Arizona adds former Auburn & Buffalo commits, UC San Diego transfer

By Javier Morales

Posted on April 25, 2025

New coach Becky Burke continues to build Arizona’s roster for her first season of 2025-26 with a good mixture of frontcourt and backcourt skills.

Symbolic of that is the addition Friday of UC San Diego 5-foot-7 point guard Sumayah Sugapong and a couple of Class of 2025 prospects — 6-3 forward OgheneRuona Miracle of Dallas (decommitted from Auburn on Sunday) and 5-9 combo guard Molly Ladwig of Omaha, Neb. (changed her commitment from Buffalo to Arizona after Burke left Buffalo).

Sugapong is one of the more accomplished players at the Division I level to join Burke, who was hired two weeks ago to replace Adia Barnes following Barnes’ departure to SMU.

Welcome to the Wildcat Family, Ogheneruona Miracle! pic.twitter.com/TKnKbdkqPi

— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaWBB) April 26, 2025

A former teammate of ex-Wildcats Jada Williams and Breya Cunningham at La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day High School, Sugapong is the fourth guard to join Burke’s program.

She started all 69 games with UC San Diego as a freshman and sophomore and averaged 15 points and 3.7 assists per game. She committed more turnovers (160) than assists (139) last season but improved upon those totals from her freshman season (131 turnovers and 64 assists). In losses to Arizona this season and last, she had 13 turnovers without an assist.

She was an All-Big West first-team selection and was the Big West Championship Most Outstanding Players this year after garnering Big West Freshman of the Year honors last season.

BREAKING: UC San Diego transfer Sumayah Sugapong has committed to Arizona, sources told @On3sports.

The 5-7 sophomore averaged 14.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.7 apg and 2.5 spg this season.

TRACKER: https://t.co/StsxDxjTNT pic.twitter.com/zLe8wKtBLn

— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) April 25, 2025

Miracle, also known as Ogheneruona Miracle Akpotayobo, is the second African-born player to join the Arizona program this week. Miracle, who hails from Delta State, Nigeria, joins South Sudan native Achol Magot, a 6-foot-7 post player who was raised in Tucson and is transferring from Texas Tech.

Former Texas Tech associate head coach Ashley Odom was hired to fill the same role with Arizona on Thursday and she was instrumental landing Miracle and Magot.

Odom’s recruiting presence in Texas was key inasmuch as Miracle played in the club circuit in the state.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Miracle was with Life Prep Academy in Kansas in 2022-23. In 2023-24, she was listed on DeSoto (Texas) High School’s roster but later attended Central Pointe Christian Academy in Florida. She transferred to W.T. White High School in Dallas this school year.

6'3 Ogheneruona Akpotayobo is gonna be a PROBLEM @OgeneruonaM @sgelite__

@Elivisuals_ pic.twitter.com/4UiVptlZRn

— JUST EVERYDAY HOOPS (@c1osen) August 1, 2024

Ladwig was an all-state selection this season in Nebraska at Skutt Catholic in Omaha.

She was recruited primarily by Buffalo, Illinois State, Nebraska-Omaha, Cal Baptist, North Dakota State and Lehigh during the season.

Ladwig scored a career-high 50 points in a game this season. She averaged 19 points a game while leading Skutt Catholic to a state title.

Arizona’s roster breakdown:

Five guards, one small forward (or wing), three forwards and two post players.

Women’s basketball programs are allowed up to 15 scholarships, which means Burke can welcome four more players if she and her staff decide to have that many players.