TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State University women's basketball team is ranked No. 18 in the USA Today Sports Coaches preseason poll, which was announced on Thursday.
The Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 20 in the AP preseason poll announced on Wednesday, finished 15th in the nation in 2018-19, setting school records for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (six) and 20-win seasons (six). ASU won a pair of games in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since 2005.
The Sun Devils return two starters in the form of guards Reili Richardson (started 89 of 101 games last three seasons) and Robbi Ryan (started 74 of 101 games last three seasons). ASU's three-year starter at point guard, Richardson concluded the 2018-19 season No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and led the team and finished 6th in the Pac-12 in assists (5.0 apg). She enters the 2019-20 season in third place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (456). Ryan, who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention recognition from the league's coaches in 2018, started every game in 2018-19 and concluded the season second on the team in 3-pointers (29), third in scoring (7.2 ppg) and assists (1.8 apg) and fifth in rebounds (2.5 rpg).
ASU is one of five Pac-12 teams – No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Stanford, No. 7 Oregon State, No. 11 UCLA – that are ranked, marking the fourth-straight year the conference has had five teams in the preseason poll.
ASU will open its 2019-20 season on Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Air Force at Desert Financial Arena.
Season and single-game tickets are now on sale for the Sun Devil women's basketball team's home slate. Click here for more information or contact a Sun Devil ticket office representative at 480-965-5812.
The Sun Devils, who were ranked No. 20 in the AP preseason poll announced on Wednesday, finished 15th in the nation in 2018-19, setting school records for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (six) and 20-win seasons (six). ASU won a pair of games in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time since 2005.
The Sun Devils return two starters in the form of guards Reili Richardson (started 89 of 101 games last three seasons) and Robbi Ryan (started 74 of 101 games last three seasons). ASU's three-year starter at point guard, Richardson concluded the 2018-19 season No. 4 in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio and led the team and finished 6th in the Pac-12 in assists (5.0 apg). She enters the 2019-20 season in third place on ASU's all-time list for career assists (456). Ryan, who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention recognition from the league's coaches in 2018, started every game in 2018-19 and concluded the season second on the team in 3-pointers (29), third in scoring (7.2 ppg) and assists (1.8 apg) and fifth in rebounds (2.5 rpg).
ASU is one of five Pac-12 teams – No. 1 Oregon, No. 3 Stanford, No. 7 Oregon State, No. 11 UCLA – that are ranked, marking the fourth-straight year the conference has had five teams in the preseason poll.
ASU will open its 2019-20 season on Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts Air Force at Desert Financial Arena.
Season and single-game tickets are now on sale for the Sun Devil women's basketball team's home slate. Click here for more information or contact a Sun Devil ticket office representative at 480-965-5812.