By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Quinn Dornstauder wasn't keen on discussing the finer points of her game on Wednesday.
"Right now, you caught me at a bad time," she said, smiling. "I'm not happy with a lot right now. It's a work in progress."
Dornstauder was coming off a seven-point, eight rebound-performance against Oregon in which she missed nine of 12 free throw attempts. Her perspective was skewed by that recent memory, but Sun Devils women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne has an entirely different read on Dornstauder's and Sophie Brunner's senior seasons -- especially with senior Kelsey Moos injured and out of the lineup for the past five weeks.
"Quinn and Sophie have really stepped up in many ways with all these babies around them, all these young players," Turner Thorne said. "Overthinking is just something that Quinn does, so when she says [she's] not [happy with] a lot right now she just is out there overthinking a lot, but I think she's done better being in the moment, her senior year."
From a statistical standpoint it's undeniable. Dornstauder, a 6-foot-4 center is averaging a career-high 10.2 points per game, a career-high 6.2 rebounds and she has three double-doubles in Pac-12 play after posting just two in her previous three seasons at ASU.
"The last couple years have been my breakout years. Now it's about perfecting what I'm already good at, knowing my strengths and using them," she said. "Every week is different because the teams are quite varied in the Pac-12 and every team plays you different and you have to play every team different. It's challenging but that's what makes you a better player having to play all those different types of teams and rounding out your game."
Turner Thorne likes the assertiveness she is seeing in Dornstauder's game.
"I thought last weekend she did the best job she's done all year of posting strong," Turner Thorne said of games against Oregon State and Oregon. "That opens up stuff for everybody because they're worried about her; everybody worries about her. Sometimes last year, it wasn't until she got going that people would try to double her. Now, basically since the first weekend of Pac-12 [play she and Sophie] have been getting a ton of attention."
Dornstauder's play has been impressive enough, but what really jumps out at Turner Thorne is the active role she has taken as a team leader.
It's not a role Dornstauder is accustomed to, or one with which she is entirely comfortable.
"I've always been a lead-by-example kind of person and she's trying to help me grow as a vocal leader; somebody you can look up to on the court right now when you need somebody to give you energy or lead the team," Dornstauder said. "Charli's good at growing leaders and helping them reach their maximum potential in that area."
The Sun Devils expect to have Moos back soon. Turner Thorne said Wednesday it's not out of the question she'll return this weekend for games at Washington State and No. 7 Washington. In the meantime, Dornstauder knows she and Brunner are being counted on heavily to keep the Devils (15-8, 6-6) in solid position in the Pac-12 standings so they have a better chance at a good draw in the NCAA Tournament.
"I never want to look at it like that but right now we are in that situation," Dornstauder said. "I'm really proud of how the team has really stepped in, especially the freshmen. They're young and I know how hard it is their first year getting used to the level of play because it goes up so fast from high school to college.
"I think we found out how to play differently but at the same time, we're also very excited for Kelsey to come back again. Kelsey is a huge part of our team and a huge team leader. We're going to be that much better when she returns."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Quinn Dornstauder wasn't keen on discussing the finer points of her game on Wednesday.
"Right now, you caught me at a bad time," she said, smiling. "I'm not happy with a lot right now. It's a work in progress."
Dornstauder was coming off a seven-point, eight rebound-performance against Oregon in which she missed nine of 12 free throw attempts. Her perspective was skewed by that recent memory, but Sun Devils women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne has an entirely different read on Dornstauder's and Sophie Brunner's senior seasons -- especially with senior Kelsey Moos injured and out of the lineup for the past five weeks.
"Quinn and Sophie have really stepped up in many ways with all these babies around them, all these young players," Turner Thorne said. "Overthinking is just something that Quinn does, so when she says [she's] not [happy with] a lot right now she just is out there overthinking a lot, but I think she's done better being in the moment, her senior year."
From a statistical standpoint it's undeniable. Dornstauder, a 6-foot-4 center is averaging a career-high 10.2 points per game, a career-high 6.2 rebounds and she has three double-doubles in Pac-12 play after posting just two in her previous three seasons at ASU.
"The last couple years have been my breakout years. Now it's about perfecting what I'm already good at, knowing my strengths and using them," she said. "Every week is different because the teams are quite varied in the Pac-12 and every team plays you different and you have to play every team different. It's challenging but that's what makes you a better player having to play all those different types of teams and rounding out your game."
Turner Thorne likes the assertiveness she is seeing in Dornstauder's game.
"I thought last weekend she did the best job she's done all year of posting strong," Turner Thorne said of games against Oregon State and Oregon. "That opens up stuff for everybody because they're worried about her; everybody worries about her. Sometimes last year, it wasn't until she got going that people would try to double her. Now, basically since the first weekend of Pac-12 [play she and Sophie] have been getting a ton of attention."
Dornstauder's play has been impressive enough, but what really jumps out at Turner Thorne is the active role she has taken as a team leader.
It's not a role Dornstauder is accustomed to, or one with which she is entirely comfortable.
"I've always been a lead-by-example kind of person and she's trying to help me grow as a vocal leader; somebody you can look up to on the court right now when you need somebody to give you energy or lead the team," Dornstauder said. "Charli's good at growing leaders and helping them reach their maximum potential in that area."
The Sun Devils expect to have Moos back soon. Turner Thorne said Wednesday it's not out of the question she'll return this weekend for games at Washington State and No. 7 Washington. In the meantime, Dornstauder knows she and Brunner are being counted on heavily to keep the Devils (15-8, 6-6) in solid position in the Pac-12 standings so they have a better chance at a good draw in the NCAA Tournament.
"I never want to look at it like that but right now we are in that situation," Dornstauder said. "I'm really proud of how the team has really stepped in, especially the freshmen. They're young and I know how hard it is their first year getting used to the level of play because it goes up so fast from high school to college.
"I think we found out how to play differently but at the same time, we're also very excited for Kelsey to come back again. Kelsey is a huge part of our team and a huge team leader. We're going to be that much better when she returns."