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Women's basketball adds 2 California all-stars

After a season where the UA women's basketball team advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a young squad, the Wildcats add the 1999 California Division IV Player of the Year and the 1998 Los Angeles Times Player of the Year.

Freshman Krista Warren and redshirt freshman Tysell Bozeman, join an Arizona squad that lost only one player after a fourth place finish in the Pacific-10 Conference (18-11 overall, 12-6 in conference ). Guard Jen Callahan transferred to Loyola Marymount (Calif.) during the summer.

Bozeman, a 5-foot-8 guard from Riverside, Calif. scored 27.6 points per game, pulled down seven rebounds per game and, averaged 6.2 steals per game in her senior season at Moreno Valley High School. She was named the '1998 Los Angeles Times Player of the Year' and was a finalist for California Interscholastic Federation Player of the Year.

Bozeman is entering her second year at the UA, but redshirted last year for academic reasons.

Head Coach Joan Bonvicini said she is very excited about the potential of the two incoming players.

"Tysell is a tremendous athlete that has the advantage of already being here for a year," Bonvicini said. "She has had a year to grow and mature and now is very anxious to play some basketball."

Bozeman has a good idea of what to expect here and has the opportunity to be one of the better athletes to ever play for the Wildcats, Bonvicini said.

"She plays with lots of energy while having fun," Bonvicini said. "She is going to be a very good college player."

Warren was the 1999 California Division IV Player of the Year at Cloverdale (Calif.) High School. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 30.5 points, 12.9 rebounds and three steals per game in her senior year en route to being named a BCI All-American.

"Krista is an outstanding player and has a bright future for us," Bonvicini said. "She is a good shooter and rebounder, but that's not to say she doesn't have room to improve."

With some work on her ball handling abilities, Warren is going to fit well into the Arizona program, Bonvicini said.

Associate head coach Denise Dove agreed.

"We have so many players back that I think she'll blend in nicely and make a good contribution," Dove said. "We have so much talent in our backcourt, Krista just adds to it."