AllSportsTucson.com is running a series of profiles on members of Arizona’s 1997-98 Sweet 16 team, the first in program history. Our next profile is on Amber Phoenix, a junior guard from El Cajon, Calif. Special thanks to Felecity Willis for helping to gather information on her 1997-98 teammates for this series. Previously in the series were Marte Alexander, Lisa Griffith, Reshea Bristol and Cha-Ron Walker-Harris. Click on their names in the roster below to retrieve their stories.
Amber Phoenix
“I have been a financial planner/wealth consultant for 20 years and own my own company (based in Las Vegas) called Phoenix Wealth Management, LLC. We specialize in retirement planning and investment services. I am also the president of a non-profit named after my dad who passed in 2014 — the Reginald J. Phoenix Scholarship Fund Inc., which helps to fund underprivileged high school and college students youth with career development and job training opportunities.”
Arizona is returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the 1997-98 team went that far into the NCAA tournament, and the one constant between the two is head coach Adia Barnes.
Barnes was Arizona’s leading scorer on the team that reached the Sweet 16 and played UConn 23 years ago in Dayton, Ohio, under Arizona Hall of Fame coach Joan Bonvicini. The Wildcats culminated a 23-7 season with a 74-57 loss to the traditional power under Geno Auriemma. Arizona that year was ranked as high as No. 7 in the AP Top 25.
Barnes has now coached the Wildcats and All-American guard Aari McDonald to the Sweet 16 in her fifth season at her alma mater. No. 3-seeded Arizona (18-5) faces No. 2 Texas A&M (25-2) in the Mercado Region of the NCAA tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2.
“I’m getting a lot of messages on Facebook and Twitter and DMs (direct messages) just wishing us good luck and everybody is just so proud of the program,” Barnes said when asked if she stays in contact with her 1997-98 teammates. “It’s come so far along. Most of these people were out of touch with the program for 10-12 years, kind of like how I was when I wasn’t here.
“I am really trying to be intentional about connecting with players. I want Arizona to be where everybody comes back and talks to the team, where there’s relationships and they help with jobs.”
RELATED: Joan Bonvicini offers keen insight into Adia Barnes and 1997-98 Sweet 16 team
Barnes said Arizona’s team from 23 years ago is similar to her team this year.
“We were scrappy. It’s funny because we were a full-court pressing — I was at the top of the press — run and jump (team),” she said. “Very similar to how we are now, that’s what’s kind of ironic. Everything is kind of parallel, the story of how I built it — very similar to Joan when I came.
“Joan was a players’ coach that had a connection with me a lot like Aari and I, and Cate (Reese) and I, and Sam (Thomas) and I. Aggressive, blue-collar, scrappy — we’d make it look ugly sometimes, but we played that type of defense. That’s kind of what we’re doing right now.”
ARIZONA 1997-98 ROSTER
Head coach: Joan Bonvicini. Assistant coaches: Denise Dove, Traci Waites and Bill Broderick.
| 0 | Shontey Hambrick | F | 6-0 | Jr. | Moreno Valley, Calif. |
| 3 | Lisa Griffith | G | 5-6 | So. | Portland Ore. |
| 10 | Reshea Bristol | G | 5-10 | Fr. | Omaha, Neb. |
| 22 | Monika Crank | G | 5-7 | Jr. | Page, Ariz. |
| 23 | Felecity Willis | G | 5-7 | So. | Apple Valley, Calif. |
| 30 | Adia Barnes | F | 5-11 | Sr. | San Diego, Calif. |
| 31 | Amber Phoenix | G | 5-7 | Jr. | El Cajon, Calif. |
| 32 | DeAngela Minter | G | 5-6 | Sr. | Vista, Calif. |
| 33 | Cha-Ron Walker | F | 6-1 | Sr. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 34 | Mikko Giordano | F | 6-1 | Sr. | Ventura, Calif. |
| 35 | Fatima Imara | F | 6-3 | Sr. | Fremont, Calif. |
| 42 | Marte Alexander | C | 6-4 | Sr. | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 50 | LaKeisha Taylor | C | 6-4 | Fr. | Houston, Tex. |
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon.
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