TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University women’s basketball team was among the top 10 women’s basketball programs in the classroom in 2014-15 as the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its 2015 Academic Team Honor Rolls presented by AT&T on Tuesday.
The Sun Devil women’s basketball team’s combined team GPA of 3.558 was No. 7 among NCAA Division I institutions. ASU was one of only seven schools among the WBCA’s Top 25 that also participated in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. On the court, the Sun Devils recorded the best finish of schools appearing in the WBCA’s Top 25 after advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 presented by AT&T annually recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA; and junior/community college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined grade point average (GPA) inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2014-15 season is the 20th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
The Sun Devils jumped 14 spots in this year’s WBCA Top 25 after checking in at No. 21 (3.412 GPA) last season when they were only one of three schools to both appear in the WBCA’s Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
This past March, the Sun Devils had seven players named to the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball All-Academic Team. ASU had two players earn first-team recognition (Quinn Dornstauder and Kelsey Moos), one player earn second-team honors (Elisha Davis) and four players named honorable mention (Promise Amukamara, Sophie Brunner, Katie Hempen and Eliza Normen).
Since the 1996-97 season, head coach Charli Turner Thorne’s first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (17) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (37).
On the court, the Sun Devils were just as successful last season as they won 29 games (second highest total in program history), recorded the best start in school history (18-1) and advanced the to Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The 2015-16 season will be the 19th at Arizona State for Turner Thorne, who is No. 2 all time in the Pac-12 in career wins (354) and last season was one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.