Arizona women’s basketball gets commitment from 2023 4-star wing Skylar Jones

As all eyes have been cast to the transfer portal for additions to the 2023-24 Arizona women’s basketball team, head coach Adia Barnes and her staff have still been looking at freshmen. They just added one in 4-star guard/wing Skylar Jones.

Jones decommitted from Missouri in late April. When she signed her letter of intent last November, Tigers head coach Robin Pingeton had high praise for her versatility.

“Skylar’s dynamic skill set, work ethic, and maturity makes her such an exciting addition to our family,” Pingeton said in the Mizzou press release. “She will undoubtedly have a positive impact on our locker room and bring a maturity and genuine energy to our team, but she will also add a unique skill set to our roster. Her athleticism, explosiveness, and ability to defend are SEC-caliber in every sense. That, combined with her high motor and ability to play multiple positions, will give her a chance to make an immediate impact on the court. We are so impressed with Skylar as both a player and person, and we know that our Mizzou family will be as well.”

The 6-foot wing out of Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Ill. and the Mac Irvin Lady Fire club team is the No. 96 player in the 2023 class according to ESPN HoopGurlz. The service gave her a grade of 91. While she was intended to play either point guard or wing at Missouri, HoopGurlz lists her as a wing.

Jones was voted to the First Team All-State 4A by the Illinois State Basketball Coaches Association in March.

She averaged 19.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 4.1 steals per game as a senior at Whitney Young. That was an improvement over most of her junior year stats when she averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 4.6 steals per game.

Jones comes to Arizona at a position of need. Barnes said in April that she hoped to add at least one or two more players at the guard or wing positions. The commitment brings the roster to a total of 12 players. Barnes has said that if she can get the right players, she wants the roster to be at 13 for the 2023-24 season.

It’s the second straight season that the Wildcats have added a ranked freshman to the class after she decommitted from another school. Jones joins No. 8 Montaya Dew, No. 14 Breya Cunningham, and No. 21 Jada Williams in a class that was already ranked in the top 10 by HoopGurlz.