of 10.8 per game. She also led the team with 146 three-pointers made, which was the most in one season since Davellyn Whyte knocked down 218 in the 2012-13 season. Although she is a senior, Washington is entering just her third season as a Wildcat as she started her career at Tyler Junior College, where she was named a JC All-American.

Depth Isn't Overrated
Last season, nine Wildcats averaged at least 15 minutes on the floor per game. What is the significance of that? Eight of those players are back for the 2016-17 season, so they know what to expect when it comes to college basketball.

Lock it Up
Arizona was solid on the defensive end last season as they generally didn't allow the opposing team easy buckets and forced them into bad three-point shooting percentages. In the 2015-16 season, opposing teams scored just 62.4 points per game and shot 32.6% from downtown. Both of those were in the top half of the Pac-12 last year.

It's a Block Party and LB is Hosting
Senior LaBrittney Jones has 99 career blocks through 84 games, which is good for an average of 1.2 swats per game. Last year, she blocked 23 shots in 21 games. Throughout her career, she has posted 24 games where she has blocked multiple shots and as blocked 3+ shots in 13 games. Her career high was set back on Feb. 1, 2015 when she sent six shots into the seats.

Barnes is Back
Adia Barnes is back in Wildcat Country, and this time it's as the head coach of the University of Arizona. Barnes is known as one of, if not the best women's basketball player to come through Tucson. As a player, she is the program's leading scorer as she finished with 2,237 career points (18.5 ppg). She is also second all-time in career rebounds (921). During Barnes' freshman year in the 1994-95 season, the Cats finished with a record of 11-19. The next three years were a complete turnaround as the Wildcats won at least 22 games in each season and made a three-straight postseason appearances. Over those three years, Arizona was 68-23, which is still the best three-year stretch in Arizona history.
 
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