THE GAME: Sun Devil WBB (7-5, 0-1 Pac-12) at No. 2/2 Stanford (13-1, 1-0 Pac-12)
WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m. PST/7 p.m. MST
WHERE: Maples Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
TV: Pac-12 Bay Area
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (7-5, 0-1 Pac-12), plays its second of three straight road games to open Pac-12 play on Saturday (6 p.m. PST/7 p.m. MST) when it takes on No. 2 Stanford (13-1, 1-0 Pac-12). After closing out the calendar year 2022 at Stanford, the Sun Devils will play their first game of the New Year in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday (12 p.m. PST/1 p.m. MST) when they conclude their road trip at Cal.
Monday's contest will be the culmination of what would be a challenging assignment for any team, no matter its situation: playing nine of 14 games away from home to 'start' the season. Without question, first-year head coach Natasha Adair and the Sun Devils will welcome the more structured pace of conference play – two games per week with the exceptions of the current opening week and a one-game week next month – after the start-and-stop, irregular frequency of contests that punctuated the non-conference schedule. ASU played nine games over the first 27 days of the season (Nov. 7 - Dec. 4). They followed that with a stretch in which they played two games in 23 days (Dec. 5 - Dec. 28) and now are in the midst of three road games in five days, with two of the Pac-12's five ranked teams providing the opposition for the first two games.
If the current ranked teams maintain their Top 25 status over the next few weeks, ASU will be facing a ranked opponent in five of its first eight league games: #18 Arizona (at Dec. 29 & vs. Jan. 22), at No. 2 Stanford (Dec. 31), vs. No. 17 Oregon (Jan. 6) and at No. 11 Utah (Jan. 13).
Relatively speaking for this season, ASU will have a rare scheduling advantage after Monday's game at it will play five of its next seven games at Desert Financial Arena, a stretch that will conclude with a rematch vs. Arizona on Jan. 22.
SERIES NOTES
• Stanford has won 11 of the last 16 meetings, with victories in eight straight games, including the only meeting of the 2021-22 season, 78-50 in the Bay Area, a contest in which Stanford was also ranked No. 2 the week of the game. ASU swept the regular season series in 2014-15 (60-57 in Palo Alto/53-52 in Tempe) and 2015-16 (49-31 in Tempe/63-61-OT in Palo Alto).
• The 60-57 win at Stanford in Jan 2015 was ASU's first over the Cardinal since 2006 and the first at Stanford since 1984.
• Each team won on its home floor in 2017-18 (ASU 73-66 in Tempe/Stanford 74-50 in the Bay Area) before meeting again in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament (Stanford 58-46).
• Stanford claimed both meetings in 2019 (72-65 in Tempe and 71-50) in Palo Alto and the only meeting of 2020, 55-44 in Tempe. The 55 points was the fewest points Stanford scored in 2019-20.
• Stanford prevailed in both contests in 2020-21, winning 68-60 in Tempe and 80-41 in the Bay Area.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NAME TYI SKINNER YET... GET READY
Junior guard Tyi Skinner, who transferred to ASU from Delaware in the offseason, is quickly ascending to 'must-see' status for all basketball fans. In a sport in which one's height is usually the measurable most associated with its competitors, at five-foot-five, Skinner is more often than not making the biggest plays on the court.
As of Dec. 31, Skinner is tied for the top spot in the Pac-12 and tied for 11th in the nation in scoring (21.1 ppg). Skinner is also tied for the league lead in 20-point games (7). Twenty-two of Skinner's 32 makes from long range have come in ASU's last six contests. She is shooting 45 pct from beyond the arc (22-49) and averaging 23.0 points during that stretch.
Skinner, who has scored in double figures in every game, is also among the Pac-12's leaders in free throws made (63/1st) and attempted (77/2nd), minutes per game (35.7/2nd), 3-pointers per game (2.67/3rd), free throw percentage (81.8/6th), steals per game (2.0/7th) and 3-point FG percentage (37.6/8th).
All of Skinner's 20-point games have come over ASU's last 10 contests. The stretch includes consecutive 24-point efforts at New Mexico and vs. American (Nov. 25), a pair of career-high 29-point games at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) and vs. Missouri (Dec. 4) and 26-point effort at Arizona (Dec. 29), the most points given up by the Wildcats up to that point in the season. Skinner's six triples vs. Missouri were one short of tying the single-game school record.
CURRENT TRENDS/NOTES
• After averaging a double-double over the season's first four games (13.5 ppg/10.3 rpg), junior guard Treasure Hunt averaged 4.5 ppg in her next four games, two of those games came in the immediate aftermath of Hunt missing ASU's game at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) due to an injury incurred in ASU's loss to Notre Dame (Nov. 26). Hunt has once again become a strong contributor as she has averaged 15.7 points and 7.0 rebound in ASU's last three games, including a career-high 22-point outing in ASU's non-conference finale vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). She is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (33.25) and 10th in rebounds per game (7.4).
• In ASU's last two games, Meg Newman has come off the bench and provided the Sun Devils with some major contributions: 11.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Newman had career highs in points (12) and rebounds (18) for her first career double-double in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Newman's 18 boards were the most for a Sun Devil since Ja'Tavia Tapley pulled down 18 on Dec. 6, 2019, against BYU. She is currently ninth in the Pac-12 in rebounding.
• As of Dec. 30, the Sun Devils are among the top third in the Pac-12 in free throws made per game (1st/17.0 ppg/8th in the nation), free throw attempts per game (1st/23.25/16th in the nation), offensive rebounds per game (3rd/14.7/36th in the nation) and 3-point FG percentage defense (4th/29.3).
• In addition to Skinner, also playing a major role in ASU's propensity for getting to the line has been fellow junior guard Jaddan Simmons. Currently 2nd on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg), the team leader in assists per game (3.3), blocks per game (0.9 bpg) and minutes per game (36.2), Simmons is also among the Pac-12's top performers in free throws made (2nd/51), attempted (5th/62) and free throw percentage (5th/82.3).
• Skinner and graduate center Kayla Mokwuah are the only two Sun Devils who have played in and started every game this season. Simmons and Hunt have both started all 11 games they have played in with each player missing one game due to injury.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE INCLUDED EIGHT TEAMS THAT QUALIFIED FOR POSTSEASON PLAY IN 2022
Contests against eight teams that qualified for postseason play last season highlighted ASU's 2022 non-conference schedule.
ASU played five of its non-conference games at home. Included in those games were tilts against 2022 NCAA Tournament participant and Atlantic-10 champion UMass (Dec. 2/L, 64-88) and 2022 WNIT participant Missouri (Dec. 4/L, 60-71) in the Briann January Classic. In the latter contest, a sudden spate of injuries proved to much for ASU to overcome. The Sun Devils led the Tigers 31-28 at the half. ASU's lack of depth due to its injury situation affected its ability to defend a Missouri squad with a proven knack for scoring the basketball. Ultimately, the Tigers came away with the win.
At the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26/Bimini, Bahamas) ASU faced two 2022 NCAA Tournament teams in the form of American (NCAA First Round and Patriot League Tournament champions, W, 70-61) and current No. 5 Notre Dame (NCAA Third Round/L, 65-85). The Sun Devils led the Irish by three points at the half and were tied with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter before Notre Dame used a 12-2 run to gain control of the game on its way to the win.
Other teams ASU faced that qualified for 2022 postseason play included road contests against Montana State (Nov. 15/NCAA First Round/W, 74-61), New Mexico (Nov. 20/WNIT Third Round, W, 83-77-OT), Grand Canyon (Nov. 30/WNIT First Round/W, 80-72) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 11/NCAA First Round/L, 60-75).
INJURIES TOOK THEIR TOLL
In ASU's 75-60 loss at SFA on Dec. 11, the Sun Devils had nearly as many players in uniform (eight) as players who were not suited up (six). The latter group was comprised of injured players.
On the last day of November, the Sun Devils found themselves with a 6-1 record after they overcame an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit in their dramatic 80-72 win at Grand Canyon. Three consecutive losses followed before ASU got win No. 7 .
In the loss at SFA, the aforementioned numbers game – as in ASU's number of healthy players – once again played a major factor in the outcome. At the start of the month, ASU had eight players who were averaging double figures in minutes. And that number did not include junior center Imogen Greenslade and freshman forward Journey Thompson, two players who were gradually seeing increased playing time.
During the three-game losing streak, the talented depth that was a major factor in the team's success had been dramatically reduced due to an unlucky spate of injuries/illness. In its loss vs. Missouri (Dec. 4), ASU was without junior guard Jaddan Simmons (the team's second-leading scorer), senior guard Isadora Sousa (averaged seven rebounds in her three most recent outings in addition to providing the team with an important defensive presence) and freshman forward Thompson (after accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the win at GCU, Thompson was coming off her first career double-double vs. UMass on Dec. 2).
At SFA, Simmons was back in the lineup but Greenslade was not available in addition to the other players who missed the game against Missouri. Thus, for the second straight game, ASU had seven players who accounted for nearly all the minutes. Just like in its loss to Missouri, ASU looked every bit the team that had won six of its first seven games – for the first 20 minutes. The final result? Just like against Missouri, fresher bodies enabled the opposition to outscore and outrebound ASU. Skinner continued to lead ASU's offense as the junior guard finished with a game-high 22 points, her sixth game scoring over 20 points this season.
In its non-conference finale, an 82-67 win over Prairie View A&M, two additional Sun Devils were available to play. Thompson, who missed ASU's previous two games, made her first career start and accounted for 11 points and six rebounds. In addition, freshman guard Jaylah Robinson made her first career appearance after missing the first 10 games.
"We had a phenomenal week of prep. What you saw today was just us finishing the job, this was our final exam," ASU head coach Natasha Adair said following the game. "We talked about defense, rebounding and the extra effort plays; doing whatever it takes and doing it together. This was a phenomenal team win and we did it together."
In ASU's Pac-12 opener at Arizona (Dec. 29), Souza played for the first time since Nov. 30.
TIMELY DEFENSE (AND OFFENSE) HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SUCCESS
When ASU has had no other choice but to be its absolute best at, it has answered the call.
• NAU did not score after going up 68-64 with 3:01 remaining (Nov. 7). ASU scored the game's last five points to edge NAU 69-68.
• In ASU's 79-64 win at Montana State, ASU's defense – and offense – both put on dominant performances early on as the Sun Devils scored the game's first 20 points in their eventual 79-64 win.
• ASU outscored New Mexico a combined 15-4 in the last two minutes of regulation (9-4 to force overtime) and overtime (6-0 to take control of the game) to come away with an 83-77 road win.
• Trailing by 11 at GCU in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils rattled off a pair of stretches in which they outscored the Lopes 15-0 and 10-2. They outscored the Lopes 35-18 in the fourth quarter – the most points they have scored in a quarter in program history.
CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE COME FROM THE ENTIRE ROSTER
In addition to ASU's top three scorers – junior guards Skinner, Simmons and Hunt – and the recent emergence of Newman coming off a redshirt season due to an knee injury she suffered prior to the 2021-22 season, several Sun Devils have contributed to the team's success this season.
• TCU transfer Kayla Mokwuah is 2nd on the team in offensive rebounds (2.2 rpg), third in overall boards (4.9 rpg) and fifth in scoring (5.8 ppg). Mokwuah's second career double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds) proved critical in ASU's OT win at New Mexico (Nov. 20).
• After accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the fourth quarter of ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30), freshman forward Journey Thompson had her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2) before getting injured prior to ASU's following game vs. Missouri (Dec. 4). In her first start, Thompson accounted for 11 points and six rebounds in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Thompson is currently fourth on the team in FG percentage (45.2).
• Junior guard Sydney Erikstrup is third on the team in 3-pointers per game (0.6). Erikstrup posted career highs in scoring (11 points) and 3-pointers (3) in ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30).
• Freshman guard Trayanna Crisp averaged double figures in scoring (11.5 ppg) and connected on 60 percent of her field goals (9-15) at the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26). Crisp, who made her first career start in place of Jaddan Simmons (illness) vs. Missouri on Dec. 4, is currently 3rd on the team in assists per game (1.8).
• Eight different Sun Devils (with respect to each individual's health status) are averaging at least 13.4 minutes per game this season. And that does not include Journey Thompson, Jaylah Robinson and Imogen Greenslade.
WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m. PST/7 p.m. MST
WHERE: Maples Pavilion • Stanford, Calif.
TV: Pac-12 Bay Area
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE STATS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (7-5, 0-1 Pac-12), plays its second of three straight road games to open Pac-12 play on Saturday (6 p.m. PST/7 p.m. MST) when it takes on No. 2 Stanford (13-1, 1-0 Pac-12). After closing out the calendar year 2022 at Stanford, the Sun Devils will play their first game of the New Year in Berkeley, Calif., on Monday (12 p.m. PST/1 p.m. MST) when they conclude their road trip at Cal.
Monday's contest will be the culmination of what would be a challenging assignment for any team, no matter its situation: playing nine of 14 games away from home to 'start' the season. Without question, first-year head coach Natasha Adair and the Sun Devils will welcome the more structured pace of conference play – two games per week with the exceptions of the current opening week and a one-game week next month – after the start-and-stop, irregular frequency of contests that punctuated the non-conference schedule. ASU played nine games over the first 27 days of the season (Nov. 7 - Dec. 4). They followed that with a stretch in which they played two games in 23 days (Dec. 5 - Dec. 28) and now are in the midst of three road games in five days, with two of the Pac-12's five ranked teams providing the opposition for the first two games.
If the current ranked teams maintain their Top 25 status over the next few weeks, ASU will be facing a ranked opponent in five of its first eight league games: #18 Arizona (at Dec. 29 & vs. Jan. 22), at No. 2 Stanford (Dec. 31), vs. No. 17 Oregon (Jan. 6) and at No. 11 Utah (Jan. 13).
Relatively speaking for this season, ASU will have a rare scheduling advantage after Monday's game at it will play five of its next seven games at Desert Financial Arena, a stretch that will conclude with a rematch vs. Arizona on Jan. 22.
SERIES NOTES
• Stanford has won 11 of the last 16 meetings, with victories in eight straight games, including the only meeting of the 2021-22 season, 78-50 in the Bay Area, a contest in which Stanford was also ranked No. 2 the week of the game. ASU swept the regular season series in 2014-15 (60-57 in Palo Alto/53-52 in Tempe) and 2015-16 (49-31 in Tempe/63-61-OT in Palo Alto).
• The 60-57 win at Stanford in Jan 2015 was ASU's first over the Cardinal since 2006 and the first at Stanford since 1984.
• Each team won on its home floor in 2017-18 (ASU 73-66 in Tempe/Stanford 74-50 in the Bay Area) before meeting again in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament (Stanford 58-46).
• Stanford claimed both meetings in 2019 (72-65 in Tempe and 71-50) in Palo Alto and the only meeting of 2020, 55-44 in Tempe. The 55 points was the fewest points Stanford scored in 2019-20.
• Stanford prevailed in both contests in 2020-21, winning 68-60 in Tempe and 80-41 in the Bay Area.
IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE NAME TYI SKINNER YET... GET READY
Junior guard Tyi Skinner, who transferred to ASU from Delaware in the offseason, is quickly ascending to 'must-see' status for all basketball fans. In a sport in which one's height is usually the measurable most associated with its competitors, at five-foot-five, Skinner is more often than not making the biggest plays on the court.
As of Dec. 31, Skinner is tied for the top spot in the Pac-12 and tied for 11th in the nation in scoring (21.1 ppg). Skinner is also tied for the league lead in 20-point games (7). Twenty-two of Skinner's 32 makes from long range have come in ASU's last six contests. She is shooting 45 pct from beyond the arc (22-49) and averaging 23.0 points during that stretch.
Skinner, who has scored in double figures in every game, is also among the Pac-12's leaders in free throws made (63/1st) and attempted (77/2nd), minutes per game (35.7/2nd), 3-pointers per game (2.67/3rd), free throw percentage (81.8/6th), steals per game (2.0/7th) and 3-point FG percentage (37.6/8th).
All of Skinner's 20-point games have come over ASU's last 10 contests. The stretch includes consecutive 24-point efforts at New Mexico and vs. American (Nov. 25), a pair of career-high 29-point games at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) and vs. Missouri (Dec. 4) and 26-point effort at Arizona (Dec. 29), the most points given up by the Wildcats up to that point in the season. Skinner's six triples vs. Missouri were one short of tying the single-game school record.
CURRENT TRENDS/NOTES
• After averaging a double-double over the season's first four games (13.5 ppg/10.3 rpg), junior guard Treasure Hunt averaged 4.5 ppg in her next four games, two of those games came in the immediate aftermath of Hunt missing ASU's game at Grand Canyon (Nov. 30) due to an injury incurred in ASU's loss to Notre Dame (Nov. 26). Hunt has once again become a strong contributor as she has averaged 15.7 points and 7.0 rebound in ASU's last three games, including a career-high 22-point outing in ASU's non-conference finale vs. Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). She is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in minutes per game (33.25) and 10th in rebounds per game (7.4).
• In ASU's last two games, Meg Newman has come off the bench and provided the Sun Devils with some major contributions: 11.0 ppg and 13.5 rpg. Newman had career highs in points (12) and rebounds (18) for her first career double-double in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Newman's 18 boards were the most for a Sun Devil since Ja'Tavia Tapley pulled down 18 on Dec. 6, 2019, against BYU. She is currently ninth in the Pac-12 in rebounding.
• As of Dec. 30, the Sun Devils are among the top third in the Pac-12 in free throws made per game (1st/17.0 ppg/8th in the nation), free throw attempts per game (1st/23.25/16th in the nation), offensive rebounds per game (3rd/14.7/36th in the nation) and 3-point FG percentage defense (4th/29.3).
• In addition to Skinner, also playing a major role in ASU's propensity for getting to the line has been fellow junior guard Jaddan Simmons. Currently 2nd on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg), the team leader in assists per game (3.3), blocks per game (0.9 bpg) and minutes per game (36.2), Simmons is also among the Pac-12's top performers in free throws made (2nd/51), attempted (5th/62) and free throw percentage (5th/82.3).
• Skinner and graduate center Kayla Mokwuah are the only two Sun Devils who have played in and started every game this season. Simmons and Hunt have both started all 11 games they have played in with each player missing one game due to injury.
CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE INCLUDED EIGHT TEAMS THAT QUALIFIED FOR POSTSEASON PLAY IN 2022
Contests against eight teams that qualified for postseason play last season highlighted ASU's 2022 non-conference schedule.
ASU played five of its non-conference games at home. Included in those games were tilts against 2022 NCAA Tournament participant and Atlantic-10 champion UMass (Dec. 2/L, 64-88) and 2022 WNIT participant Missouri (Dec. 4/L, 60-71) in the Briann January Classic. In the latter contest, a sudden spate of injuries proved to much for ASU to overcome. The Sun Devils led the Tigers 31-28 at the half. ASU's lack of depth due to its injury situation affected its ability to defend a Missouri squad with a proven knack for scoring the basketball. Ultimately, the Tigers came away with the win.
At the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26/Bimini, Bahamas) ASU faced two 2022 NCAA Tournament teams in the form of American (NCAA First Round and Patriot League Tournament champions, W, 70-61) and current No. 5 Notre Dame (NCAA Third Round/L, 65-85). The Sun Devils led the Irish by three points at the half and were tied with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter before Notre Dame used a 12-2 run to gain control of the game on its way to the win.
Other teams ASU faced that qualified for 2022 postseason play included road contests against Montana State (Nov. 15/NCAA First Round/W, 74-61), New Mexico (Nov. 20/WNIT Third Round, W, 83-77-OT), Grand Canyon (Nov. 30/WNIT First Round/W, 80-72) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 11/NCAA First Round/L, 60-75).
INJURIES TOOK THEIR TOLL
In ASU's 75-60 loss at SFA on Dec. 11, the Sun Devils had nearly as many players in uniform (eight) as players who were not suited up (six). The latter group was comprised of injured players.
On the last day of November, the Sun Devils found themselves with a 6-1 record after they overcame an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit in their dramatic 80-72 win at Grand Canyon. Three consecutive losses followed before ASU got win No. 7 .
In the loss at SFA, the aforementioned numbers game – as in ASU's number of healthy players – once again played a major factor in the outcome. At the start of the month, ASU had eight players who were averaging double figures in minutes. And that number did not include junior center Imogen Greenslade and freshman forward Journey Thompson, two players who were gradually seeing increased playing time.
During the three-game losing streak, the talented depth that was a major factor in the team's success had been dramatically reduced due to an unlucky spate of injuries/illness. In its loss vs. Missouri (Dec. 4), ASU was without junior guard Jaddan Simmons (the team's second-leading scorer), senior guard Isadora Sousa (averaged seven rebounds in her three most recent outings in addition to providing the team with an important defensive presence) and freshman forward Thompson (after accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the win at GCU, Thompson was coming off her first career double-double vs. UMass on Dec. 2).
At SFA, Simmons was back in the lineup but Greenslade was not available in addition to the other players who missed the game against Missouri. Thus, for the second straight game, ASU had seven players who accounted for nearly all the minutes. Just like in its loss to Missouri, ASU looked every bit the team that had won six of its first seven games – for the first 20 minutes. The final result? Just like against Missouri, fresher bodies enabled the opposition to outscore and outrebound ASU. Skinner continued to lead ASU's offense as the junior guard finished with a game-high 22 points, her sixth game scoring over 20 points this season.
In its non-conference finale, an 82-67 win over Prairie View A&M, two additional Sun Devils were available to play. Thompson, who missed ASU's previous two games, made her first career start and accounted for 11 points and six rebounds. In addition, freshman guard Jaylah Robinson made her first career appearance after missing the first 10 games.
"We had a phenomenal week of prep. What you saw today was just us finishing the job, this was our final exam," ASU head coach Natasha Adair said following the game. "We talked about defense, rebounding and the extra effort plays; doing whatever it takes and doing it together. This was a phenomenal team win and we did it together."
In ASU's Pac-12 opener at Arizona (Dec. 29), Souza played for the first time since Nov. 30.
TIMELY DEFENSE (AND OFFENSE) HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO SUCCESS
When ASU has had no other choice but to be its absolute best at, it has answered the call.
• NAU did not score after going up 68-64 with 3:01 remaining (Nov. 7). ASU scored the game's last five points to edge NAU 69-68.
• In ASU's 79-64 win at Montana State, ASU's defense – and offense – both put on dominant performances early on as the Sun Devils scored the game's first 20 points in their eventual 79-64 win.
• ASU outscored New Mexico a combined 15-4 in the last two minutes of regulation (9-4 to force overtime) and overtime (6-0 to take control of the game) to come away with an 83-77 road win.
• Trailing by 11 at GCU in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils rattled off a pair of stretches in which they outscored the Lopes 15-0 and 10-2. They outscored the Lopes 35-18 in the fourth quarter – the most points they have scored in a quarter in program history.
CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE COME FROM THE ENTIRE ROSTER
In addition to ASU's top three scorers – junior guards Skinner, Simmons and Hunt – and the recent emergence of Newman coming off a redshirt season due to an knee injury she suffered prior to the 2021-22 season, several Sun Devils have contributed to the team's success this season.
• TCU transfer Kayla Mokwuah is 2nd on the team in offensive rebounds (2.2 rpg), third in overall boards (4.9 rpg) and fifth in scoring (5.8 ppg). Mokwuah's second career double-double (16 points and 13 rebounds) proved critical in ASU's OT win at New Mexico (Nov. 20).
• After accounting for six points, four rebounds and one block in the fourth quarter of ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30), freshman forward Journey Thompson had her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds vs. UMass (Dec. 2) before getting injured prior to ASU's following game vs. Missouri (Dec. 4). In her first start, Thompson accounted for 11 points and six rebounds in ASU's win over Prairie View A&M (Dec. 17). Thompson is currently fourth on the team in FG percentage (45.2).
• Junior guard Sydney Erikstrup is third on the team in 3-pointers per game (0.6). Erikstrup posted career highs in scoring (11 points) and 3-pointers (3) in ASU's comeback win at GCU (Nov. 30).
• Freshman guard Trayanna Crisp averaged double figures in scoring (11.5 ppg) and connected on 60 percent of her field goals (9-15) at the Goombay Splash (Nov. 25-26). Crisp, who made her first career start in place of Jaddan Simmons (illness) vs. Missouri on Dec. 4, is currently 3rd on the team in assists per game (1.8).
• Eight different Sun Devils (with respect to each individual's health status) are averaging at least 13.4 minutes per game this season. And that does not include Journey Thompson, Jaylah Robinson and Imogen Greenslade.