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Former UA star Adia Barnes named Wildcats' new coach

Arizona's women's basketball team has a new coach, and it's a familiar name.

Adia Barnes was named the Wildcats' new head coach Monday, replacing Niya Butts. Barnes, who played at Arizona between 1994-98 and was the Wildcats' all-time leading scorer, had spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach at Washington.

"Not only are we hiring an excellent basketball coach, who also excelled as a player, but we’re able to welcome one of Arizona’s all-time greats back to campus," UA athletic director Greg Byrne said in a news release.

Byrne had said he was waiting for a candidate to finish in postseason play before he made any announcement, and that proved true with the hiring of Barnes.