WHEN: Friday at 11 a.m. MT
WHERE: Wells Fargo Arena/Tempe, Ariz.
TELEVISION: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles
RADIO: TuneIn
LIVE STATS: Click here
TICKETS: Click here
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After playing seven of its last 10 games on the road, the No. 16 Arizona State women's basketball team will be back in Wells Fargo Arena this weekend when it hosts UCLA (Friday at 11 a.m. MT) and USC (Sunday at 1 p.m. MT). Friday's game is the Sun Devil women's basketball program's annual Sparky's Kids to College Field Trip Game. Now in its 13th season, the initiative was designed to introduce fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders to a college campus.
The Sun Devils (13-5, 4-3 Pac-12) come into this weekend in fifth place in Pac-12 play, trailing No. 5 Oregon (17-1, 6-0) and No. 6 Stanford (16-1, 6-0), who are tied for first place, and No. 9 Oregon State (15-1, 5-1) and No. 21 Utah (16-1, 5-1), who are tied for third place. They lead sixth-place Cal (12-5, 3-3) by a half game and seventh-place Arizona (13-5, 3-4) by one game. The Sun Devils are a collective 2-2 vs. the teams in front of them. ASU is the only team to defeat Utah thus far.
ASU is coming off a four-game stretch that could arguably be the toughest sequence of games a team in the conference could play as it faced Stanford, then-No. 21 Cal, Oregon and Oregon State in succession. ASU came out of the arduous spate of games with a 2-2 mark, dropping the first game of each weekend – 62-55 to Stanford and 77-71 to Oregon – before battling back to capture down-to-the-wire wins each of the last two Sundays: 62-61 over Cal and 79-76 over Oregon State in 2OTs.
The play of 2018 All-Pac-12 standout Kianna Ibis has helped ASU keep its head above water in the conference standings. Faced with the prospect of falling below .500 after seven conference games, the Sun Devils – behind Ibis' season highs of 28 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks – came through with their biggest win of the season in upsetting Oregon State 79-76 in double-OT last Sunday. Ibis was perfect in the second half and OT going 9-9 from the floor and 3-3 from the line to account for 21 points and help ASU come away with a win against an OSU team that had won 13 straight at Gill Coliseum and had a 70-7 record on its home floor since 2014-15.
Four of Ibis' five 20-point games this season have come in ASU's last five games. During that stretch Ibis has averaged 21.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg and has connected on 61 percent of her FGs, including 53 percent (9-17) from long range, and has hit all 14 of her free throws. In the second half of those games (including two OTs at OSU), Ibis has knocked down an otherworldly 82 percent of her shots (23-28).
Also playing a big role in ASU's win over the Beavers was junior point guard Reili Richardson, who scored 10 of her season-high 16 points in the two overtime periods. Currently No. 3 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, Richardson has 20 assists and only four turnovers in ASU's last four games.
UCLA (9-9, 2-4) and USC (11-6, 1-5) are both coming off a single-game weekend as the two schools concluded their annual home-and-home series last Sunday with USC coming out on top 72-67.
COVERAGE
Friday's game can be seen on Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles (Cindy Brunson/Mary Murphy). It can also be heard on Sun Devil Sports Network's TuneIn Channel (pregame coverage will start at 10:30 a.m.). Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 and 2018 Broadcaster of the Year Jeff Munn is in his 15th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball. He will be joined by former Sun Devil head coach Maura McHugh.
RANKINGS/RPI/BRACKETOLGY
After splitting last week's games in Oregon, the Sun Devils moved up three spots in the AP poll to No. 16 equalling their standing in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 women's basketball coaches' poll where ASU remained No. 16 for the second straight week.
The Sun Devils have bounced between 13th and 15th in the NCAA RPI since defeating Utah on Jan. 4. They were listed at No. 13 on January 22.
ESPN.com's Charlie Creme has the Sun Devils listed as a No. 3 seed in his most recent Bracketology update (Jan. 21).
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• As of Jan. 23, ASU is ranked among the nation's top 30 in... fewest TOs per game (14th/12.6), assist-to-turnover ratio (15th/1.31) and rebounding margin (26th/+8.2).
• Although ASU is 1-4 in its five assignments against top 10 teams, it just as easily could be 5-0 as each of the four losses came down to the final minutes. In their prior four opportunities, the Sun Devils nearly pulled off upsets over then-No. 4 Baylor (L, 59-65), then-No. 5 Louisville (L, 56-58), No. 6 Stanford (L, 55-62) and No. 5 Oregon (L, 71-77) losing the four games by a combined 21 points.
• Senior All-Pac-12 post Kianna Ibis has scored in double figures in all but 2 games this season. In Pac-12 games she is among the top 10 in the league in scoring (18.7 ppg/ninth), rebounds (7.7 rpg/10th) and FG pct. (52.6/10th). In ASU's last three games Ibis, who needs 22 points to reach 1,000 for her career, is averaging 25.3 ppg/9.0 rpg and has knocked down 67 percent (30-45) of her shots.
• Senior post Charnea Johnson-Chapman is No. 4 in the Pac-12 in FG percentage (55.1). Three of her four double figure scoring efforts this season have come in ASU's last six games.
• Junior G Reili Richardson is No. 3 in the nation in assist-to-TO ratio. Richardson is No. 7 on ASU's all-time career assists list with 380 (needs 10 more for 6th place).
• ASU has held opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 25x this season (single digits 14x) and outrebounded the opposition in all but 2 games (vs. Baylor/vs. Cal).
• ASU has had 6 different players lead/tie for the team lead in scoring: Kianna Ibis (9x), Courtney Ekmark (5x), Sophia Elenga (2x), Jamie Ruden (1x), Reili Richardson (1x) and Charnea Johnson-Chapman (1x).
• ASU has knocked down 8 or more 3-pointers 7x this season, something it accomplished 4x all last season.
• ASU's bench has more than doubled the opposition in points per game, 26.12-11.8. Jamie Ruden (9.5 ppg) and Iris Mbulito (6.5 ppg) combined to average 16.0 ppg in last week's games at Oregon/OSU.
• ASU is 4-1 this season in games decided by five points or less. The Sun Devils prevailed in their first road game of the season at Arkansas 88-85 on Nov. 18. ASU came up short in its upset bid of current No. 4 Louisville as the Cardinals make a basket in the final seconds to escape with a 58-56 win at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas on Nov. 23. ASU overcame a six-point deficit with an 8-0 run in the final 80 seconds of its 65-63 win at Utah (Jan. 4). ASU came up with a pair of defensive stops in the final seconds in its 62-61 win over Cal (Jan. 24). Most recently, ASU went to double OT to upset No. 10 Oregon State, 79-76 in Corvallis.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS UCLA
• The Bruins have won the last four games, most recently a 71-63 win last season in Los Angeles in the only meeting of the season. Robbi Ryan (14 pts), Kianna Ibis (first career double-double 13 pts, 11 rebs) and Courtney Ekmark (13 pts) combined to score 40 points for the Sun Devils, who got as close as two points in the final quarter after trailing by as many as 12 in the second half.
• ASU's 59-57 win in 2014 in Tempe snapped UCLA's eight-game winning streak in the series. The Sun Devils captured their second consecutive win over the Bruins in 2015 with a 68-56 win in Los Angeles. The two teams split their contests in 2016 with the home team holding serve on its home court: ASU 65-61 in Tempe and UCLA 74-61 in Los Angeles. UCLA swept the season series in 2017 – 69-60 in Los Angeles and 55-52 in Tempe – and captured a third win against ASU in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament (77-68).
NON-CONFERENCE SUMMARY
• ASU concluded non-conference play with a 9-2 record, the sixth straight season it has won 9 or more games before the start of Pac-12 play. During that stretch ASU has won 84 percent of its regular-season, non-conference contests (58-11).
• ASU nearly upset top 5 teams on two different occasions in November. ASU led then-fourth-ranked Baylor (Nov. 11) by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, by 11 at the half and entered the final period with a four-point lead , but in the end the Bears were able to outlast the Sun Devils, 65-59.
• On Nov. 23 ASU led then-No. 5 Louisville by as many as six in the fourth quarter. After shooting 45 pct (13-29) in the 2nd/3rd quarters, ASU shot only 14 percent over the final 10 minutes. Louisville scored the winning basket with less than two seconds left to escape with the win.
• ASU's seven-game winning streak to conclude non-conference play represented the 24th time since 2004 that it has had a winning streak of five or more games. The string of wins was the program's longest since it tied the school record with 15 straight in 2015-16.
DOMINANT DEVIL DEFENSE
• ASU is currently No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (58.0 ppg).
• ASU has allowed an average of only 56.8 ppg since the start of the 2014-15 season (154 games). It has held the opposition to 50 or less points 49 times during that stretch. They are 48-1 in those contests. The only loss came at home to Cal (50-49) on Feb. 8, 2015. Over that same stretch (154 games), ASU has allowed the opposition to make only 28.9 percent of its attempts from long range.
• ASU has held each of its Pac-12 opponents below its scoring average: UA (-25.4), Utah (-16.1), Colorado (-1.2), Stanford (-8.5), Cal (-10.6), Oregon (-14.1), Oregon State (-5.7 in 2OTs).
• Against then-No. 5 Louisville on Nov. 23, ASU held the Cardinals 25 points below their average and put the clamps on Louisville's leading scorer Asia Durr, who had 14 points on 5-18 shooting (27.7 percent). Durr came into the contest averaging 25.7 points and had made half of her shots (26-52).
• ASU concluded the 2017-18 regular season first in the Pac-12 in scoring defense. It limited the opposition to 12 or fewer points in a quarter 51x last season, including a season low of two points scored by Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals (Mar. 1). On Feb. 23, 2018, ASU held eventual Elite Eight participant Oregon to 57 points – nearly 27 points below its scoring average at the time and its lowest point total of the season. In its 57-51 win over Oregon State (Mar. 2) in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Pac-12 Tournament the Sun Devils limited the Beavers to seven points in the first quarter and five in the final quarter, including a single point in the last five minutes. During that stretch ASU outscored the Beavers 13-1 to overcome a six-point deficit.
BENCH PRODUCTION
• In 2017-18 ASU's reserves outscored the opposition's bench 22.5-12.1. The overwhelming advantage in the category has continued this season as ASU's reserves have outscored the opposition's by an average of 26.1-11.8. Jamie Ruden, who paced ASU with 15 points in the season opener vs. Incarnate Word, finished fourth on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg) last season.
• Freshman Jamie Loera, who missed the first game recovering from illness, connected on her first five 3-pointers and currently leads the team in 3-point FG pct (50.0/9-18).
• In ASU's contest at Arkansas, freshman guard Iris Mbulito (13 points) and senior post Sophia Elenga (11 points) combined for 24 points. Elenga also added a career-high 12 rebounds in accounting for her first career double-double. Elenga was named to the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout All-Tournament Team after averaging 11.0 points and 8.5 rebounds.
• Sun Devil reserves who have scored in double figures this season include Taya Hanson (11), Elenga (11, 13, 12), Iris Mbulito (13, 10) and Jamie Ruden (15, 14, 12).
IBIS LEADS THE WAY
• ASU's active career leader in points (978), rebs (468), steals (90) and blocks (45), 2018 All-Pac-12 standout Kianna Ibis has scored 20 or more points 5x this season and 11x in her career (all in last two seasons).
• Has scored in double figures in all but 2 games and has grabbed 7 or more rebounds 9x, including season-highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds in upset of No. 10 Oregon State (Jan. 20).
• In last 5 games Ibis has averaged 21.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg... 61 pct. FGs (43-71), 53 pct. 3FGs (9-17), 100.0 FTs (14-14). In the 2nd half of those games (and OT vs. OSU) she has hit 82 percent of her FGs (21-26).
• Is averaging 17.2 points/7.7 rebounds and has hit 51.3 percent of her shots, including 56 percent (9-16) from long range in ASU's six contests vs. ranked teams: No. 4 Baylor (13 pts/5 rebs), No. 5 Louisville (8/7), No. 6 Stanford (6/7), No. 21 Cal (26/6), No. 5 Oregon (22/8) and No. 10 Oregon State (28/13).
• Against Oregon State, Ibis scored 21 of her 28 points in the second half. She was perfect in the last 30 minutes (second half and OT) going 9-9 from the floor and 3-3 from the line to account for 21 points
• In last season's win at Utah (12/31/17), Ibis had one of the best offensive days turned in by a Sun Devil in recent memory as she scored a career-high 30 points, becoming the first Sun Devil to score 30 or more points since Kylan Loney accomplished the feat vs. Arizona on January 31, 2004.
• Scored 27 points in ASU's NCAA second round game vs. Texas last March, the third-highest single-game point total by a Sun Devil in an NCAA Tournament game.
REILI RICHARDSON GUIDES NEAR FLAWLESS ATTACK
• One of the biggest reasons ASU was able to shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.3) in a season in 2017-18 was the play of point guard Reili Richardson, who concluded the season ranked No. 4 in the nation and 1st in the Pac-12 in assist-to-TO ratio (3.46).
• Richardson currently leads the Pac-12 and is No. 3 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and leads the team and is 8th in the Pac-12 in assists (4.9 apg). Also is 2nd on the team in FT pct. (79.4/27-34) and is tied for 4th in steals (0.7 spg) and tied for 5th in scoring (5.7 ppg).
• Has had only one (7x) or zero (4x) TOs in more than half of ASU's games.
• Scored game-winning basket on a buzzer-beater at then-unbeaten (12-0) Utah (Jan. 4), is currently 7th on ASU's all-time list for career assists (374). She needs 16 more to move past Patti Peppler (1984-87) for 6th place.
• Had season-high 16 points to go with 6 assists in 2OT win at No. 10 Oregon State (Jan. 20), accounting for 10 of the points in the two OT periods.
RYAN'S STEADY PLAY IMPORTANT PART OF ASU'S SUCCESS
• One of three Sun Devils who averaged double figures in scoring in Pac-12 play (10.9) last season, Robbi Ryan (2018 All Pac-12 honorable mention and All-Defensive honorable mention) was a key contributor to ASU's success on both ends of the floor in 2017-18.
• Ryan, who had 10 double-digit scoring efforts in conference games last season, was the only Sun Devil to average double figures in scoring in ASU's three contests vs. Oregon State last season (14.7 ppg).
• Is currently 3rd on the team in scoring (7.0 ppg), is 4th in 3-pointers (12) and rebounds (2.8 rpg) and is 5th in assists (1.4 apg).
EK-MARKS THE SPOT
• Courtney Ekmark's excellent marksmanship from long range provided the Sun Devils with a dangerous weapon on the offensive end last season. Ekmark, who scored a season-high 21 points at Colorado State (Dec. 9), currently leads ASU in 3-pointers (38/9th in the Pac-12) and is 2nd in scoring (9.4 ppg). She has knocked down three or more triples seven times this season and was ASU's leading scorer during its seven-game winning streak to end non-conference play (13.0 ppg).
• A second-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, in December 2017, Ekmark connected on seven 3-pointers to tie ASU's single-game school record for 3-pointers in 80-43 win over Arkansas (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's 58 3-pointers last season tied for fifth on ASU's all-time single-season list with Kylan Loney (58 in 2005).
JOHNSON-CHAPMAN STEPS UP IN THE POST
• One of the biggest factors in ASU's success throughout the 2017-18 season was the play of center Charnea Johnson-Chapman, who started every game last season and led the team in FG pct. (54.9), rebounds (6.5 rpg/16th in Pac-12), O-Rebs (2.2 rpg/t-13th in Pac-12) and blocks (20).
• Has started every game and currently leads ASU in rebounds (6.8 rpg/15th in the Pac-12), O-rebounds (2.8 rpg/7th in the Pac-12) and shot blocks (0.6 bpg tied with Kianna Ibis) and is 2nd in FG pct (55.1 - 4th in Pac-12).
• Three of her four double figure scoring efforts this season have come in ASU's last six games.
• Matched her career highs in points (16) and steals (3) against No. 6 Stanford (Jan. 11).
• Scored all 10 of her points in the 2nd half and came one rebound short of a double-double at Oregon (Jan. 18).
RUDEN PROVIDES SUN DEVILS WITH INSTANT OFFENSE
• Has played in every game and is currently tied for 4th on the team in 3-pointers (12).
• Led ASU with 15 points (6-7 FGs, 3-3 3FGs) to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in ASU's season opening win over Incarnate Word (Nov. 6).
• Scored 12 points in ASU's near upset of No. 5 Oregon (Jan. 18).
• After missing all 18 Pac-12 games as a freshman in 2017, Ruden came back to score double figures 14 times and finished second on the team in 3-point FGs (27) last season. She scored a career-high 19 points in ASU's win vs. Idaho (Dec. 18, 2017) and was responsible for the game-winning basket in ASU's 83-81 win at Utah on Dec. 31, 2017.
INTERNATIONAL IMPACT
• Over the summer junior Kiara Russell and freshmen Taya Hanson & Iris Mbulito were part of teams that won a medal in international competition.
• Mbulito earned MVP honors at the FIBA U20 Women's European Championship in Sopron, Hungary, as she helped Spain claim the gold medal. Mbulito posted a double-double (21 points, 12 rebounds) in the championship game in leading Spain to a convincing 69-50 win over Serbia. Mbulito, who had the game-winning basket with five seconds remaining in Spain's 51-50 quarterfinal win over France, averaged 9.7 points, 7.7 rebounds (team high), 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals in the tournament (seven games).
• Russell was a member of the U.S. team that won the gold at the FISU America Games. Russell was part of a squad that defeated its four opponents – Mexico, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil – by an average of 43.8 points. The USA claimed the gold with a 59-42 win in the championship game. The FISU America Games are a multi-sport event sanctioned by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
• Hanson averaged 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals in helping lead Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship. Hanson came one rebound short of a double-double (14 points, nine rebounds) in Canada's opening game of the tournament against Colombia. She surpassed that performance with a 16-point, 11-rebound outing in Canada's quarterfinal victory over Chile. Canada won its first five contests by an average of 23.2 points before falling to the USA in the gold medal game.
2017-18 REVIEW
• Last season the Sun Devils finished 22-13 and 10-8 in the Pac-12 (6th place), made their 16th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (13th under the direction of head coach Charli Turner Thorne) and tied the school record for consecutive NCAA appearances (5) and 20-win seasons (5).
• A win over No. 10 Oregon State enabled ASU to make its eighth appearance in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
• ASU finished among the Top 30 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (12th/11.7), assist-to-turnover ratio (16th/1.35), fewest fouls per game (22nd/14.1) and assists (29th/552).
• For the second time in four years, ASU led the league in scoring defense (also in 2014-15).
• Kianna Ibis (All-Pac-12) and Robbi Ryan (All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention) both earned Pac-12 honors. ASU's leading scorer last season, Ibis scored in double figures 23x, including a career-high 30 points in ASU's win at Utah (Dec. 31), the most points by a Sun Devil since 2004. Guards Reili Richardson (fourth) and Kiara Russell (16th) both finished among the top 20 in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio, helping ASU shatter the school record for fewest turnovers per game (11.7/previous record was 14.3 set by the 2014-15 team). Courtney Ekmark led ASU with 57 triples and tied single-game school record with seven 3-pointers vs. Arkansas.
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 (435) Charli Turner Thorne has turned Sun Devil WBB 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 ASU matched the school record for consecutive years making the NCAA Tournament (five) and consecutive seasons (five) with 20 or more win (13th NCAA appearance under Turner Thorne).
• 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 ASU to its best start in school history (18-1), its best conference start in school history (7-0), a second-place finish in the Pac-12 and 29 wins, the second-highest number 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.
SUN DEVIL WBB CONTINUES TO BE THE PAC-12'S BEST IN THE CLASSROOM
• A league-high and school-record-tying eight Arizona State University women's basketball players were named to the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Academic teams in 2018. Headlining the list for ASU were forward Jamie Ruden, who earned first-team honors, and guard Robbi Ryan, who earned second-team recognition.
• The eight awards tied the school record for most student-athletes on the Pac-12's All-Academic Team. The 2006-07 team also had eight (two on first team, one on second team and five honorable mention).
• In 2017 ASU 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 represented the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils were 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.
FUTURE SUN DEVILS
• Last November, Charli Turner Thorne announced Sydnei Caldwell and Eboni Walker signed national letters of intent with the Sun Devil women's basketball program.
• A 5-9 guard, Caldwell will be coming to ASU from the state of New Jersey. Ranked No. 27 at her position by ESPN.com, Caldwell averaged 15.8 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds last season at Gill St. Bernard's High School where she led her squad to the South Jersey, Non-Public B semifinals. For her outstanding play in 2018, Caldwell earned First-Team All-Conference, Third-Team All-State (non-public), Honorable Mention All-Area (Courier News) and Honorable Mention All-NJ recognition. Caldwell, who plays AAU basketball for the New Jersey Sparks, averaged 19.6 points per game as a sophomore. As a sophomore in 2016, Caldwell scored a career-high 36 points in a win over No. 8 Franklin in the semifinals of the Somerset County Tournament. As a freshman in 2016, Caldwell was named First-Team All-Conference, Second-Team All-Area (Courier News) and Honorable Mention All-NJ honors.
• A 5-11 forward from Las Vegas, Nev., Walker averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds last year in helping lead her Centennial High School team to a 29-3 record and a fourth consecutive Class 4A state championship (Walker scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Centennial's overtime victory in the state title game). Ranked No. 9 at her position by ESPN.com, Walker earned First-Team All-State honors in 2018. A member of three state championship teams, Walker, whose club team won the 17-under championship at the ASGR summer basketball playoff earlier this year, has been named to the Las Vegas Sun's Super 7 each of the last two years. As a sophomore in 2017, Walker averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on her way to earning Second-Team All-State and First-Team All-Northwest League honors. She also earned All-State Honorable Mention recognition as a freshman in 2016.
SHOWDOWN ON THE REZ
• The Arizona State University women's basketball program brought big-time NCAA women's college basketball to the Native American community last November when it hosted perennial national powerhouse and fourth-ranked Baylor at the Bee Holdzil Fighting Scouts Event Center on the Navajo Reservation in Fort Defiance, Arizona.
• Working in conjunction with ASU's Office of American Indian Initiatives, 'Showdown on the Rez' will served as a celebration of Native American Heritage Month and also provided a platform to recognize and honor Native Americans who served in the armed forces.
• Sun Devil WBB honored former ASU players and Native Americans Ryneldi Becenti (1992-93), Kalene Carl (1997), Michelle Tom (1998-99) and Rainy Crisp (2000-03). Click here for more information on the event.
SUN DEVIL WBB ON THE AIR
• Sun Devil WBB will appear on television 18 times – 16 appearances on the Pac-12 Networks once on ESPN2 and once on SEC Network – during the 2018-19 regular season ASU's 18 appearances are among more than 100 games featuring Pac-12 teams that will be carried on Pac-12 Networks (102) and ESPN2 (five).
• Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. MT, fans can tune into 'Off the Bench with Charli Turner Thorne' on NBC Sports Radio AM 1060. Every week Charli joins the voice of Sun Devil WBB Jeff Munn to review the weekend and look ahead to upcoming contests. The show can also be heard on NBC Sports Radio 1060's TuneIn channel.