WHEN: Sunday at 3 p.m. P.T./4 p.m. MT
WHERE: Haas Pavilion • Berkeley, Calif.
TELEVSION: Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060/TuneIn
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The No. 25 Arizona State women's basketball team starts the second half of Pac-12 play on Sunday (3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT) when it closes out its road trip to the Bay Area at No. 23 Cal. The Sun Devils (14-7, 5-4) come into Sunday's game in a tie for sixth place in the Pac-12 standings with Utah (14-6, 5-4). Both the Sun Devils and Utes trail fourth-place Oregon State (15-5, 6-3) and Cal (15-5, 6-3) by one game and are a game up on eighth-place USC (14-6, 4-5).
ASU won its first four Pac-12 games, defeating Colorado (Dec. 29) and Utah (Dec. 31) on the road and followed that with home wins over Cal (Jan. 5) and Stanford (Jan. 7). The Sun Devils had their season-long, six-game winning streak snapped after being edged at Oregon State, 57-54 on Jan. 12. They followed that with a 74-64 setback at Oregon (Jan. 14) and a 58-56 home loss to Utah (Jan 19). ASU bounced back with 73-59 win over Colorado last Sunday but was unable to string together consecutive wins after falling at Stanford 74-50 on Friday. The Sun Devils, who defeated Stanford 73-66 in the first meeting between the two teams on Jan. 7, were attempting to sweep the regular season series over Stanford for the third time in four seasons. Robbi Ryan led the Sun Devils with 11 points on Friday while Sophia Elenga added eight. ASU shot 37 percent for the game and had an especially difficult time from long range where it made only one of 12 attempts. Trailing by 19 points late in the third quarter the Sun Devils used a 9-2 run to get within 12 after Ryan's 3-point play with 45 seconds left. ASU could pull no closer as the Cardinal used a 15-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Sunday's game at Cal is a rematch of ASU's 80-71 win in Tempe on Jan. 5. Kianna Ibis scored a game-high 26 points and Reili Richardson dished out a career-high 11 assists for the Sun Devils, who shot 52 percent for the game. Jamie Ruden (14 points) and Ryan (scored all 13 of her points in the second half) also notched double-figure scoring totals for the Sun Devils. Ibis (6-10/16 points), Ryan (5-7/13 points) and Ruden (4-6/nine points) combined for 38 of ASU's 47 second-half points while collectively shooting 65 percent (15-23) over the final 20 minutes.
After this weekend ASU will play four straight against the Pac-12 opponents it will face only one time this season, starting with home contests vs. Washington (Feb. 2)/Washington State (Feb. 4). The following weekend the Sun Devils will travel to Los Angeles for contests at USC (Feb. 9) and at UCLA (Feb. 11).
COVERAGE
Sunday's game at Cal can be seen on Pac-12 Arizona/Bay Area (Christian Miles/Julianne Viani) and can be heard on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 and TuneIn Radio. Pregame radio coverage will start at 3:30 p.m. MT. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 14th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS CAL
ASU has faced Cal more times than any other team since the 2005-06 season (28x - ASU 15-13). That stretch includes five meetings in the Pac-12 Tournament, most recently the 2016 quarterfinal matchup won by Cal, 75-64. The Sun Devils won the front end of the series in 2014 and 2015 (68-59 win in Tempe/ 67-52 win in Berkeley) while Cal won the rematch each of those seasons (74-63 in Berkeley/50-49 in Tempe. The Sun Devils swept the two regular season contests each of the last two seasons (2016: 57-49 in Tempe and 67-49 in Berkeley/2017: 72-62 in 2OT in Tempe and 54-45 in Berkeley). Reili Richardson had 10 points and six assists while playing a career-high 41 minutes in last season's first meeting while Robbi Ryan tied former Sun Devil Sophie Brunner with a game-high 14 points in the second meeting in Berkeley.
IBIS LEADS THE WAY
In ASU's 83-81 win at Utah on Dec. 31 Kianna Ibis had one of the best offensive days turned in by a Sun Devil in recent memory as the junior forward scored a career-high 30 points, eclipsing her previous career high of 20 by 10 points. Included in that flurry of offense were a career-high three 3-pointers. Ibis became the first Sun Devils to score 30 or more points since Kylan Loney accomplished the feat vs. Arizona on January 31, 2004. She followed that extraordinary performance with a game-high 26 points in ASU's win over No. 23 Cal (Jan. 5). She added her third game of scoring 20 or more points in Pac-12 play (fourth of the season) after scoring 22 at Oregon (Jan. 14). Most recently Ibis poured in 24 points in ASU's win over Colorado (Jan. 21). With one more 20-point game Ibis will equal Sophie Brunner's 2016-17 single-season high of six 20-point games.
BALANCED OFFENSE
ASU has had eight players lead or tie for the team lead in scoring this season. Kianna Ibis leads the way (8x). Sabrina Haines led/tied for the team lead 3x before her season-ending injury vs. UC Riverside on Dec. 3. Others who have led/tied for team lead in scoring include Robbi Ryan (5x), Jamie Ruden (2x), Courtney Ekmark (2x), Charnea Johnson-Chapman (2x), Reili Richardson (1x) and Sophia Elenga (1x).
JOHNSON-CHAPMAN STEPS UP IN THE POST
One of the biggest factors in ASU's success throughout the season has been the play of junior center Charnea Johnson-Chapman, who currently leads ASU in field goal percentage (57.8/4th in Pac-12) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). Johnson-Chapman has scored in double figures twice in ASU's last six games, posting a game-high and tying her career high with 16 points (6-6 FGs) against Stanford (Jan. 7) and then adding 12 more against Oregon (6-8 FGs) on Jan. 14. She has grabbed 7 or more rebounds 14 times, including 10 in wins over Sacramento State (Nov. 18) and vs. Cal (Jan. 5) and a career-high 12 in wins over Idaho (Dec. 18) and Colorado (Jan. 21).
RYAN'S OFFENSE KEEPS SUN DEVILS CLOSE
Two of ASU's recent losses – at Oregon State (57-54) and vs. Utah (58-56) – were by a combined five points. In both losses the Sun Devils struggled to find their offensive rhythm, shooting below 35 percent. Helping them stay within striking distance in both games was Robbi Ryan as the sophomore guard tied her career high with 19 points at Oregon State and then added 16 against Utah (Jan. 19). In both games Ryan, who has scored in double figures 12 times this season, connected on 52 percent of her shots (14-27). Ryan, who has led ASU in scoring in three of its last five contests, is currently second on the team in scoring (9.8).
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• ASU enters Sunday's contest second in the Pac-12 and is 42nd in the nation in scoring defense, allowing only 58.2 ppg. The Sun Devils have limited the opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 31 times this season, including a season low of three points scored by Idaho in the fourth quarter on Dec. 18.
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.5 points per game since the start of the 2014-15 season (122 games). ASU has held the opposition to 50 or fewer points 39 times during that stretch. They are 38-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015.
• ASU has made the most of its takeaways as it is averaging 17.6 ppg off the opposition's turnovers. It has scored 20 or more points off TOs eight times, including a season-high 31 points vs. Arkansas on Dec. 21. Arkansas entered the game No. 2 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (10.4). The Sun Devils forced 12 in the first quarter alone as Arkansas would go on to commit 23 turnovers in the game.
• Over the last three-plus seasons (122 games) ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 28.1 percent of its attempts from long range.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Sun Devils have made Wells Fargo Arena one of the toughest places to play in recent years as they have won 85.5 percent of their home games (65-11) going back to the 2013-14 season, including a 10-1 mark this season. On average the Sun Devils are outscoring the opposition 76.5-53.5 at home this season.
IT'S ALL ABOUT POSSESSIONS
• ASU currently leads the Pac-12 and is fourth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (11.4). The Sun Devils are second in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (ninth in the nation/1.46) and are third in the league in turnover margin (+4.62/40th in the nation).
• Reili Richardson (No. 5 in the nation/No. 1 in the Pac-12) and Kiara Russell (17th in the nation/No. 2 in the Pac-12) are among the top 20 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• ASU has had 10 or fewer turnovers 10 times this season, including eight times in its last 12 games. Since committing a season-high 22 turnovers at Florida State (Dec. 10), ASU has averaged only 10.6 turnovers.
• ASU is averaging only 14.1 turnovers the last three plus seasons (122 games).
TOUGH COMPETITION
Four of ASU's seven losses have come to teams who are currently ranked in the AP Top 25 and currently among the top 20 teams in the NCAA RPI (as of Jan. 27): vs. No. 2-AP/RPI 3 Mississippi State (65-57), vs. No. 22/RPI 17 Green Bay (61-48), at No. 8/RPI 4 Florida State (77-66) and at No. 7/RPI 6 Oregon. ASU's games against Mississippi State and Green Bay came on consecutive days when it was at the Cancun Challenge (Nov. 23-25) over Thanksgiving Weekend. Against Mississippi State the Sun Devils rallied from a 13-point deficit to lead the Bulldogs by one point at the half and two points after three quarters. The game's major turning point came at the outset of the fourth quarter when Mississippi State went on an 8-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a six-point lead. The Sun Devils trailed the rest of the way as they could get no closer than three points. After falling behind by 16 after one quarter at Florida State, the Sun Devils got back within single digits several times in the second half and actually outscored the Seminoles 55-50 over the last three quarters of the game.
ASU's other losses came at No. 17 Oregon State 57-54 (ASU led for more than 26 minutes of game time), vs. Utah 58-56 (ASU led by 11 at start of the fourth quarter) and at Stanford.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS OF NOTE
• Reili Richardson, who leads the Sun Devils in assists (5.0 assists per game/seventh in the Pac-12),is currently No. 5 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.62). Richardson dished out a career-best 11 assists vs. Cal (Jan. 5).
• Fellow guard Kiara Russell is second in the Pac-12 and 17th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.79).
• Jamie Ruden is second in the Pac-12 in 3-point FG percentage (46.5). Ruden, who knocked down a career-high four triples in ASU's win over Arkansas on Dec. 21, scored a career-high 19 points in ASU's win over Idaho (Dec. 18). She also scored the game-winning basket with 12 seconds remaining in ASU's 83-81 win at Utah on Dec. 31.
• Charnea Johnson-Chapman is currently fourth in the Pac-12 in FG pct. (57.8). Also the team leader in rebounds (7.1 rpg/t-13th in the Pac-12), Johnson-Chapman has grabbed 7 or more rebounds 13x, including a career-high 12 in ASU's win over Idaho (Dec. 18) & again vs. Colorado (Jan. 21).
• Currently leading the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), Kianna Ibis is t-16th in the Pac-12 in scoring and is 8th in field goal percentage (50.2). Ibis has scored in double figures 13x, including a career-high 30 points at Utah on Dec. 31, the most points scored by a Sun Devil since 2004.
EKMARK TIES SINGLE-GAME SCHOOL RECORD FOR 3-POINTERS
Redshirt junior guard Courtney Ekmark connected on seven 3-pointers to tie ASU's single-game school record for 3-pointers in ASU's 80-43 win over Arkansas on Dec. 21. Ekmark, who scored a career-high 23 points against the Razorbacks, tied the mark previously accomplished by current ASU assistant coach Briann January (at UC Davis, Dec. 3, 2008), Crystal Cobb (vs. Oregon, Feb. 2, 1991) and Ryneldi Becenti (vs. Washington State, Feb. 13, 1993). Ekmark currently leads ASU in 3-point FGs (29).
RUDEN PROVIDES SUN DEVILS WITH INSTANT OFFENSE
Heading into the Pac-12 portion of the schedule last season Charli Turner Thorne was very excited about what Jamie Ruden would be bringing to the team after the flashes of brilliance she displayed during the preseason. Unfortunately Ruden would end up missing all 18 Pac-12 regular season games after a foot injury occurred the week of the conference opener. She would end up returning to in time for the Pac-12 Tournament and, despite having almost no practice in nine weeks, made an immediate impact as she scored 12 points in ASU's Pac-12 quarterfinal contest vs. UCLA.
Fast forward to this season. After injury kept her sidelined for a portion of the offseason Ruden made her debut in the season's second game at Fresno State and scored 10 points in 10 minutes. It has been no different since as she has scored in double figures 10 times this season and is currently third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg) in addition to being No. 2 in the Pac-12 in 3-point FG percentage (46.5). She scored a career-high 19 points in ASU's win vs. Idaho (Dec. 18) and was responsible for the game-winning basket in ASU's 83-81 win at Utah on Dec. 31.
DEVILS WILL BE WITHOUT SABRINA HAINES FOR REMAINDER OF THE SEASON
Junior Sabrina Haines, who entered the season as one of ASU's starting guards, was lost for the season after suffering a knee injury against UC Riverside on Dec. 3. A starter in 38 of 75 career games, Haines came on towards the end of last season as she posted eight of her nine double-digit scoring efforts in the final 11 games of the season. She tied for the team lead in scoring (13.3 ppg) in ASU's four post season contests (two in the Pac-12 Tournament and two in the NCAA Tournament).
Haines had played in all nine of ASU's games (six starts) and had scored in double figures five times, including a career-high-tying 19 points in ASU's win vs. Sacramento State (Nov. 18). At the time of her injury Haines led the team in free throw percentage (86.7/1st in Pac-12), was second in scoring (10.2 ppg) and tied for second in steals (1.2 spg).
BENCH PRODUCTION
Although ASU's roster may be small in numbers (10 student-athletes on current active roster), it has not kept the Sun Devils from having an extremely productive bench. On average, ASU's reserves are outscoring the opposition's bench 24.7-12.4. Leading the way is Jamie Ruden, who is currently third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). Ruden has scored in double figures 10 times, including a career-high 19 points vs. Idaho (Dec. 18).
ASU PACES THE PAC-12 IN NON-CONFERENCE WINS SINCE 2013
Including this season's 9-3 record, ASU's 49 regular season, non-conference wins are more than any other team in the Pac-12 since 2013. Last year's win over Holy Cross was ASU's 40th regular-season, non-conference win between 2013-16. Going back to the 1986-87 season – the first season of Pac-10/Pac-12 play – the 40 regular-season, non-conference wins were by far the most in a four-season stretch in program history (the next highest total was 33 games done three times: 2003-06/2004-07/2005-08).
POLLS
Both the coaches and media picked the Sun Devils to finish sixth in the Pac-12.... The Sun Devils received votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches preseason polls... In other preseason polls of note, ASU came in at No. 23 in Lindy's Sports and No. 25 in ESPN.com. The Sun Devils were picked to earn a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament in ESPN.com Charlie Creme's first Bracketology post of the season (Nov. 7). ASU cracked the AP Top 25 on Nov. 20 coming in at No. 24. However after going 1-2 at the Cancun Challenge ASU fell out of the poll. ASU returned to the AP Top 25 on Jan. 1 (No. 25). The Sun Devils moved up to No. 18 (Jan. 8) after back-to-back Top 25 wins over No. 23 Cal and No. 24 Stanford. They fell to No. 22 (Jan. 15) after losses at OSU/UO and were most recently slotted at No. 25 (Jan. 22) after splitting with Utah and Colorado at home.
SUN DEVIL WBB EARNS NO. 5 RANKING IN WBCA ACADEMIC TOP 25
For the second time in three years the Arizona State women's basketball program finished among the nation's best in combined team GPA. With a final team GPA of 3.672 for the 2016-17 academic year the Sun Devils finished fifth in the nation (the highest ranking in program history) among Division I institutions in the WBCA's annual Academic Top 25. The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
ASU's No. 5 finish represents the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils have been among the top 10 programs in the country after placing seventh (3.558) for the 2014-15 academic year. In 2016-17 ASU was one of only eight teams around the country to be included in the WBCA's Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, ASU and DePaul were the only two schools to advance past the first round.
In March the Sun Devils had two players earn Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic recognition (2017 senior Kelsey Moos and Quinn Dornstauder), one player earn second-team honors (2017 senior Sophie Brunner) and three players named honorable mention (current Sun Devils Sabrina Haines, Kianna Ibis and Charnea Johnson-Chapman). ASU was the only Pac-12 school with two first-team honorees and led all Pac-12 schools with three combined first- and second-team honorees. Moos became only the 11th player in Pac-10/12 history (going back to 1986-87) to earn conference first-team recognition three straight years. Brunner was also eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors after being one of five players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Team in February.
Since the 1996-97 season, Turner Thorne's first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (21) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (43).
SUN DEVIL WBB'S REILI RICHARDSON EARNS SILVER MEDAL AT FIBA 19 WORLD CUP
Sophomore guard Reili Richardson became the fourth Sun Devil women's basketball player to earn a medal since 2015 as the USA Women's U19 World Cup Team claimed silver at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup in Udine, Italy.
Richardson became the most recent Sun Devil to earn a medal in international competition as former Sun Devils Katie Hempen (gold/USA/World University Games), Quinn Dornstauder (silver/Canada/World University Games) and Sophie Brunner (silver/USA/Pan American Games) claimed medals in 2015. Richardson averaged 10.8 minutes per game and was a steady contributor in helping the USA to wins in each of its first six games at the FIBA World Cup.
Richardson, a 5-11 guard, is coming off an outstanding freshman campaign in which she set ASU's single-season freshman record for assists (126). A Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention honoree, Richardson played in every game (25 starts) last season and led the team in assists (3.8 apg/12th in the Pac-12) and tied for the team lead in free throws made (79), was second in 3-pointers (20) and free throw percentage (82.3/12th in the Pac-12) and third in scoring (8.4 ppg) and steals (1.1 spg). She also finished fifth in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Richardson, whose 277 points ranked seventh in program history for most points scored by a freshman, scored in double figures 13 times, including a career-high 16 points at eventual national champion South Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, a game the Sun Devils led going into the final minute.
CHARLI TURNER THORNE HAS SUN DEVIL WBB AMONG NATION'S ELITE
The all-time winningest coach in program history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in career wins (414), Charli Turner Thorne has turned Sun Devil women's basketball into one of the nation's premiere programs since taking over in 1996-97. Included in ASU's earlier run of 13 consecutive postseason appearances (2000-12) were a school record five-consecutive NCAA Tournament bids from 2005-09. During that time ASU qualified for the Elite Eight on a pair of occasions, making it one of only 15 programs in the country to have qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times between 2007-12.
Last season the Sun Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and the 12th time under Turner Throne's guidance. ASU gave eventual national champion South Carolina its toughest game of the NCAA Tournament as it led the Gamecocks by as many as 11 in the second half and took a one-point lead into the final minute of the game before falling, 71-68.
In 2016 Turner Thorne was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year (coaches and media), the second time she has been recognized with the honor (2001), after leading the Sun Devils to their second regular season Pac-12 championship. ASU would go on to earn its highest NCAA Tournament seed (No. 2) in program history. In 2016 ASU has also tied the program records for most conference wins (16) and consecutive wins (15) and set the program record for most road wins (11). Turner Thorne would go on to also be named the WBCA Region 5 Co-Coach of the Year. In 2014-15 Turner Thorne was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year for a season in which she led the Sun Devils to their best start in school history (18-1), their best conference start in school history (7-0), a second-place finish in the Pac-12 and 29 wins, the second-highest number of wins in school history. In 2013-14 Turner Thorne raised the curtain on the team's current era of success as she helped the Sun Devils post one of the best turnarounds in the country as they went from a 13-18 record and a ninth-place Pac-12 finish (5-13) in 2012-13 to a 23-10 record and fourth-place Pac-12 finish (11-7). Included among ASU's 23 wins in 2013-14 were three triumphs over Top 25 teams. The outstanding success Sun Devil women's basketball has enjoyed under Turner Thorne is a 180-degree difference from the program that had an aggregate record of 20-60 in the three years prior to her arrival and only two NCAA Tournament wins in its history.
FORMER VALLEY STANDOUT/UCONN TRANSFER/FIRST-YEAR LAW SCHOOL STUDENT COURTNEY EKMARK MAKES HER SUN DEVIL DEBUT IN 2017-18
In June 2016 Charli Turner Thorne announced that former UConn guard Courtney Ekmark would be transferring into the Sun Devil women's basketball program. Ekmark, who completed her sophomore season for the Huskies in 2015-16, sat out the 2016-17 season per NCAA transfer rules. She has two years of eligibility remaining. Ekmark, who earned her degree in Liberal Studies (May 2017) in only three years, is currently a first-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. Ekmark returned to the Valley where she helped lead St. Mary's High School to an 87-3 record (included a 49-game winning streak), three straight Division I State Titles, a No. 1 ranking in the USA Today Super 25 in 2012 and a No. 2 ranking in 2013. Ekmark was named the state of Arizona's Gatorade Player of the Year following a junior season in which she averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals. In the 2013 state tournament, she averaged 21.5 points in helping lead the Knights to the title. In the 49-37 championship game win over Pinnacle, Ekmark had a game-high 14 points, becoming the first Arizona player to be the top scorer in three consecutive championship games. In addition to her outstanding play on the hardwood, Ekmark also excelled on the tennis court for St. Mary's, earning the top singles spot on the team. As a member of UConn's two most recent NCAA championship teams (2015 and 2016), Ekmark played in 61 games, including 10 of the Huskies' 12 NCAA Tournament games. She averaged 9.3 minutes per game during those two seasons and connected on 38 percent of her field goal attempts.
ALL-TIME SUN DEVIL GREAT, CURRENT INDIANA FEVER GUARD BRIANN JANUARY JOINS SUN DEVIL WBB COACHING STAFF
All-time Sun Devil great and current Indiana Fever guard Briann January returned to ASU as an assistant coach this past April. January, who helped lead ASU to 104 wins – the most in program history in a four-year span – while playing for the Sun Devils, will continue her professional playing career with Indiana where she is currently preparing to start her ninth season.
January, who last year was named to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Century Team, concluded her Sun Devil playing career at or near the top of several ASU career statistical categories including assists (first), free throw percentage (first), steals (second), free throws (second), 3-point field goal percentage (fourth), 3-point field goals (fifth) and points (seventh). A two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, January earned honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press and WBCA in 2009. During her four-year career the Sun Devils won 77 percent of their games (104-32), including 82 percent of their Pac-10 games (59-13), and qualified for the NCAA Tournament all four years, including two Elite Eight appearances (2007, '09).
January was selected by the Fever with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft. In that time she has played a major role in helping Indiana qualify for the playoffs each of the last eight seasons, including three trips to the WNBA Finals and a WNBA championship in 2012. January is coming off a 2016 campaign in which she averaged 9.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and a career-best 4.7 assists per game while being named to the WNBA's All-Defensive Team for the fifth straight season. In 2014, January was named to the East All-Star Team for the WNBA's annual All-Star Game that was played in Phoenix. In 2012, January averaged 10.0 ppg in the WNBA Finals to help lead the Fever over the Minnesota Lynx for the WNBA title. As a rookie in 2009, January had an immediate impact as Indiana made its first WNBA finals appearance.
ANGIE NELP JOINS SUN DEVIL WBB COACHING STAFF; JACKIE MOORE PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH
This past May Charli Turner Thorne announced the appointment of Angie Nelp as assistant coach and that Jackie Moore had been promoted to associate head coach. Nelp joined ASU from Rice University where most recently she helped guide the Owls to a WBI Championship (the school's first postseason title) and 22 victories in 2016-17, the second-most wins in a single season. The Owls improved by 13 wins from her first to second season, one of the top increments in the nation. Players who Nelp has mentored in her time as an assistant coach have combined for 17 All-Conference awards. In addition she has helped develop three players who went on to play in the WNBA and eight players who signed to play professionally overseas.