The first chance for fans to meet the team is coming up on Monday
The new-look Arizona women’s basketball program has had a whirlwind few months. The staff and roster are in place. Now, it’s time to learn who the people who will represent the Wildcats in 2025-26 are and what they have planned.
First meet-and-greet with the new ‘Cats
The program has done some social media promotion of the new team members, but fans (and the local media) haven’t really talked to them face-to-face. The fans get their first opportunity on Monday, July 28.
The team will gather at the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club located at 4001 N. Country Club Rd. The event runs from 5-6:30 p.m. MST.
Why did Julie Hairgrove decide to go back to college?
Just four years ago, former Wildcat Julie Hairgrove was coaching in the WNBA as the longest-tenured assistant in the league. While she never completely ruled out coaching the college game, she was pretty clear that she preferred the professional coaching ranks. The focus there was purely on teaching the game rather than the added responsibilities of recruiting, making sure players got to class, and all the other trappings of college. What made her change her mind?
“Right time, right place,” Hairgrove said. “The stars aligned, so I’m happy to be back.”
It’s about being at her alma mater, but it’s more than that.
“This place is so special to me, just playing here from 98 to 2003,” she said. “And then this university gave me so much, and now I get to pour it back into this program. And then also, it’s personal for me with my grandfather being here and the legacy he built for the men’s team. It’s one of those things like just being back here on campus, and seeing the Lute and Bobbi Olson court, walking down the corridor and seeing my grandparents, and the statue out front. So, there’s just so many memories here. So I mean, just being back here, it’s about pride, it’s about family, and carrying on the legacy.”
What did associate head coach Ashley Odom learn from her time at Texas Tech?
New associate head coach Ashley Odom spent 12 years with Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich. Before their five years together in Lubbock, Odom was on Gerlich’s staff at UT Arlington for seven years. Knowledge of the Big 12 to Arizona is probably the most important thing she brings from her time with TTU since she’s the only staff member with recent Power 4 coaching experience.
“It’s really important just to be able to have familiarity with league, different teams, coaches, styles of play, as well as there are some new faces,” Odom said. “But more so like conveying to our athletes, what it takes to play at this level, to play in this league, and how hard you have to bring in and be consistent on a daily basis in order to be good.”
That isn’t the only thing Odom brings from her time on Gerlich’s staff, though. The interpersonal aspects of combining coaching and motherhood were the biggest lessons.
“Krista was great, just in terms of watching me grow both on and off the court,” Odom said. “So many life things happened. Got married, I have a daughter, and just for me to be able to learn so many things in terms of basketball, just life. I think the biggest thing was being able to see her be a mom and be a coach, because there’s so many people who have different opinions on that, and if it’s possible, and I got to live it and see her through it, and see how successful her kids are now. And that’s something that I want to emulate.”
How did Michelle Marciniak end up at Arizona?
Michelle Marciniak wasn’t looking to be a college basketball coach. After some time as a pro athlete—including as a teammate of former Arizona head coach Adia Barnes—and a stint as a college coach, she left the basketball world. The former national champion at Tennessee has spent almost two decades in the corporate world, becoming co-founder and co-CEO of Sheex, a company that makes sheets out of athletic materials.
Burke and Marciniak have known each other since the former Lady Vol was in the college coaching game and recruited Arizona’s new head coach. At the time, Marciniak was on the staff at South Carolina under head coach Susan Walvius. There was a coaching change before Burke landed on campus, so she opted to go to Louisville.
“We went our separate ways,” Marciniak said.
They reconnected last year, and when Burke got the top job with the Wildcats, she asked Marciniak if she would be willing to join the staff. The businesswoman said that it would need to be something like a general manager’s position. So, it came to be that Arizona women’s basketball has its first GM.
What does that mean?
“I’m definitely a liaison between the women’s basketball program and the athletic department,” Marciniak said. “I handle all things NIL and rev share. Definitely block and tackle for NIL opportunities for our players, but really just oversee the overall operations of the program. I’m a close confidant with Coach Burke, and work with her really on strategy, and if you call it roster management, staff, the mosaic of the staff and hiring of the staff. As she brought me on, it was the first thing we had to do was bring a staff in. But also scheduling and really just the financial and operational aspects of the program. And so I like to say that I’m here to bring the mix of what I’ve done as obviously an athlete and as a coach, but also as an entrepreneur, and bring my business acumen into the program and to help you know with all the experiences that I’ve had to help navigate this crazy world of collegiate athletics right now.”
What are the NIL plans for Arizona women’s basketball?
One of Marciniak’s areas of responsibility is outside name, image, and likeness cultivation. That’s one area where her corporate ties could come in handy. In fact, her former company may be offering deals to Wildcats.
“I’m the leading shareholder on the board of Sheex,” Marciniak said. “I’m still involved on a more of an advisory basis as a board member…I actually hope to bring an NIL deal with Sheex.”
Arizona players on the international scene
Incoming freshman Mireia Jurado had a successful outing with her Spanish team over the summer. Spain came home from the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket with a gold medal this summer.
While they weren’t expected to win a medal—and they didn’t—junior Sumayah Sugapong and her Philippine teammates also had a fairly successful 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup despite going 1-4.
The group came in ranked No. 43 in the world. They left in sixth place out of eight teams. The Gilas finished ahead of Lebanon, which was playing without former Arizona standout Trinity Baptiste, and Indonesia.
Sugapong averaged 8.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 18.5 minutes per game. She shot 35.6 percent from the floor, hitting 26.3 percent of her outside shots. She had 2.2 turnovers and 2.6 personal fouls per game.
Sugapong appeared in all five of the team’s contests and scored in double digits in three of them. Her best overall game came against Japan. Although her team lost, she scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and went 2-for-4 from 3-point distance. She also had two assists and grabbed four steals while only turning the ball over once.
The team’s next task will be qualifying for the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
Montaya Dew’s health and her role on the team
Montaya Dew is the only returner from last year’s team. With her shy, quiet personality, she’s an unlikely person to lead others who are all trying to find their way at Arizona.
“She’s not kind of quiet, she’s really quiet,” Marciniak said with a laugh.
Dew is finding her way, though.
“The first part has been us just showing that we have a genuine want to build a genuine relationship with her and her knowing that we care about her as a player, on the court and off the court,” Odom said. “So, she’s getting to know us. It’s building a relationship, just like anything else. But the thing that I think she brings more than anything is a familiarity of Arizona, the fans, just all the things that she can tell us about…She has more insights than I think people think to ask. She’s a quiet soul, but she has a lot of knowledge to give.”
She’s also on track to recovery, although there’s no word on whether she will be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season.
“She’s working hard every day,” Hairgrove said. “There’s things she can do and can’t do, obviously, but she’s on track. From what Bart’s saying—our athletic trainer—he’s very positive in the direction she’s moving, but she’s putting in a lot of hard work before and after practice…I think she’s excited. I think she likes what she sees in the energy and how hard the team’s working. So I think she wants to get back on the court, and she’s kind of itching to get back with the team. I think [whether she returns for the start of the season] is just too tough to say right now. There’s a lot of steps she’s got a cross before that can happen.”