It took a while. When the early signing period came in November, Arizona women’s basketball had no commits for the 2024 class. Head coach Adia Barnes and her staff didn’t get their first verbal pledge until the beginning of February when Lauryn Swann committed to the program.
All of that is in the past as the Wildcats signed a group of five young players including three freshmen on Wednesday. They’re likely not done with the 2024 class yet, either.
Swann was the first signee to be announced by Arizona on the first day of the spring signing period. The guard out of Long Island Lutheran High School and Exodus NYC EYBL was a late bloomer who didn’t appear in the ESPN HoopGurlz Top 100 until the final installment of the rankings. She spent much of her early career injured, including undergoing shoulder surgery prior to the 2022-23 season.
Join us in welcoming ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from New York – Lauryn Swann! ✍️ ⬇️#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/oxB0PeAXf4
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 17, 2024
“Lauryn is a tremendous addition to our family,” Barnes said in a statement posted on social media. “She is tough, competitive, and she does a great job of navigating ways to be successful in multiple roles. She is what I like to call a ‘DAWG.’ Her shooting ability is underrated. She can play on the ball or off the ball, and adding her to our backcourt makes us a lot better. She fits our team and adds a tremendous amount of chemistry. She is so resilient. She has faced a lot of adversity, and has done a great job navigating hard situations.”
Not long after Swann was announced, Arizona announced the signing of another New Yorker. This one is transfer guard Paulina Paris, who spent the last two years at North Carolina. She will have two years to play at Arizona.
Join us in welcoming Paulina Paris from New York! ✍️ ⬇️ @paulinaparis23 #MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/l4rXB4iL72
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 17, 2024
Paris is another player overcoming an injury. She sat out much of last season with a lower-body injury. Before that, she averaged 5.9 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 20.3 minutes per game. She started in eight of her 15 appearances including the last seven games before her injury.
“She has a very high basketball IQ and makes her teammates better,” Barnes said in her statement. “Her ability to shoot the ball with deep range will open up so many opportunities for her teammates.”
Arizona’s other transfer commit, Sahnya Jah, came into the fold next. The former South Carolina Gamecock will be a sophomore next season. She was the No. 40 recruit in last year’s ESPN HoopGurlz rankings.
Join us in welcoming Sahnya Jah from Virginia! ✍️ ⬇️#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/TACbGg8w2h
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 17, 2024
The 6-foot-1 forward ran into some issues at South Carolina, where she was suspended from the team. However, she has a great deal of potential on the court.
“We are so blessed to welcome Sahnya,” Barnes said. “She is such a special player. I remember seeing her for the first time and thinking, ‘Wow, I want a player like that!’ She is someone that everyone gravitates towards, a fierce competitor, and a gifted athlete. She is going to be a star here at Arizona.”
Barnes has referred to Jah as one of the best power forwards available in the portal. She has three years to play.
Arizona’s two international freshmen were announced later in the day. First came Katarina Knežević, the program’s first player from Serbia. Knežević has been playing in Spain with Gran Canaria alongside former Wildcat Jade Loville and WNBA player Astou Ndour-Fall.
Join us in welcoming Katarina Knezevic from Serbia!
✍️ ⬇️#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/VEKeBEimgD— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 17, 2024
“She is strong, tall, and is a tremendous shooter,” Barnes said about Knežević. “I call her ‘The Sniper.’ She is relentless, competitive, and she is a fighter. Her game is really mature and she’s going to add so much to our team. She can play a lot of positions and can stretch the floor for us. She is a skilled shooter and she’s not afraid of anything. Her mentality is going to separate her from the rest of the pack.”
The Wildcats’ final signee is German guard Mailien Rolf. Rolf’s paperwork came in early Thursday morning, completing the class for now.
Join us in welcoming Mailien Rolf from Germany! ✍️ ⬇️#MadeForIt x #LeaveALegacy pic.twitter.com/HFAIADIOu3
— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 18, 2024
“She is really smart,” Barnes said. “She is really good at pick-and-roll situations and can play a lot of positions for us. She has a strong, athletic body, and has good size for a perimeter player. She will get even better here. She is a great player but an even greater person. Mailien has potential to be a very special player.”
The building process is almost complete. The five additions put next year’s roster at 13 players, including the two walk-ons who were added during the 2023-24 season. Barnes thinks there could be more additions soon, possibly pushing the roster to the maximum of 15 again.
Barnes concedes that having a roster that size likely means there will be transfers out of the program following next season simply because everyone can’t play as much as they want. On a positive note, it will keep the Wildcats from having the extreme limitations they dealt with last season.
“The future’s bright and we’re really adding to the foundation we already have,” she said. “So, I’m excited. So far, we have two transfers to potentially get another one by the end of the week. So, we have three freshmen and we have two commitments already for transfers, and then we’re gonna sign one to two more. Most likely it’s gonna be one more, but it could be two more, and then our team’s complete.”