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Arizona and women's basketball coach Adia Barnes have agreed to new financial terms to her previously announced contract extension, the school announced Tuesday, which includes $5.85 million in base salary over five years. The deal, which extends Barnes through the 2025-26 season, was originally announced on March 18, before the Wildcats advanced to the national championship game of the women's NCAA tournament. Her base salary under that deal was reported by the Arizona Daily Star to be $3,345,000 over five years. Barnes' base salary over that period will now be $5.85 million, pending approval from Arizona's board of regents. There were no changes to the incentive structure of her contract; Barnes can earn bonuses for postseason success and appearances in the season-ending national rankings. "As this past season made perfectly clear, Arizona women's basketball has joined the nation's elite under Coach Barnes' leadership and will remain there for a long time to come," athletic director Dave Heeke said in a statement Tuesday. "This new contract demonstrates our continued commitment to our women's basketball program, and to Adia, who has revitalized our program and brought the excitement and energy to a whole new level." Barnes' Wildcats finished the season 21-6. A No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, Arizona defeated Stony Brook, BYU, Texas A&M and Indiana to advance to the program's first Women's Final Four. In the national semifinals, Arizona upset No. 1 seed UConn before falling to No. 1 Stanford 54-53 in the title game. Barnes, 44, saw her profile rise dramatically during the Wildcats' run to the national championship. She was linked to the recent Baylor coaching search when Kim Mulkey left for LSU. But Arizona, Barnes' alma mater, opted to increase her deal. "I am honored to coach at my alma mater and represent Tucson, a city where it all began for me," said Barnes, who became just the second former WNBA player to lead a team to the Women's Final Four, after South Carolina's Dawn Staley. "This contract is a commitment to our sport, Arizona Women's Basketball, and this university. It is my responsibility to honor that commitment with a relentless pursuit of a national championship."
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