The University of Arizona and women’s basketball head coach Adia Barnes have agreed to new financial terms to her previous extension through 2025-26 season. The terms of her five-year deal include a $5.85 million base salary. Barnes and the Wildcats had a season for the ages last year as they reached the program’s first national championship game.

When Barnes took over the job at Arizona in 2016, this was a bad job, and people thought there was no turning around this program. We see now that she has turned this program around.

“I took it, and I made it a good job with the player and the staff and all the support I have,” Barnes said. “I write the story here. I don’t have to follow behind someone. We kind of do it together. We leave our legacy and build it. My challenge is to build it into a powerhouse and pursue a championship.” 

Baylor was looking to make a push for Barnes, but she decided to stay at her alma mater Arizona where it all started as a women’s basketball player. 

“I love Arizona,” Barnes said. “This is the place where it all started for me. It started for me at 17. I have never been only motivated by money. I think money always comes. I have never as a player chosen a place just because of more money. I always think about the people. I always think about my happiness, my quality of life, all of those things are really important to me.”