Arizona women’s basketball coach Adia Barnes said the UA is still waiting to hear from the NCAA on whether Courtney Blakely, a transfer guard from Middle Tennessee State, will be allowed to play.
From what little Barnes shared — she spoke briefly about the problem after Arizona (3-0) beat Loyola Marymount (XX) Sunday 70-54 at the McKale Center — she said the situation had been a surprise for everyone.
After Blakely, a junior from Gary, Indiana, who averaged 7.1 points and three rebounds per game at MTSU last season, transferred to UA, Barnes said she then “discovered something something about it because it involved me too.”
“And she sat down and there were repercussions on both sides, which is incredible to me and very surprising,” Barnes added. “I think some things get stuck and stay in place. I wonder sometimes if they stay for the same amount of time on the men’s side? I probably wouldn’t think so. But we’re just waiting. It’s at the mercy of when its file is read. And when she is reinstated. It was something that was out of her control and a really not fair situation for a student-athlete or for myself. So it is what it is. I can’t control that and we are waiting (…) So, as soon as her file has been examined, she will probably be reinstated.”
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For the Wildcats, the sooner the better.
Courtney Blakely drops the ball for a shot during preseason practice at McKale Center on October 3, 2023
Grace Trejo, Arizona Daily Star
The junior, who also averaged 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season and had a 43-24 assist-to-turnover ratio, is “a dynamic guard who presses the ball the way we want play,” Barnes said.
“We’re going to see a huge improvement when she comes back just from being on the ball,” Barnes said. “She’s finished.”
Arizona Women’s Basketball Press Conference – Adia Barnes, Kailyn Gilbert and Breya Cunningham | Postgame, November 10, 2023 (Arizona Athletics YouTube)
Contact sports reporter PJ Brown at [email protected]. On X (Twitter): @PJBrown09
