Arizona adds 2019 guard Mara Mote

The Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball team has signed a top-five 2018 recruiting class, and now is adding 2019 prospects, too.

The Wildcats received a commitment from Latvian guard Mara Mote on Thursday, per a source. The 5-foot-11 Mote plays for TTT Riga in the Latvian junior league. She is UA’s first 2019 commit and a four-star prospect, according to ProspectsNation.com.

Mote averages 12.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, and is known for her 3-point shot. Mote also played for Latvia’s Under-19 Team in the 2017 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, where she averaged 9.1 points per contest.

Arizona is coming off a rough 6-24 season in which it won just two games in Pac-12 play, but has a bright future ahead given the players it’s adding.

The Wildcats signed five players in their 2018 class, including the program’s first ever McDonald’s All-American in Cate Reese.

Plus three highly-regarded transfers — Aarion McDonald (Washington), Dominique McBryde (Purdue), and Tee Tee Starks (Minnesota)— will be eligible to suit up next season after sitting out 2017-18.

So it shouldn’t be too much longer before the Wildcats are a legitimate threat in the Pac-12.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire