WHAT: NCAA Tournament First Round: No. 11 Arizona State (25-6, 16-2 Pac-12/#2 seed) vs. New Mexico State (26-4, 13-1 WAC/#15 seed)
WHEN: Friday at 4:30 p.m. PT. ASU vs. New Mexico State will follow Tennessee vs. Green Bay (2 p.m. PT)
WHERE: Wells Fargo Arena/Tempe. Click here to purchase tickets online or contact the Sun Devil ticket office at 480-727-0000.
TELEVISION: ESPN2
RADIO: NBC Sports Radio AM 1060 (coverage begins at 4 p.m.)
UP NEXT
The No. 11 Arizona State women’s basketball team opens play in the 2016 NCAA Tournament on Friday (approx. 4:30 p.m. PT) when it hosts WAC champion New Mexico State at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Sun Devils (25-6, 16-2 Pac-12 - No . 2 seed in Sioux Falls Region) and the Aggies (26-4, 13-1 WAC - No. 15 seed) will be meeting in the second of two NCAA First Round games on Friday. The day will start off at 2 p.m. PT when Tennessee (19-13, 8-8 SEC - No. 7 seed) faces Green Bay (28-4, 16-2 Horizon - No. 10 seed). The winners of Friday’s games will meet at Wells Fargo Arena on Sunday (time TBD) for the right to advance to the Sweet 16, which begins on Friday, March. 25 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Regular-season co-champions of the Pac-12 (shared with No. 6 Oregon State), the Sun Devils earned their highest NCAA seed in school history by collecting eight wins against teams in this year’s tournament field. One of the biggest contributors to the Pac-12’s No. 1 RPI this season, the Sun Devils were one of five Pac-12 schools to qualify for the NCAA Tournament – ASU (No. 2 seed in Sioux Falls Region), Oregon State (No. 2 seed in Dallas Region), UCLA (No. 3 seed in Bridgeport Region), Stanford (No. 4 seed in Lexington Region) and Washington (No. 7 seed in Lexington Region).
The Sun Devils will attempt to use homecourt advantage as a springboard to the regional round for the second consecutive season. Last season ASU (No. 3 seed) captured wins over Ohio (No. 14 seed) and UALR (No. 11 seed) in Tempe to advance to the Sweet 16 in Greensboro, North Carolina, where they came within two points of advancing to the Elite Eight (lost 66-65 to No. 2 seed Florida State).
TELEVISION/RADIO
Friday’s ASU-NMSU game can be seen live on ESPN2. Mark Jones (play by play) and Gail Goestenkors (analyst) will call the action.
The game can also be heard on Sun Devil WBB’s radio partner on the Sun Devil Sports Radio Network presented by MidFirst, NBC Sports Radio AM 1060. Coverage will begin at 4 p.m.. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona’s 2010 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 12th season as the voice of ASU women’s basketball. He will be joined by former Sun Devil head coach Maura McHugh.
ASU'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• The Sun Devil women’s basketball program is making its 14th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (11th under the direction of head coach Charli Turner Thorne). ASU’s overall record in the NCAA Tournament is 16-13/14-10 record under Turner Thorne. ASU has advanced past the first two rounds four times during Turner Thorne’s tenure (‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘15).
• The Sun Devils have advanced as far as the Elite Eight on two occasions (2007 and 2009). ASU has won at least one game in eight of its last nine tournament NCAA appearances (2002, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘14, ‘15).
• ASU’s No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament represents its highest in program history. Prior to this year the highest seed it ever received was a No. 3 (2007, 2015).
• Prior to its first Elite Eight berth in 2007, the furthest ASU had reached was the round of 16 (1982, 1983 and 2005). In both 1982 and `83, ASU (No. 4 seed both years) lost to the eventual national champion in the round of 16 (Louisiana Tech in 1982 and USC in 1983).
• ASU has a 4-1 record in NCAA Tournament games played in Tempe, winning first round contests in 1982 and 1983 and first and second round games in 2015. Its only home loss was in the 2005 regional semifinals.
• ASU’s first NCAA appearance in the Turner Thorne era came in 2001. As the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, the Sun Devils fell to No. 6 LSU in the first round. Turner Thorne earned her first victory in the NCAA Tournament the following year after the Sun Devils (No. 9) defeated Wisconsin (No. 8) in the first round of the Midwest sub-regional, 73-70. ASU would fall to the top seed, Vanderbilt, in the second round, 61-35.
• As the No. 5 seed in the Tempe Region in 2005 the Sun Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 22 years after defeating No. 4 seed Notre Dame, 70-61. In that game the Sun Devils overcame a 13-point, first-half deficit. In the Sweet 16 against North Carolina, the Sun Devils led by as many as 10 points and were within two points, 62-60, with 9:29 remaining before the Tar Heels closed out the game with a 17-12 run.
• As a No. 4 seed in 2006 ASU defeated Stephen F. Austin in the first round in Tucson (80-61) before falling to Utah (86-65).
• ASU earned a No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Region in 2007 and advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history on its way to posting a school record 31 wins. ASU denied the upset bids of No. 14 seed UC Riverside (first round) and No. 6 seed Louisville (second round), overcoming double-digit deficits in the final 10 minutes of both games before going on to defeat Bowling Green (67-49) in the Sweet 16. ASU’s season ended with a 64-45 loss to Rutgers in the regional final.
• As a No. 6 seed in 2008, ASU defeated Temple (61-54) in the first round before bowing out with a 67-59 loss to Duke (No. 3 seed).
• In 2009, ASU (a No. 6 seed in the Trenton Region) earned its second Elite Eight berth in three years. ASU defeated No. 11 Georgia and No. 3 Florida State in Duluth, Ga., before knocking off the No. 2 seed, Texas A&M, in the regional semifinal in Trenton, N.J. ASU was defeated by eventual national champion UConn in the Trenton Regional final.
• In 2011, ASU (No. 7 in the Dayton Regional) lost to Temple, 63-45, in a first-round game contested in Salt Lake City.
• After a three-year absence, ASU returned to ‘The Big Dance,’ in 2014. As the No. 9 seed in the South Bend Region, ASU defeated No. 8 seed Vanderbilt, 69-61 in the first round, before falling to the top seed in the region, Notre Dame, 84-67. Both contests were played in Toledo, Ohio.
• ASU’s 11 NCAA Tournament appearances (‘01, ‘02, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ‘08, ‘09, ‘11, ‘14, ‘15, ‘16) are the second-highest total in the Pac-12 behind Stanford since the 2000-01 season.
• The highest seed ASU has ever defeated is a No. 2 (Texas A&M in the 2009 Trenton Regional semifinal).
SERIES NOTES
• New Mexico State – New Mexico State has claimed five of the nine all-time meetings. The Aggies won four straight between 1976-79 while the Sun Devils came back to claim two of the three meetings in the 80s. ASU won the only meeting in the 90s and, most recently, came out on top in the first round of the 2010 WNIT in a game that was played in Tempe.
• Green Bay – In the only meeting between the two schools, ASU came up on the short end of a 63-57 decision last season in a game that took place in Estero, Florida, as part of the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Sun Devils led by nine early in the second half and were up by six with just over five minutes remaining, but each time the Phoenix would rally. Green Bay shot 54 percent and closed the game with a 16-4 run. Kelsey Moos scored 15 points, Katie Hempen added 14 and Sophie Brunner had her second double-double of the season (13 points, 11 rebounds) to lead the Sun Devils, who shot 45 percent and committed 20 turnovers.
• Tennessee – The Lady Vols have won all three of the all-time meetings. The first meeting was a historic one as the two schools competed against one another in the first ever outdoor women’s basketball game at (then) Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix on Dec. 27, 2000. The Lady Vols prevailed 67-63 in front of 16,282 fans. Current Sun Devil associate head coach and ASU Hall of Famer Amanda Levens led ASU with 21 points. In 2006 Tennessee snapped ASU’s 26-game home winning streak with an 83-74 win in Tempe. Most recently the Lady Vols defeated the Sun Devils 80-64 in Knoxville in a game that took place early in the 2010-11 season.
2015 NCAA TOURNAMENT RECAP
After finishing in second place in the Pac-12 during the regular season ASU was awarded a No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Region, which at the time tied the program’s highest ever NCAA Tournament seed (also No. 3 seed in Greensboro Region in 2007).
As one of the top four seeds ASU hosted the first two rounds at Wells Fargo Arena. Katie Hempen scored a career-high 23 points to lead ASU to a 74-55 win over No. 14 seed Ohio in the first round. Sophie Brunner added 14 points and six rebounds and Arnecia Hawkins tied her season high with 12 points for the Sun Devils, who shot 56 percent for the game, including 50 percent (8-16) from long range.
Promise Amukamara and Brunner each scored 17 points in ASU’s 57-54 win over No. 11 seed UALR in the second round. The Sun Devils rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat the Trojans, who led for nearly the entire game. With just over two minutes left, down by six and with two seconds left on the shot clock, Hempen inbounded the ball to Elisha Davis, who banked in a 3-pointer as the shot clock buzzer went off to cut the deficit in half. Davis’ triple was the start of an 11-2 run ASU used to close out the game.
ASU’s comeback magic nearly propelled it to a berth in the Elite Eight against the top seed South Carolina, but the Sun Devils would come one basket short, falling to the No. 2 seed Florida State, 66-65, in the regional semifinals. ASU trailed by 11 at the half and by six with just over two minutes left. They put themselves in position to win the game after the Seminoles missed the front end of a one-and-one with five seconds left. Unfortunately the Sun Devils were not able to get a shot off and their season came to an end. Hempen led ASU with a game-high 22 points, Brunner added 11 points and eight rebounds and senior Promise Amukamara had 10 points, two assists and three steals in her final game as a Sun Devil.
CHARLI TURNER THORNE NAMED 2016 PAC-12 COACH OF THE YEAR
Arizona State University head women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne was named the John R. Wooden Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, according to an announcement by the Pac-12 on Feb. 29. Turner Thorne was voted coach of the year by the league’s head coaches.
This season Turner Thorne led ASU to its first regular season Pac-12 title since 2001. Along the way the team has had several remarkable accomplishments, including:
• Tying the school record for consecutive wins (15).
• Setting a new school record for most road wins (11).
• Tying the program’s highest AP Top 25 ranking in school history (No. 8).
• Setting a new program benchmark for best conference start (9-0), surpassing the previous standard of 7-0 set last season.
• Led or shared the top spot in the Pac-12 from start to finish in a season in which the conference was ranked No. 1 in the RPI for much of the year.
• Posted six wins over Top 25 teams, including No. 9 Stanford & No. 10 Florida State.
• Became the first Pac-12 school to sweep the annual home-and-home series vs. Stanford two straight years.
• Off the court, the team is coming off a year in which it had the No. 7 cumulative GPA in the country.
Earlier this season Turner Thorne, who also earned Pac-10 Coach of the Year honors in 2001, recorded the 400th win of her career (includes 40 wins at NAU) and last month she recorded the her 200th Pac-12 win.
The all-time winningest coach in program history and No. 2 in the Pac-12 in career wins (379), Turner Thorne has led the Sun Devils to the NCAA Tournament 11 times, including a pair of Elite Eight appearances. Last season the Sun Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament where they came within two points of once again advancing to the Elite Eight.
Turner Thorne, who last month collected the 200th Pac-12 win of her career, was also named Pac-12 Coach of the Year by the media on Mar. 2.
ASU PLACES A SCHOOL RECORD THREE PLAYERS ON PAC-12’S ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Arizona State University women’s basketball players Sophie Brunner, Elisha Davis, Sabrina Haines, Katie Hempen and Kelsey Moos were recognized by the Pac-12 last month when the conference announced its annual awards for the 2015-16 season as voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Brunner, Davis and Hempen were named to the conference’s 15-member All-Pac-12 Team. Davis (Pac-12 All-Defensive Team), Brunner (Pac-12 Defensive honorable mention) and Moos (Pac-12 Defensive honorable mention) were recognized for their exceptional contributions on the defensive end and Haines was named All-Freshman honorable mention.
All five players have played a major role in helping the Sun Devils finish as regular season Pac-12 co-champions, the program’s first league title since 2001.
Brunner (All-Conference) and Davis (All-Defensive Team) were also recognized by the media that cover the league.
IN CASE YOU ARE JUST JOINING US... WHERE WE ARE...
• This season ASU tied the program records for most conference wins (16) and consecutive wins (15) and set the program record for most road wins (11). The Sun Devils shared the regular season conference title with Oregon State as both teams went 16-2.
• The Sun Devils earned their highest NCAA seed (No. 2) in school history. One of the contributors to the Pac-12’s No. 1 RPI this season, ASU was one of five Pac-12 schools to qualify for the NCAA Tournament – ASU (No. 2 seed in Sioux Falls Region), Oregon State (No. 2 seed in Dallas Region), UCLA (No. 3 seed in Bridgeport Region), Stanford (No. 4 seed in Lexington Region) and Washington (No. 7 seed in Lexington Region). In addition to the five NCAA teams, Oregon and Utah earned WNIT bids (both schools hosting first-round games).
• Although the Sun Devils lost their last two games, the No. 2 seed they were awarded was in line with how ASU’s ‘body of work’ was seen by the NCAA in the weeks leading up to Selection Monday. On Feb. 1 the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Sport Committee unveiled the first of three February top-10 rankings in seed order. The Sun Devils were No. 7 on the initial list (Feb. 1). They were No. 8 on the second presentation of rankings (Feb. 15) and No. 7 on the third and final release (Feb. 29/prior to the Pac-12 Tournament).
• ASU is 31-5 in regular season Pac-12 games the last two season. Prior to its loss at Oregon State on Feb. 1, ASU’s 9-0 record in Pac-12 play was its best conference start in program history (surpassed last season’s 7-0 start). The Sun Devils are currently in the midst of their third consecutive 20-win season and the program’s 12th since the 2000-01 season.
• ASU concluded enters the NCAA Tournament ranked among the top third of the Pac-12 in rebounding defense (1st/31.5 rpg), offensive rebounds (2nd/13.7 rpg), scoring defense (3rd/54.4 ppg/23rd in the nation), 3-point FG pct. defense (3rd/29.6), turnover margin (3rd/+3.4), rebounding margin (4th/+5.2), FT pct. (4th/72.3), assists (t4th/14.7 apg) and steals (4th/8.9 spg).
• ASU has won the battle of the boards in 23 of 31 games.
• ASU has had 15 or fewer turnovers 18 times this season. Last season the Sun Devils set the school record for fewest turnover per game (14.3). ASU is currently averaging 14.7 through 31 games.
• In the last three seasons the Sun Devils are 25-6 in games decided by five points or less and/or overtime.
• The Sun Devils are 43-5 (89.6) at home going back to the 2013-14 season.
WHERE WE’VE BEEN...
• ASU started the season ranked 15th in both the AP media poll and the USA Today Coaches’ poll. After seven games and a 4-3 record, the Sun Devils were ranked as low as No. 24 in the AP poll on Dec. 7. They appeared in the top 10 (No. 10) for the first time on Jan. 11 (10 straight wins). On Jan. 18 (12 straight wins) they moved up to No. 8 tying the highest AP ranking in program history. On Feb. 8 they fell one spot to No. 9 after their school record-tying 15-game winning streak was snapped in a loss at Oregon State (Feb. 1). They remained No. 9 throughout their seven-game winning streak before falling to No. 10 after their loss at No. 14 UCLA in the regular season finale. They fell one more spot to No. 11 after falling to Cal in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals.
• ASU went unbeaten for nearly two months (Dec. 6 - Feb. 1) as it tied the school record for consecutive wins (15) before falling at Oregon State, 67-44. After the loss to the Beavers the Sun Devils won their next seven games before being upset at No. 14 UCLA, 74-61, in the regular season finale. ASU’s most recent winning streak represented the 24th time since 2001 that it had a winning streak of five or more games. Included in those streaks are a 10-game winning streak in 2013-14, a 14-game winning streak last season and this season’s school-record-tying 15-game winning streak.
• On Dec. 14, 2015, ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne recorded her 400th career win following ASU’s 60-29 win at Hartford.
• After finishing the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 9-3 record, ASU is 31-5 in non-conference games the last three seasons.
• On Dec. 12, 2015, the Sun Devils won at Syracuse 61-54 and ended the Orange’s 72-game non-conference home court winning streak.
• With its sweep of Stanford (49-31 in Tempe/63-61 - OT at Stanford) ASU became the first Pac-12 school to sweep Stanford in the regular season in consecutive years. The overtime win at Stanford represented the Cardinal’s only loss in its last 10 games of the regular season.
• Two of ASU’s six losses – vs. current No. 12 Kentucky (68-64 in OT on Nov. 15) and vs. current No. 3 South Carolina (60-58 on Nov. 27 in Hawaii) – were by a combined six points.
WHERE DID WE BEGIN?
• ASU returned nine players, including four starters – senior guards Katie Hempen and Elisha Davis and junior posts Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos – from last year’s team that finished with 29 wins (second most in team history) and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Brunner (Pan American Games – silver medal) and Hempen (World University Games – gold medal) both earned medals last July while competing for USA Basketball. Also earning a medal was junior center Quinn Dornstauder (Canada), who brought back a silver medal from the World University Games.
• ASU was picked to finish third in the Pac-12 by the league’s coaches (1. Oregon State 2. Stanford 3. ASU) and second by the media who cover the league (1. Oregon State 2. ASU). Junior forward Sophie Brunner was selected to the media’s preseason All-Pac-12 team.
TEAM NOTES
• Eight different Sun Devils have led or tied for the team lead in scoring this season: Quinn Dornstauder (9x), Sophie Brunner (8x), Katie Hempen (7x), Arnecia Hawkins (6x), Kelsey Moos (2x), Elisha Davis (1x), Sabrina Haines (1x) and Kianna Ibis (1x).
• Both of ASU’s starting forwards – Kelsey Moos and Sophie Brunner were injured in the second half of ASU’s 60-58 loss vs. South Carolina in Hawaii on Nov. 27. Moos would go on to miss four games (returned at Syracuse on Dec. 12) and Brunner missed six games (returned vs. Marquette on Dec. 19). Moos also missed ASU’s contest vs. CSUN on Dec. 28.
• Brunner, who was named espnW’s National Player of the Week on Jan. 10, currently leads ASU in scoring (10.8 ppg), rebounds (7.5 rpg - 11th in Pac-12), FG pct (53.5) and steals (1.9 spg -7th in Pac-12) and is third in assists (1.9 apg). She has averaged 11.5 points/11.0 rebounds and shot 56 pct in her last six games (four of her five double-doubles in 2015-16 have come during this stretch). Last month, Brunner’s last-second heroics helped ASU come away with wins against USC (3-point play with 1.4 seconds left gave ASU a 69-68 win) and at Stanford (fadeaway jumper at the buzzer gave ASU 63-61 win in OT). Brunner’s seven steals vs. Arizona on Jan. 22 tied the single-game high in the Pac-12 during the regular season. Last season Brunner had eight steals vs. Colorado, the most of any player in the Pac-12 in 2014-15.
• Moos is second on the team in rebounding (6.0 rpg), offensive rebounds (2.3 rpg) and steals (1.5 spg) and third in FG pct (44.2). She has scored in double figures five times, including a season-high 17 points at Oregon (Jan. 29), a game in which she hit a career high three 3-pointers. Moos has grabbed eight or more rebounds eight times this season, including four times in ASU’s last seven games. In the three games she has scored in double figures – 13 at Syracuse, 12 vs. Utah and 17 at Oregon – Moos has shot 59 percent from the floor (13-22).
• On Feb. 5, senior Katie Hempen (currently with 178 3-pointers) passed Kylan Loney (161 - 2002-05) as ASU’s all-time leader in career 3-pointers. Hempen (started 73 of 99 games at ASU/66 straight starts), who is currently third on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg), has connected on 41.4 percent of her 3-pointers this season (seventh in the Pac-12). Hempen shot 51 percent (18-35) from long range during ASU’s seven-game winning streak last month. She needs 22 points to reach 1,000 at ASU (including her freshman season at SIUE, Hempen has 1,268 points).
• Senior guard Elisha Davis (started 70/130 career games/68 straight starts) is No. 2 on ASU’s all-time list for career assists (466). Current Indiana Fever guard Briann January (2006-09) is ASU’s all-time assists leader (534). She has dished out five or more assists 18x, including a career-high-tying 11 vs. Marquette (Dec. 19). She has also had 15 games with two or fewer turnovers. Earlier this season Davis was named one of 30 candidates for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award® in women’s basketball.
• ASU’s leading scorer off the bench last season, starting junior center Quinn Dornstauder is currently second on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg). She has accounted for the team’s top two single-game scoring totals in ASU’s last four games after recording a career-high 25 points vs. Washington (Feb. 21) and then 24 points at UCLA (Feb. 28). On Feb. 11, Dornstauder was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Women’s Basketball Team.
• With the earlier injuries to Brunner and Moos, senior guard Arnecia Hawkins stepped up to help fill the offensive void. During an earlier 10-game stretch (eight starts), Hawkins led ASU in scoring average (12.1 ppg) while connecting on 52 percent of her shots. Hawkins was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women’s National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Player of the Week for her performance in ASU’s 68-56 upset of No. 10 Florida State (Dec. 21) as she scored a career-high 23 points (13 in the fourth quarter) while making all seven of her field goal attempts (including a trio of 3-ptrs). Hawkins has scored in double figures 13 times this season.
• Freshman guard Sabrina Haines leads ASU’s first-year players in scoring (5.4 ppg) and leads the team in FT percentage (86.0). She has scored in double figures four times, including a career-high 19 points in ASU’s win at Washington State (Jan. 10).
• Freshman forward Kianna Ibis is shooing 61 percent (17-28) from the floor in ASU’s last seven games. She tied for the team lead in scoring with a career-high 14 points and knocked down her first career 3-pointer in Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinal vs. Cal (Mar. 4).
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 (379), 2016 Pac-12 Coach of the Year 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 the Sun Devils qualified for the Elite Eight on a pair of occasions, making ASU one of only 15 programs in the country to have qualified for the Elite Eight at least two times between 2007-12.
In 2013-14 Turner Thorne, who earlier this month was named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, 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.
Last season Turner Thorne 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.
Under Turner Thorne’s leadership the program is ascending to even greater heights this season. In the month of January alone the Sun Devils posted the best conference start in school history (9-0), equalled the highest AP ranking in school history (No. 8) and matched the school record for consecutive wins (15). Most recently they clinched their first Pac-12 regular season championship since 2001 and earned the highest NCAA Tournament seed (No. 2) in program history.
On December 14, 2015, Turner Thorne added another milestone as she won her 400th career game (360 at ASU and 40 at Northern Arizona).
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.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
One of the hallmarks of the Sun Devils women’s basketball team’s success during Charli Turner Thorne’s tenure at ASU has been great defense. Whether its offense is firing on all cylinders or not, ASU’s outstanding defense always gives it a shot to come out on top. This year’s squad has continued the tradition of keeping the opposition’s offense in check. On average, opposing teams have scored 16.4 points under their scoring average when facing ASU. In fact, only one opponent (Marquette), scored more points than what it averaged coming into its game vs. ASU. Some of the Devils’ most impressive defensive performances this season include...
• Held (then) second-ranked South Carolina 17.4 points below its scoring average.
• Set the school record for fewest points allowed in a half (6) at Hartford (Dec. 14).
• Florida State scored 21.7 points below its average and tied its lowest output in a quarter (9 points) against ASU.
• Held Stanford to its fewest points in school history (31) in 49-31 win (Jan. 4).
• Turned a 27-20 halftime deficit at Oregon (Jan. 29) into a 46-33 lead after outscoring the Ducks 26-6 in the third quarter.
Other defensive notes...
• The opposition has shot below 30 percent from 3-point range 16 times.
• On average the Sun Devils are scoring 17.2 points per game off turnovers by the opposition. They have scored 20 or more points off turnovers 10 times.
• ASU has held the opposition to a single-digit point total in a quarter 33 times this season times this season and 25 or fewer points in a half 24 times.
• ASU has forced 20 or more turnovers 12 times. ASU forced a season-high 27 turnovers vs. Arizona (Jan. 22).
• Marquette (80), Washington (61), Oregon State (67), USC (68), UCLA (61/74) and Cal (64) are ASU’s only opponents that have scored more than 60 points in regulation (Kentucky & Stanford both went over 60 points in overtime).
DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
While the Sun Devils made great strides in 2014 in returning to the NCAA Tournament following a 13-18 season in 2012-13, head coach Charli Turner Thorne made it a point of emphasis in the offseason that the 2014-15 team would start to play defense more like some of the great Sun Devil teams in recent memory. The defining characteristics of those defenses: Ball pressure, excellent position defense without fouling and excellent work on the boards.
The results were nothing short of phenomenal. Last season the Sun Devils gave up 9.8 fewer points (55.9) compared to 2013-14 (65.7). In terms of conference games, ASU gave up 11.8 fewer points during the Pac-12 season in 2015 (55.1) compared to 2014 (66.9). The Sun Devils also showed improvements from 2014 to 2015 in opponent field goal percentage (43.9/41.8 = -2.1), opponent 3-point FG percentage (31.3/25.4 = –5.9), opponent rebounds per game (34.6/31.3 = –3.3) and opponent free throws per game (19.1/13.5 = –5.6).
What would they do for an encore this season?
Although they weren’t able to match last year’s numbers across the board – the 25.4 opponent 3-point FG percentage and 31.3 opponent rebounds per game in 2015 both matched school records – one could make an argument that the Sun Devils had an even more impressive campaign this season given the difference in strength of schedule (No. 21 last season compared to No. 14 this season). Entering the NCAA Tournament, ASU is allowing 1.5 fewer points per game than last year (54.4), opponent field goal percentage is down 1.3 percent and the Sun Devils are forcing 1.2 more turnovers per game. The cumulative improvements contributed to helping the Sun Devils capture a share of their first Pac-12 regular season championship since 2001.
FORMER SUN DEVIL BRIANN JANUARY NAMED TO PAC-12 WBB ALL-CENTURY TEAM
Former Arizona State University women’s basketball standout Briann January was named to the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball All-Century Team according to an announcement by the Pac-12 on Feb. 29..
Sixty-one panelists, consisting of media members, Pac-12 staff, coaches and players, were responsible for the selection of the team. Each panelist ranked their top twelve in each category, with their top selection receiving 12 points, their second selection receiving 11 points, etc. The points were then tallied across the entire panel, and the top vote-getters formed the All-Century Team. Only players who were active at their university while the university was a member of the Pac-12 were eligible.
January, one of eight ‘starting guards’ named to the All-Century Team, ended her stint as a Sun Devil 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 earn three trips to the WNBA Finals. January is coming off a 2015 campaign in which she shot career highs in field goal percentage (42.6 percent) and 3-point percentage (43.1 percent) while connecting on 84.5 percent of her free throw attempts. The Fever made it to the WNBA Finals last season where they were edged by Minnesota in five games (3-2). January averaged 15.4 points in the series.
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.
Most recently, January was one of 25 athletes named as finalists for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team.
SUN DEVIL WBB EARNS NO. 7 RANKING IN WBCA ACADEMIC TOP 25
The Arizona State University women’s basketball team was among the top 10 women’s basketball programs in the classroom in 2014-15. The Sun Devil women’s basketball team’s combined team GPA of 3.558 was No. 7 among NCAA Division I institutions, according to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) 2015 Academic Team Honor Rolls, announced this past July. 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. Since the 1996-97 season (Charli Turner Thorne’s first season at ASU) ASU leads 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).
SUN DEVIL WBB SIGNS TOP 10 CLASS FOR NEXT SEASON
On Nov. 11, 2015, Arizona State University head women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne announced the signing of five student-athletes – Sydney Goodson, Reili Richardson, Jamie Ruden, Kiara Russell and Robbi Ryan – whose outstanding ability, talent and potential for immediate impact have the signing class ranked among the top 10 in the country by espnW HoopGurlz.
Goodson, a 5-8 guard, will be joining the Sun Devils from Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas, where she has already led her team to a pair of TAPPS Class 5A state title game appearances. After a runner-up finish in 2013, the Lady Warriors came away with the title in 2015 as Goodson averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.5 steals on her way to earning First-Team All-State honors and being named the District’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Richardson will be coming to ASU from Brea Olinda High School in Brea, California. The 5-9 guard averaged 17.4 points as a junior while earning numerous awards, including MaxPreps 2014-15 California All-State Division 3 Second-Team recognition, Southern Section All-Open Division Team and Orange County Register All-County First-Team honors.
A 6-1 post, who has incredible versatility, Ruden has averaged 20 or more points each of the last three seasons for John Marshall High School (Rochester, Minnesota). Ruden is coming off a junior campaign in which she earned AP First-Team All-State and Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A All-State recognition after averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game in leading John Marshall to a 27-2 record and a state runner-up finish.
Also coming to ASU from the North Star State is Russell, a 5-8 guard out of Osseo High School in Osseo, Minnesota. Like Ruden, Russell also earned 2015 Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A All-State honors after a spectacular junior campaign in which she averaged 23.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.8 steals.
A 5-9 guard, Ryan enters the 2015-16 season as the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Wyoming, where she has enjoyed a prolific career at Sheridan High School (Sheridan, Wyoming). Named to the All-State team in each of her first three seasons, Ryan has twice been invited to the U17 Olympic trials for women’s basketball and has also competed in the Chicago Nike National Invitation Tournament.
2014-15 RECAP
• ASU made its 13th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament (its 10th under head coach Charli Turner Thorne) and earned a No. 3 seed in the Greensboro Regional (tied highest NCAA seed in school history)... ASU got off to its best start (18-1) and conference start (7-0) in school history. In addition, ASU reached 20 wins faster than any team in program history (22 games)... ASU’s 14-game winning streak (started on Nov. 30 and ended on Jan. 25) was its second longest in school history. Only the 2008-09 team won more games in succession (15)… Tied the 2006-07 squad for the best road record in school history (10-1)… Finished among the nation’s Top 30 teams in 3-Point Field Goal Percentage Defense (4th/25.4), Scoring Defense (21st/55.9 ppg), 3-Point Field Goal Percentage (22nd/36.1), Field Goal Percentage (27th/44.0) and Scoring Margin (27th/+11.0... Set the school record for fewest turnovers per game (14.3). Eclipsed the previous record (16.4 by the 2011-12 team) by more than two turnovers per game... Gave up nearly 10 fewer points per game (9.8) in 2014-15 (55.9) compared to the 2013-14 team (65.7).