Arizona Women's Basketball Honors First Seniors of Becky Burke Era

Lani Cornfield, Micky Perdue, and Nora Francois to be recognized in final home game against Houston

Feb. 24, 2026 at 8:25am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Arizona women's basketball team will honor three players - Lani Cornfield, Micky Perdue, and Nora Francois - who have spent at least five years in college basketball during their game against Houston on Tuesday evening. This will likely be the final time the duo of Cornfield and Francois competes in McKale Center, while Perdue had her last collegiate home game on Jan. 6 against BYU before going down with a season-ending injury.

Why it matters

This game marks the end of an era for Arizona women's basketball as the program transitions under first-year head coach Becky Burke. The Wildcats have struggled this season but have remained competitive, and honoring these senior players is an important moment for the team and the community.

The details

Arizona will be facing a Houston team that has also faced its share of challenges this season, with several key players missing significant time due to injuries. The Cougars have started 10 different players at least once, and no one has started all 27 games. Former Arizona forward Jorynn Ross has found more playing time with Houston and will be returning to Tucson. Despite their records, both teams have shown the ability to be competitive against tough opponents in the Big 12 Conference.

  • On January 6, Micky Perdue played her last collegiate home game against BYU before suffering a season-ending injury.
  • This Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at 6 p.m. MST, Arizona will host Houston in the final home game of the season.

The players

Lani Cornfield

A senior guard who has spent at least five years with the Arizona women's basketball team.

Micky Perdue

A senior player who had her last collegiate home game on January 6 against BYU before suffering a season-ending injury.

Nora Francois

A senior guard who has spent at least five years with the Arizona women's basketball team and will likely be playing her final game at McKale Center.

Jorynn Ross

A former Arizona forward who is now playing for Houston and will be returning to Tucson for this game.

Becky Burke

The first-year head coach of the Arizona women's basketball team.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We have to come to practice tomorrow with a sense of urgency to beat a Big 12 team regardless what their record is. I mean, we're not good enough to sleep on anybody. We're not good enough to overlook anybody. We have an opportunity—I feel like a good opportunity—to win our last home game at McKale. And if we don't come to practice the next two days with the right mindset to do so, then again, Houston is capable of beating us on any given night…[W]e got to be mature about the positives that we take from this game into the next two days of practice. But I think we're squeezing every ounce of juice out of this group right now, and I'm really proud of them.”

— Becky Burke, Head Coach

“I'd love to see a group graduate and walk across the stage and have some three or four year players here in Arizona. That's obviously the goal. And the goal is also winning games. So the people that we need here, and we want here, gonna stick around and be here, and we're gonna build. And then, in year one, there's always some transition. There's always some that weren't happy with their playing time, or were homesick, or whatever the case may be. And we do expect a little bit of change. But like I said, those Mollys and the Sumayahs, we would love, love, love to just continue rolling with a good chunk of this group, if we possibly can.”

— Becky Burke, Head Coach

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This game highlights the transition Arizona women's basketball is undergoing under first-year head coach Becky Burke, as the program honors its senior players and looks to build momentum for the future despite a challenging season. The Wildcats' competitiveness against tough Big 12 opponents has Burke excited about the program's potential moving forward.