PJ Brown

Tucson

Freelance Sports Writer at Arizona Daily Star

Arizona women’s basketball beat reporter, plus other Arizona sports for @TucsonStar & @TheWildcaster. Cubs fan & Wisconsin alum.

Articles

Cunningham, Jones, Knezevic transferring out of Arizona women's basketball

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Three more Arizona women's basketball players — Breya Cunningham, Skylar Jones and Katarina Knezevic — entered the transfer portal on Tuesday morning. They join Jada Williams, who made her announcement Monday afternoon. Cunningham and Jones were both part of the Class of 2023, along with Williams. Cunningham, a post player, averaged 11 points and seven rebounds this season in 22.8 minutes of action per game. She also had 56 blocks.
Jada Williams first Arizona women's hoops player to enter transfer portal

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Arizona women's basketball point guard Jada Williams announced on X that she entered the transfer portal Monday afternoon. After not playing in the first round of the WBIT on Thursday, this was the expected outcome. Williams started in 58 games across her two seasons as a Wildcat and played nearly 1,900 minutes. She ended up averaging 12.7 points and dished 87 assists this season. The co-captain also shot 29% from long range and averaged 3.5 rebounds.
After failing to make NCAA women's hoops tourney, Barnes switching up strategy

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

The Arizona women’s basketball season came to an abrupt end on Thursday night. That’s the nature of postseason tournaments — win-or-go-home. When you lose — and most teams lose to end their seasons — it sits with you for a long time. Time is needed to put the game and season into perspective. One thing that time can’t change is the mindset of the Wildcats in the 71-69 loss to NAU in the first round of the WBIT.
NAU edges Arizona women's basketball 71-69 in WBIT to end the Wildcats season

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

One big question for the Wildcats heading into the first postseason game was how they would respond to playing without their sophomore playmaker Jada Williams. Williams sat out of the game with a nagging foot injury that had been bothering her all season long. The last time Arizona played NAU — back in November, six games into the season — Williams didn’t play in that one, either. She was out with a concussion after banging her head into Paulina Paris’ nose during practice.
See how McKale Center has transformed for the 2025 WBIT

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

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Arizona special assistant Kamiko Williams on postseason, Wildcat development and tenacity

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Kamiko Williams knows all about the postseason. Williams, who is now a special assistant to Arizona women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes, played for legendary coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee. Williams was a 5-11 guard and played in four NCAA Tournaments with the Volunteers, making the All-Oklahoma City Regional Team in her senior year. In four tournament games that senior year she averaged 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.8 assists.
Arizona hosts NAU in WBIT: Scout, Wildcats' mindset, defense could be key

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

No. 2 seed Arizona (19-13) vs. NAU (26-7) | WBIT | 6 p.m., Thursday | McKale Center | ESPN+ | 1400-AMHe said itUA assistant Salvo Coppa on NAU: “NAU is a very experienced team. They found a way to keep their players together for years, and they are also talented. And when I say talented, they have a good level of athleticism. They are fundamentally sound. They play very good offense, everybody can shoot, everybody can score and they at least have seven players that are high-level players.
A stunning win and a season long high: 5 key performances for Arizona women's hoops

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Arizona is back in postseason play for the fifth consecutive season. For the first time it’s the WBIT, which is in its second year as the secondary NCAA-sponsored tournament. That’s a mouthful, but all you really have to remember is that the Wildcats are in the next top 32 teams and a 2-seed as they host NAU in the first round on Thursday at 6 p.m. at McKale Center. Arizona (19-13) has had plenty of memorable moments on the road to the postseason.
Isis Beh overcomes adversity, develops into the Wildcats' most valuable player

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Isis Beh could write a movie script about her college career. It has all the makings of a story that keeps you engaged, starting out with a lot of promise, turning into adversity and finishing on a high note. The sort-of-quick version is that Beh, who is now in her sixth year in college, made the Mountain West all-freshman team at UNLV. Her coach at UNLV, Kathy Oliver, was fired. She missed two years of playing time because of COVID-19 and an injury at Salt Lake Community College and West Virginia.
WBIT extra juice as teams feel snubbed; UA won't be at full strength

1 month ago | tucson.com | PJ Brown

Arizona women’s basketball has a little extra incentive in the first round of the WBIT. The No. 2-seeded Wildcats (19-13) are facing NAU (26-7), a team they lost to in Flagstaff back on Nov. 20 – just six games into the season. Both teams look much different now, however that urge to avenge that loss, is still strong for the Wildcats. “That was a really rough game,” Skylar Jones said. “They did us really bad … they manhandled us. But now we get a chance to play them again on our terms, on our turf.