The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team and head coach Mike Bradbury have hired his final assistant coach, adding Aarika Hughes in May of 2016. Hughes spent the last five seasons at New Mexico State, under Mark Trakh, and was recently honored as one of the WBCA’s Top Thirty Under 30.
“Aarika is a very exciting addition to our staff,” said Bradbury. “Her wealth of Division I knowledge, enthusiasm and youth will be a great help in developing our Lobo players. She also brings a great deal of recruiting experience that will help our program.”
Hughes helped the 2014-15 Aggies to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 27 years after winning both the Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Aggies finished that season with a 22-8 overall record and a 13-1 record in WAC play. That season, Hughes helped coach four players to average double-figure scoring through the season.
“I am so excited to embark on this new journey under coach Mike Bradbury,” said Hughes. “Everyone I have met, including the team, has been wonderful. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone on and off the floor. This school has such great tradition and I am proud to be a part of it.”
In just her second year with New Mexico State, Hughes was an integral part in the 2012-13 season, helping the Aggies to double the wins from the previous season. She also aided in New Mexico State defeating the defending Conference USA champions UTEP as part of the Battle of I-10 Rivalry series.
That year, Hughes assisted in many accolades, including Newcomer of the Year, All-Western Athletic Conference Second Team and various WAC Player of the Week honorees.
Prior to her time with New Mexico State, Hughes spent much of 2010 coaching for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team named Team Concept, based out of Portland, Ore.
A four-year letterwinner, Hughes had a successful collegiate career, playing for Mark Trakh at USC. She was a proven 3-point threat for the Women of Troy and could also play post and crash the boards. She finished her career with the program’s fifth-best single-season 3-point field goal percentage of 40.9 when she made 18-of-44 from beyond the arc in 2007-08.
In her career at Southridge High School in Beaverton, Oregon, she only lost five games in three years. She was named to the All-Oregon 4A first team by the Portland Oregonian and named to the All-Oregon 4A Tournament First Team in 2006 Hughes was invited to the U.S. Under-20 National Team Trials while at Southridge.