Arizona's women's basketball team is coming off the best season in program history, and because of that other programs want part of that success as well. The Wildcats have already lost assistant coach Tamisha Augustin to Mississippi State and are expected to lose assistant Jackie Nared to Pac-12 foe Oregon this offseason.
Still, Adia Barnes was able to quickly work to find replacements and the program announced the additions of assistant coaches April Phillips and Erin Grant as the newest members of the bench in Tucson.
Phillips is set to return to UA after previously being part of the staff just two seasons ago when the Wildcats made their run to the WNIT title. She spent the last two years at Cal. Grant will also be making a move within the conference as she spent the previous two seasons at USC.
“Right now we have a tremendous amount of momentum at Arizona, and I knew we needed to hire the best coaches in the country,” Barnes said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. “After running a national search, I knew that April Phillips and Erin Grant were the best women for the job. I love working with coaches that are former players because they will bring different experiences, and both April and Erin will bring that to the table. I believe we have the best staff in the Pac-12 that will take us to the next level to bring home a National Championship.”
Phillips had success during her time as an assistant at Arizona helping to build what would eventually be the National Championship team for the Wildcats this season. She continued that recruiting success in Berkeley leading to an easy decision for Barnes when she was forced to make a choice for her next assistant coach.
"When we needed to hire another assistant coach, April was the first person that came to mind,” Barnes said. “I know her, I trust her, and we have a very good relationship. April and I both chose Arizona twice and we are thrilled to have her back a second time. She is the best recruiter on the west coast and one of the best in the country, but she is much more than just a recruiter. April is a very talented coach with a great basketball mind, and she is going to take us to another level.”
Phillips was previously the associate head coach at Loyola Marymount before arriving at Arizona during her first stint with the program.
“I’m excited to return to Arizona,” Phillips said. “Since our WNIT Championship run, coach Barnes and her staff have done an amazing job of continuing to elevate this program. I am thrilled to work with this powerful staff to sustain success, continue building and most importantly mentor the current and future young women that we will coach.”
While Phillips will be expected to help the Wildcats recruit on the West Coast, Grant has ties to another important area of the country for recruiting giving Barnes another important piece of her staff.
“Erin is a fantastic addition to our staff,” Barnes said. “Her player development stands out to me, she is a great recruiter, and overall a very talented coach. Not only was Erin an All-American and a professional, she is one of the best players to come out of the state of Texas, and her experiences on and off the court will be incredibly valuable for our program. Who she is and what she stands for directly aligns with our family at Arizona, and I can’t wait to get started with her because the future is extremely bright.”
Grant was an All-American guard at Texas Tech before moving on to play in the WNBA for a short time in addition to playing overseas.
“I am honored to be joining coach Barnes and the championship culture of the Wildcat family,” Grant said. “My immense respect for Adia as a person, a coach and a mother drew me to Tucson. I will be dedicated to the continued efforts to recruit student-athletes, win championships and graduate young women.”
UA advanced beyond the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history this season in a run that ended with the Wildcats coming up just one basket short of a national title in the championship game against Stanford.
Barnes signed a contract extension during the run that will keep her as the head coach at her alma mater through the 2025-26 season.
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