THE GAME: Sun Devil WBB (11-18, 3-14 Pac-12) vs. No. 7/9 USC (22-5, 12-5 Pac-12)
WHEN: Saturday at 12 p.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
WATCH: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE STATS: Click here
PURCHASE TICKETS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (11-18, 3-14 Pac-12) concludes the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday (12 p.m. MST) when it hosts No. 7/9 USC (22-5, 12-5) at Desert Financial Arena. Saturday's game will be Senior Day. The Sun Devil women's basketball program will honor seniors Maggie Besselink, Treasure Hunt and Jaddan Simmons before the game. Fans are encouraged to arrive by 11:15 a.m. for Senior Day ceremonies.
ASU will begin postseason play at the Pac-12 Tournament which gets underway on Wednesday at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Saturday's results will determine ASU's seed for next week's tournament.
SETTING THE SCENE
ASU will have an opportunity to pull off a major upset in its regular season finale. A win would provide the Sun Devils with a tremendous boost of momentum heading into next week's Pac-12 Tournament.
The Sun Devils entered the final weekend of play having played nine of their previous 13 games on the road. ASU started the front end of this weekend's contests with a 70-41 loss to No. 8 UCLA on Thursday night.
Jalyn Brown (14 points) and Trayanna Crisp (13 points) both rang up double-digit scoring totals against the Bruins. Both players also tied for the team lead in rebounds with five boards each. Jaddan Simmons added six points and three assists.
After a strong first quarter, the Sun Devils, who shot 28 percent for the game, dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of during the middle two quarters as the Bruins outscored them 31-15 during that stretch.
Saturday's game is a rematch of USC's 81-63 win played on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles. Brown collected her 10th 20-point game of the season with a team-high 24 points. Crisp scored 17 points to go with a team-high five assists and Jaddan Simmons added 12 points for the Sun Devils, who got within seven points early in the third quarter after trailing by as many as 19 in the first half only to see the Trojans quickly seize back command of the game. Journey Thompson led ASU in rebounds with eight, her eighth game with seven or more rebounds, while Kadidia Toure came off the bench to score eight points. USC's JuJu Watkins scored 25 of her game-high 31 points in the second half to help the Trojans to the win.
WATCH/LISTEN
Saturday's game can be seen on Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles (Rahshaun Haylock/Angela Taylor). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 & 2019 Broadcaster of the Year – and a finalist for the 2023 award – Jeff Munn is in his 20th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball. He will be joined by former ASU head coach Maura McHugh.
JALYN BROWN ASCENDING TO SUPERSTAR STATUS
• As the season has progressed, Jalyn Brown has evolved into one of the top performers in the Pac-12. In league games, Brown is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in scoring (19.8 ppg) & 6th in scoring in all games (17.4 ppg).
• Brown has scored in double figures 24x, including 22x in the last 23 games and the last 16 games in succession. During that 16-game stretch, she is averaging 19.8 ppg and also leads the team in 3FGs per game (1.6) and free throws made (77), attempted (97) and FT percentage (19.8).
• In contest vs. No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7, Brown scored 35 points, the most points by a Sun Devil in the 21st century.
• Added a second 30-point game, scoring 34 points (11-20 FGs, 4-5 3FGs, 8-8 FTs) in ASU's first Pac-12 win at Washington (Jan. 21).
MOST POINTS IN A GAME BY A SUN DEVIL SINCE 2000
35 - Jalyn Brown vs. Colorado (1/7/24)
34 - Jalyn Brown at Washington (1/21/24)
34 - Jade Loville at San Diego (12/18/21)
33 - Jade Loville vs. Oregon St. (2/4/22)
32 - Kylan Loney vs. Arizona (1/31/04)
30 - Kianna Ibis at Utah (12/31/17)
30 - Amanda Levens vs St. Peter's (11/17/01)
MOST 20-POINT GAMES BY A SUN DEVIL SINCE 2000
15 - Tyi Skinner (2022-23)
12 - Jalyn Brown (2023-24)
12 - Amanda Levens (2001-02)
9 - Jade Loville (2021-22)
8 - Kianna Ibis (2018-19)
SERIES NOTES VS. USC
• While USC has won the last five contests, ASU has prevailed in 10 of the last 17 meetings with eight of those contests coming down to the final minute or OT, most recently USC's 60-58 win on a buzzer-beater in 2022 in Tempe. The initial meeting between the two schools that season scheduled to be played in Los Angeles was postponed and eventually canceled due to Covid-19 protocols.
• Last season, USC was victorious in the only meeting, 64-49 in Los Angeles.
• In 2015 ASU had to go to double OT before coming away with a 76-73 win in LA... In 2016 Sophie Brunner converted a 3-point play with 1.4 secs remaining to lift ASU to a 69-68 win in Tempe. In the rematch in Los Angeles, ASU denied USC's attempts to tie the score twice in the final 32 secs in ASU's 50-45 win.
• ASU swept the series in 2020, winning 63-54 in LA and 76-75 (3OT) in Tempe.
• In 2020-21, ASU defeated USC in Tempe in the earliest date it ever opened conference play (Dec. 4, 2020) 63-58 behind Jaddan Simmons' 20 points. USC won the rematch, 65-57 in Los Angeles. Simmons once again led ASU with 16 points.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• As of Mar. 1, ASU is ranked in the top half of the Pac-12 in FT attempts per game (3rd/17.7), fewest turnovers per game(3rd/12.6/20th in the nation), turnover margin (4th/+2.45/80th in the nation), offensive rebounds per game (5th/11.5), FTs made per game (5th/12.0), turnovers forced per game (6th/15.1) and steals per game (6th/7.2).
• In terms of individual national rankings, Jaddan Simmons is ranked 12th in the nation in minutes per game (36.96), 74th in FTs made (105) and 84th in FT attempts (135). Jalyn Brown is 38th in the nation in minutes per game (35.59) and 70th in scoring (17.4 ppg).
• ASU has had 6 players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Brown (15x), Crisp (6x), Simmons (5x), Kadidia Toure (4x), Treasure Hunt (1x) and Journey Thompson (1). Brown's career-high 35 points vs. No. 5 Colorado (Jan. 7), is the highest single-game total by a Sun Devil this season.
• In the rebounding department, 10 players have led/tied for the team lead: Thompson (10x), Brown (5x), Simmons (5x), Toure (4x), Maggie Besselink (4x), Mallory Miller (3x), Sandra Magolico (2x), Isadora Souza (2x), Crisp (1x) and Hunt (1x). Toure's 14-rebound game vs. San Francisco (Nov. 13) represents the most rebounds by a Sun Devil this season.
• ASU has averaged only 11.5 turnovers (+2.9 turnover margin) in its last 23 games. It has had 11 or fewer turnovers 10x during that stretch, including a miniscule 2 turnovers in its game at Stanford (Feb. 25), its fewest number of turnovers since at least 1999-00. For the season, ASU is averaging 12.6 turnovers per game. In Natasha Adair's first season in 2022-23, ASU finished No. 2 in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (12.3). Only ASU's 2017-18 squad averaged fewer turnovers per game (11.7) in a season.
• In ASU's last 11 games, Trayanna Crisp has played 446:39 of a possible 450 minutes, including a career-high 50 mins in 2OT win over Washington (Feb. 16). Only game she has not played all 40 minutes in that span is when she played 36:39 at UCLA (Feb. 11). The last time ASU was at home, Crisp led the team in scoring (18.5 ppg) and steals (2.0 spg) and played all 90 mins (includes double-OT game), in ASU's contests vs. UW (Feb. 16) and vs. WSU (Feb. 18).
• In the 5 games prior to Thursday's game vs. UCLA, MalloryMiller averaged 8.4 ppg (3rd on team), 5.6 rpg (leads team) and 1.2 bpg (leads team). She scored 7 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in 2OT win over UW (Feb. 16). She played a big role in getting the game to OT as she hit a jumper to get ASU within two and them stepped up again by hitting a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. She averaged 11.0 ppg on last week's road trip to the Bay Area, scoring 11 points at both Cal (Feb. 23) and Stanford (Feb. 25/first career start), her second and third double-figure scoring games. Miller scored a career-high 15 points at WSU (Jan. 19).
• Jaddan Simmons has 27 assists and 7 TOs in ASU's last 9 games.
ABOUT THOSE MINUTES
Jaddan Simmons (37.1 minutes per game), Jalyn Brown (35.2) and Trayanna Crisp (34.1) rarely come out of the game as the past two years have resulted in some heavy Sun Devil minutes. Prior to 2020-21, two Sun Devils averaged more than 30 minutes a game, as Promise Amukamara averaged 30.3 in 2014-15 and Natalie Tucker in 1999-2000 averaged 30.9. Three Sun Devils averaged at least 34 minutes per game last year and three more are on pace for 33 per game this year.
SUN DEVIL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MINUTES PER GAME PAST 25 SEASONS (1999-2000 TO PRESENT)
36.9-Jaddan Simmons, 2022-23
36.6 -Jaddan Simmons, 2023-24
36.6-Tyi Skinner, 2022-23
35.4-Jalyn Brown, 2023-24
34.1-Trayanna Crisp, 2023-24
34.0-Treasue Hunt, 2022-23
31.4-Taya Hanson 2020-21
SEASON SUMMARY
• ASU has had a pair of season-best three-game winning streaks in 2023-24. It started 3-0 after home wins over UTSA (70-55/Nov. 6), Montana State (75-62/Nov. 10) & San Francisco (77-69/Nov. 13). In the first half of its first three wins, ASU averaged 45.3 points & hit 49.5 pct of its shots. In the win vs. UTSA, ASU tied last season's highest point total in a half on its way to a 49-23 halftime lead. Against Montana State (Nov. 30), ASU scored 30 points in the first quarter, representing the third time it has scored 30 or more points in a quarter under head coach Natasha Adair.
• In its first loss at Grambling State (Nov. 16), ASU scored 32 points and shot 38 pct. in the first half while allowing the Tigers to score 45 points. Down by as many as 17, ASU tied the game at 67-67 before the Tigers hit game-winning 3-pointer in final seconds.
• ASU responded with a 72-40 win over Idaho State. The Bengals' final point total represented the fewest given up by ASU since a 49-40 win over VCU on November 27, 2020.
• After dropping an 84-42 decision to Texas in its first game at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23), ASU once again rebounded with a 3-game winning streak. Less than 24 hours after the setback to Texas, ASU had to face a South Florida squad (Nov. 24) that entered the game among the Top 50 teams in the nation in rebounding margin (+10.8). ASU rose to the challenge and outrebounded the Bulls 38-32 in its 66-49 win. In its 77-69 win over High Point (Nov. 25), ASU shot 50 percent for the game, the first time it shot 50 percent or higher since a win at San Diego on Dec. 18, 2021. Brown had her first 20-point game, while Hunt just missed a double-double with season highs in points (19) and rebounds (game-high 8 boards).
• ASU made it three straight wins after a 76-66 triumph over Pacific (Dec. 1). Simmons scored 17 of her career-high 26 points in the 2nd half, including 8 points in the final 94 seconds while Brown contributed 20 points for the second straight game.
• The Sun Devils nearly came back from 14 down in the 4th quarter (got within 4 points 2x) before falling to Grand Canyon, 66-59 on Dec. 8. Simmons (20 points), Crisp (18 points) and Brown (16 points) scored all but 5 of ASU's points.
• ASU dropped consecutive games for the first time this season after falling to Arizona 91-52 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.
• ASU got back on the winning track scoring a season high in an 80-76 win over Fresno State as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series played at Footprint Series in Phoenix. Toure scored 12 of her career high-tying 22 points in the second half while Brown continued her streak of scoring in double figures in games she has started (eight) with 20 points. Crisp scored 12 points while Simmons and Thompson (career-high four steals) scored 10 points each. ASU shot 49 percent for the game, its second-highest mark of the season. Simmons, who went over 1,000 career points in the fourth quarter of the win, set a career high with eight assists and hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to help clinch the win.
• The short-handed Sun Devils nearly came back from a double-digit deficit but in the end did not have enough to get over the hump in 65-55 loss to Santa Clara (Dec. 30). Crisp and (12 points), Simmons (11 points) and Toure (10 points) led the way for the Sun Devils (8-5), who were without key contributors Maggie Besselink and Treasure Hunt. The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before transforming their defense into a riddle Santa Clara had no answers for during the latter stages of the first half and for the entire third quarter. The net result was a game tied at 44-44 entering the fourth quarter. Santa Clara outscored ASU 21-11 in the 4th Q.
• ASU came through with one of its best defensive efforts of the season in holding Utah, one of the most prolific offenses in the country, more than 30 points below its scoring average. ASU was not able to do enough on the offensive end in 58-41 loss.
• Brown scored 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century in ASU's 81-68 loss to No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7.
• The Sun Devils dropped both of their contests at the Oregon schools: 65-53 at Oregon and 92-55 at Oregon State. Brown led the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 ppg and knocking down 83 percent of her free throws (10-12) in the two games. Also providing major contributions was Thompson, who averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, the second time this season Thompson scored in double figures in consecutive games.
• After falling at WSU 79-64 (Jan. 19), ASU captured its first Pac-12 win at UW, 73-65 on Jan. 21. Brown (34 points) posted her second 30-point game of the season.
• ASU came through with its best offensive performance in recent memory in a 76-71 win over Cal on Jan. Five players scored in double figures led by Jalyn Brown, who had a game-high 21 points to help ASU accumulate its season-high point total in conference play.
ASU was remarkable throughout the game on the offensive end as it shot 54.8 pct, its highest FG pct. since shooting 56 pct vs. SIU on Nov. 24, 2018. It was its highest percentage in a Pac-12 game since a 55.6-percent effort vs. Arizona on February 16, 2018. On top of those feats, ASU set a school record for 3-point FG pct (minimum of 10 attempts) as it hit 80 pct (8-10) of its attempts.
• In a game in which the final score belied the closeness of the game, ASU came up short at Arizona, 63-52 on Feb. 4. Crisp (15 points, five rebounds) led the Sun Devils, who were looking to win back-to-back road games in league play for the first time since January of 2020. Any hope the Sun Devils had of squaring this year's edition of the Territorial Cup Series was extinguished less than four minutes into the final period as the Wildcats added on to the four-point spurt at the end of the third quarter by scoring the first nine points of the final one to extend out to a 54-41 lead. The Wildcats were never threatened after what ended up being an 18-2 run that put ASU into a 59-43 hole with under four minutes remaining.
• ASU ended its run of nine games on the road with contests at No. 9 USC and No. 10 UCLA. At USC, after trailing by as many as 19 points, ASU whittled USC's lead down to 10 after Toure's jumper with 17 seconds left in the first half. The Sun Devils got even closer, trimming USC's lead to single digits after Crisp's 3-pointer in the opening moments of the third quarter made the count 38-31. As fast as the Sun Devils got back into game, they lost their grasp of it just as quickly as the Trojans – in fewer than three minutes – reclaimed a firm grip of the contest by outscoring ASU 10-2 to take a commanding lead once again, 50-33, with 6:14 remaining. The Sun Devils would cut the lead to 11 once more but were not able to get any closer... At UCLA, after getting outscored 17-10 in the first quarter, the Sun Devils put together their best sequence of the game as they outscored UCLA 7-2 over the first six-plus minutes of the second quarter to pull within two points, 19-17. If there was a negative during the successful stretch it was the Sun Devils not being able to score more points while the Bruins were struggling with their offense. ASU's inability to do more damage on the scoreboard was magnified when the Bruins finally found their footing and closed the half with a 9-2 run to take a 28-19 lead at the half. UCLA's success carried over into the third quarter as they opened the second half with a 17-6 run to more than double their halftime lead, 45-25 with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter.
• ASU came home and had a split with the Washington schools. It started the weekend with a 2OT win over UW 73-66 to sweep the Huskies. It dropped the second game of the weekend to WSU, 73-46. Crisp led ASU in scoring (18.5 ppg) and steals (2.0 spg) and played all 90 mins (including all 50 minutes of the double-OT win over UW). Crisp (23 points) and Sousa (16 points) both posted career highs in scoring as the duo combined for 39 points to ASU rally from a 14-point second half deficit to capture the win over the Huskies. Also contributing in the win were Brown, who scored all 16 of her points in the second half and OT and freshman Mallory Miller, who scored seven points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, hit a jumper to get ASU within two and then stepped up again by hitting a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
ASU WITHOUT ALL-PAC-12 STANDOUT TYI SKINNER IN 2023-24
The 2023-24 squad was dealt a tremendous blow when Natasha Adair announced Oct. 4, 2023, that senior guard Tyi Skinner would miss the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Skinner, who last season earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors from the league's coaches and All-Pac-12 recognition from media who cover the league, quickly established herself as one of top scorers in the Pac-12 and one of the most exciting players in the nation to watch in her first season in Tempe.
In 2022-23, Skinner scored 20 or more points 15 times, including a career-high 29 points on two occasions. A starter in all 28 games, Skinner went on to average 19.3 points per game, the most by a Sun Devil since the 1988-89 season. She concluded her first campaign in the Maroon and Gold among the leaders in the Pac-12 in points per game (19.3/2nd/27th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (2.43 per game/2nd), minutes per game (36.59/3rd/29th in the nation), free throws made (79/3rd) and attempted (91/4th), steals per game (1.71/5th), 3-point FG percentage (34.7/6th) and free throw percentage (78.1/8th).
ASU'S 2023-24 INJURIES
• Tyi Skinner - entire season
• Morasha Wiggins - out for the season after ASU's 8th game
• Treasure Hunt - Played in 11 games before it was announced on Jan. 12 she would be out due to personal reasons
• Maggie Besselink - played in 12 games before suffering season-ending injury at Washington State (19th game of the season)
• Isadora Sousa - Missed first 10 games due to injury before making 2023-24 debut vs. Arizona (Dec. 17).
WHEN: Saturday at 12 p.m. MST
WHERE: Desert Financial Arena • Tempe, Ariz.
WATCH: Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles
RADIO: KDUS AM 1060
LIVE STATS: Click here
PURCHASE TICKETS: Click here
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil women's basketball team (11-18, 3-14 Pac-12) concludes the 2023-24 regular season on Saturday (12 p.m. MST) when it hosts No. 7/9 USC (22-5, 12-5) at Desert Financial Arena. Saturday's game will be Senior Day. The Sun Devil women's basketball program will honor seniors Maggie Besselink, Treasure Hunt and Jaddan Simmons before the game. Fans are encouraged to arrive by 11:15 a.m. for Senior Day ceremonies.
ASU will begin postseason play at the Pac-12 Tournament which gets underway on Wednesday at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Saturday's results will determine ASU's seed for next week's tournament.
SETTING THE SCENE
ASU will have an opportunity to pull off a major upset in its regular season finale. A win would provide the Sun Devils with a tremendous boost of momentum heading into next week's Pac-12 Tournament.
The Sun Devils entered the final weekend of play having played nine of their previous 13 games on the road. ASU started the front end of this weekend's contests with a 70-41 loss to No. 8 UCLA on Thursday night.
Jalyn Brown (14 points) and Trayanna Crisp (13 points) both rang up double-digit scoring totals against the Bruins. Both players also tied for the team lead in rebounds with five boards each. Jaddan Simmons added six points and three assists.
After a strong first quarter, the Sun Devils, who shot 28 percent for the game, dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of during the middle two quarters as the Bruins outscored them 31-15 during that stretch.
Saturday's game is a rematch of USC's 81-63 win played on Feb. 9 in Los Angeles. Brown collected her 10th 20-point game of the season with a team-high 24 points. Crisp scored 17 points to go with a team-high five assists and Jaddan Simmons added 12 points for the Sun Devils, who got within seven points early in the third quarter after trailing by as many as 19 in the first half only to see the Trojans quickly seize back command of the game. Journey Thompson led ASU in rebounds with eight, her eighth game with seven or more rebounds, while Kadidia Toure came off the bench to score eight points. USC's JuJu Watkins scored 25 of her game-high 31 points in the second half to help the Trojans to the win.
WATCH/LISTEN
Saturday's game can be seen on Pac-12 Network/Arizona/Los Angeles (Rahshaun Haylock/Angela Taylor). The game can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060. Veteran broadcaster and the state of Arizona's 2010 & 2019 Broadcaster of the Year – and a finalist for the 2023 award – Jeff Munn is in his 20th season as the voice of ASU women's basketball. He will be joined by former ASU head coach Maura McHugh.
JALYN BROWN ASCENDING TO SUPERSTAR STATUS
• As the season has progressed, Jalyn Brown has evolved into one of the top performers in the Pac-12. In league games, Brown is currently 4th in the Pac-12 in scoring (19.8 ppg) & 6th in scoring in all games (17.4 ppg).
• Brown has scored in double figures 24x, including 22x in the last 23 games and the last 16 games in succession. During that 16-game stretch, she is averaging 19.8 ppg and also leads the team in 3FGs per game (1.6) and free throws made (77), attempted (97) and FT percentage (19.8).
• In contest vs. No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7, Brown scored 35 points, the most points by a Sun Devil in the 21st century.
• Added a second 30-point game, scoring 34 points (11-20 FGs, 4-5 3FGs, 8-8 FTs) in ASU's first Pac-12 win at Washington (Jan. 21).
MOST POINTS IN A GAME BY A SUN DEVIL SINCE 2000
35 - Jalyn Brown vs. Colorado (1/7/24)
34 - Jalyn Brown at Washington (1/21/24)
34 - Jade Loville at San Diego (12/18/21)
33 - Jade Loville vs. Oregon St. (2/4/22)
32 - Kylan Loney vs. Arizona (1/31/04)
30 - Kianna Ibis at Utah (12/31/17)
30 - Amanda Levens vs St. Peter's (11/17/01)
MOST 20-POINT GAMES BY A SUN DEVIL SINCE 2000
15 - Tyi Skinner (2022-23)
12 - Jalyn Brown (2023-24)
12 - Amanda Levens (2001-02)
9 - Jade Loville (2021-22)
8 - Kianna Ibis (2018-19)
SERIES NOTES VS. USC
• While USC has won the last five contests, ASU has prevailed in 10 of the last 17 meetings with eight of those contests coming down to the final minute or OT, most recently USC's 60-58 win on a buzzer-beater in 2022 in Tempe. The initial meeting between the two schools that season scheduled to be played in Los Angeles was postponed and eventually canceled due to Covid-19 protocols.
• Last season, USC was victorious in the only meeting, 64-49 in Los Angeles.
• In 2015 ASU had to go to double OT before coming away with a 76-73 win in LA... In 2016 Sophie Brunner converted a 3-point play with 1.4 secs remaining to lift ASU to a 69-68 win in Tempe. In the rematch in Los Angeles, ASU denied USC's attempts to tie the score twice in the final 32 secs in ASU's 50-45 win.
• ASU swept the series in 2020, winning 63-54 in LA and 76-75 (3OT) in Tempe.
• In 2020-21, ASU defeated USC in Tempe in the earliest date it ever opened conference play (Dec. 4, 2020) 63-58 behind Jaddan Simmons' 20 points. USC won the rematch, 65-57 in Los Angeles. Simmons once again led ASU with 16 points.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• As of Mar. 1, ASU is ranked in the top half of the Pac-12 in FT attempts per game (3rd/17.7), fewest turnovers per game(3rd/12.6/20th in the nation), turnover margin (4th/+2.45/80th in the nation), offensive rebounds per game (5th/11.5), FTs made per game (5th/12.0), turnovers forced per game (6th/15.1) and steals per game (6th/7.2).
• In terms of individual national rankings, Jaddan Simmons is ranked 12th in the nation in minutes per game (36.96), 74th in FTs made (105) and 84th in FT attempts (135). Jalyn Brown is 38th in the nation in minutes per game (35.59) and 70th in scoring (17.4 ppg).
• ASU has had 6 players lead/tie for team lead in scoring: Brown (15x), Crisp (6x), Simmons (5x), Kadidia Toure (4x), Treasure Hunt (1x) and Journey Thompson (1). Brown's career-high 35 points vs. No. 5 Colorado (Jan. 7), is the highest single-game total by a Sun Devil this season.
• In the rebounding department, 10 players have led/tied for the team lead: Thompson (10x), Brown (5x), Simmons (5x), Toure (4x), Maggie Besselink (4x), Mallory Miller (3x), Sandra Magolico (2x), Isadora Souza (2x), Crisp (1x) and Hunt (1x). Toure's 14-rebound game vs. San Francisco (Nov. 13) represents the most rebounds by a Sun Devil this season.
• ASU has averaged only 11.5 turnovers (+2.9 turnover margin) in its last 23 games. It has had 11 or fewer turnovers 10x during that stretch, including a miniscule 2 turnovers in its game at Stanford (Feb. 25), its fewest number of turnovers since at least 1999-00. For the season, ASU is averaging 12.6 turnovers per game. In Natasha Adair's first season in 2022-23, ASU finished No. 2 in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (12.3). Only ASU's 2017-18 squad averaged fewer turnovers per game (11.7) in a season.
• In ASU's last 11 games, Trayanna Crisp has played 446:39 of a possible 450 minutes, including a career-high 50 mins in 2OT win over Washington (Feb. 16). Only game she has not played all 40 minutes in that span is when she played 36:39 at UCLA (Feb. 11). The last time ASU was at home, Crisp led the team in scoring (18.5 ppg) and steals (2.0 spg) and played all 90 mins (includes double-OT game), in ASU's contests vs. UW (Feb. 16) and vs. WSU (Feb. 18).
• In the 5 games prior to Thursday's game vs. UCLA, MalloryMiller averaged 8.4 ppg (3rd on team), 5.6 rpg (leads team) and 1.2 bpg (leads team). She scored 7 points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds in 2OT win over UW (Feb. 16). She played a big role in getting the game to OT as she hit a jumper to get ASU within two and them stepped up again by hitting a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. She averaged 11.0 ppg on last week's road trip to the Bay Area, scoring 11 points at both Cal (Feb. 23) and Stanford (Feb. 25/first career start), her second and third double-figure scoring games. Miller scored a career-high 15 points at WSU (Jan. 19).
• Jaddan Simmons has 27 assists and 7 TOs in ASU's last 9 games.
ABOUT THOSE MINUTES
Jaddan Simmons (37.1 minutes per game), Jalyn Brown (35.2) and Trayanna Crisp (34.1) rarely come out of the game as the past two years have resulted in some heavy Sun Devil minutes. Prior to 2020-21, two Sun Devils averaged more than 30 minutes a game, as Promise Amukamara averaged 30.3 in 2014-15 and Natalie Tucker in 1999-2000 averaged 30.9. Three Sun Devils averaged at least 34 minutes per game last year and three more are on pace for 33 per game this year.
SUN DEVIL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MINUTES PER GAME PAST 25 SEASONS (1999-2000 TO PRESENT)
36.9-Jaddan Simmons, 2022-23
36.6 -Jaddan Simmons, 2023-24
36.6-Tyi Skinner, 2022-23
35.4-Jalyn Brown, 2023-24
34.1-Trayanna Crisp, 2023-24
34.0-Treasue Hunt, 2022-23
31.4-Taya Hanson 2020-21
SEASON SUMMARY
• ASU has had a pair of season-best three-game winning streaks in 2023-24. It started 3-0 after home wins over UTSA (70-55/Nov. 6), Montana State (75-62/Nov. 10) & San Francisco (77-69/Nov. 13). In the first half of its first three wins, ASU averaged 45.3 points & hit 49.5 pct of its shots. In the win vs. UTSA, ASU tied last season's highest point total in a half on its way to a 49-23 halftime lead. Against Montana State (Nov. 30), ASU scored 30 points in the first quarter, representing the third time it has scored 30 or more points in a quarter under head coach Natasha Adair.
• In its first loss at Grambling State (Nov. 16), ASU scored 32 points and shot 38 pct. in the first half while allowing the Tigers to score 45 points. Down by as many as 17, ASU tied the game at 67-67 before the Tigers hit game-winning 3-pointer in final seconds.
• ASU responded with a 72-40 win over Idaho State. The Bengals' final point total represented the fewest given up by ASU since a 49-40 win over VCU on November 27, 2020.
• After dropping an 84-42 decision to Texas in its first game at the Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (Nov. 23), ASU once again rebounded with a 3-game winning streak. Less than 24 hours after the setback to Texas, ASU had to face a South Florida squad (Nov. 24) that entered the game among the Top 50 teams in the nation in rebounding margin (+10.8). ASU rose to the challenge and outrebounded the Bulls 38-32 in its 66-49 win. In its 77-69 win over High Point (Nov. 25), ASU shot 50 percent for the game, the first time it shot 50 percent or higher since a win at San Diego on Dec. 18, 2021. Brown had her first 20-point game, while Hunt just missed a double-double with season highs in points (19) and rebounds (game-high 8 boards).
• ASU made it three straight wins after a 76-66 triumph over Pacific (Dec. 1). Simmons scored 17 of her career-high 26 points in the 2nd half, including 8 points in the final 94 seconds while Brown contributed 20 points for the second straight game.
• The Sun Devils nearly came back from 14 down in the 4th quarter (got within 4 points 2x) before falling to Grand Canyon, 66-59 on Dec. 8. Simmons (20 points), Crisp (18 points) and Brown (16 points) scored all but 5 of ASU's points.
• ASU dropped consecutive games for the first time this season after falling to Arizona 91-52 in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.
• ASU got back on the winning track scoring a season high in an 80-76 win over Fresno State as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series played at Footprint Series in Phoenix. Toure scored 12 of her career high-tying 22 points in the second half while Brown continued her streak of scoring in double figures in games she has started (eight) with 20 points. Crisp scored 12 points while Simmons and Thompson (career-high four steals) scored 10 points each. ASU shot 49 percent for the game, its second-highest mark of the season. Simmons, who went over 1,000 career points in the fourth quarter of the win, set a career high with eight assists and hit a pair of free throws with six seconds remaining to help clinch the win.
• The short-handed Sun Devils nearly came back from a double-digit deficit but in the end did not have enough to get over the hump in 65-55 loss to Santa Clara (Dec. 30). Crisp and (12 points), Simmons (11 points) and Toure (10 points) led the way for the Sun Devils (8-5), who were without key contributors Maggie Besselink and Treasure Hunt. The Sun Devils trailed by as many as 12 in the first half before transforming their defense into a riddle Santa Clara had no answers for during the latter stages of the first half and for the entire third quarter. The net result was a game tied at 44-44 entering the fourth quarter. Santa Clara outscored ASU 21-11 in the 4th Q.
• ASU came through with one of its best defensive efforts of the season in holding Utah, one of the most prolific offenses in the country, more than 30 points below its scoring average. ASU was not able to do enough on the offensive end in 58-41 loss.
• Brown scored 35 points, the most by a Sun Devil in the 21st century in ASU's 81-68 loss to No. 5 Colorado on Jan. 7.
• The Sun Devils dropped both of their contests at the Oregon schools: 65-53 at Oregon and 92-55 at Oregon State. Brown led the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 ppg and knocking down 83 percent of her free throws (10-12) in the two games. Also providing major contributions was Thompson, who averaged 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, the second time this season Thompson scored in double figures in consecutive games.
• After falling at WSU 79-64 (Jan. 19), ASU captured its first Pac-12 win at UW, 73-65 on Jan. 21. Brown (34 points) posted her second 30-point game of the season.
• ASU came through with its best offensive performance in recent memory in a 76-71 win over Cal on Jan. Five players scored in double figures led by Jalyn Brown, who had a game-high 21 points to help ASU accumulate its season-high point total in conference play.
ASU was remarkable throughout the game on the offensive end as it shot 54.8 pct, its highest FG pct. since shooting 56 pct vs. SIU on Nov. 24, 2018. It was its highest percentage in a Pac-12 game since a 55.6-percent effort vs. Arizona on February 16, 2018. On top of those feats, ASU set a school record for 3-point FG pct (minimum of 10 attempts) as it hit 80 pct (8-10) of its attempts.
• In a game in which the final score belied the closeness of the game, ASU came up short at Arizona, 63-52 on Feb. 4. Crisp (15 points, five rebounds) led the Sun Devils, who were looking to win back-to-back road games in league play for the first time since January of 2020. Any hope the Sun Devils had of squaring this year's edition of the Territorial Cup Series was extinguished less than four minutes into the final period as the Wildcats added on to the four-point spurt at the end of the third quarter by scoring the first nine points of the final one to extend out to a 54-41 lead. The Wildcats were never threatened after what ended up being an 18-2 run that put ASU into a 59-43 hole with under four minutes remaining.
• ASU ended its run of nine games on the road with contests at No. 9 USC and No. 10 UCLA. At USC, after trailing by as many as 19 points, ASU whittled USC's lead down to 10 after Toure's jumper with 17 seconds left in the first half. The Sun Devils got even closer, trimming USC's lead to single digits after Crisp's 3-pointer in the opening moments of the third quarter made the count 38-31. As fast as the Sun Devils got back into game, they lost their grasp of it just as quickly as the Trojans – in fewer than three minutes – reclaimed a firm grip of the contest by outscoring ASU 10-2 to take a commanding lead once again, 50-33, with 6:14 remaining. The Sun Devils would cut the lead to 11 once more but were not able to get any closer... At UCLA, after getting outscored 17-10 in the first quarter, the Sun Devils put together their best sequence of the game as they outscored UCLA 7-2 over the first six-plus minutes of the second quarter to pull within two points, 19-17. If there was a negative during the successful stretch it was the Sun Devils not being able to score more points while the Bruins were struggling with their offense. ASU's inability to do more damage on the scoreboard was magnified when the Bruins finally found their footing and closed the half with a 9-2 run to take a 28-19 lead at the half. UCLA's success carried over into the third quarter as they opened the second half with a 17-6 run to more than double their halftime lead, 45-25 with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter.
• ASU came home and had a split with the Washington schools. It started the weekend with a 2OT win over UW 73-66 to sweep the Huskies. It dropped the second game of the weekend to WSU, 73-46. Crisp led ASU in scoring (18.5 ppg) and steals (2.0 spg) and played all 90 mins (including all 50 minutes of the double-OT win over UW). Crisp (23 points) and Sousa (16 points) both posted career highs in scoring as the duo combined for 39 points to ASU rally from a 14-point second half deficit to capture the win over the Huskies. Also contributing in the win were Brown, who scored all 16 of her points in the second half and OT and freshman Mallory Miller, who scored seven points and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, hit a jumper to get ASU within two and then stepped up again by hitting a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
ASU WITHOUT ALL-PAC-12 STANDOUT TYI SKINNER IN 2023-24
The 2023-24 squad was dealt a tremendous blow when Natasha Adair announced Oct. 4, 2023, that senior guard Tyi Skinner would miss the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury.
Skinner, who last season earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors from the league's coaches and All-Pac-12 recognition from media who cover the league, quickly established herself as one of top scorers in the Pac-12 and one of the most exciting players in the nation to watch in her first season in Tempe.
In 2022-23, Skinner scored 20 or more points 15 times, including a career-high 29 points on two occasions. A starter in all 28 games, Skinner went on to average 19.3 points per game, the most by a Sun Devil since the 1988-89 season. She concluded her first campaign in the Maroon and Gold among the leaders in the Pac-12 in points per game (19.3/2nd/27th in the nation), 3-pointers per game (2.43 per game/2nd), minutes per game (36.59/3rd/29th in the nation), free throws made (79/3rd) and attempted (91/4th), steals per game (1.71/5th), 3-point FG percentage (34.7/6th) and free throw percentage (78.1/8th).
ASU'S 2023-24 INJURIES
• Tyi Skinner - entire season
• Morasha Wiggins - out for the season after ASU's 8th game
• Treasure Hunt - Played in 11 games before it was announced on Jan. 12 she would be out due to personal reasons
• Maggie Besselink - played in 12 games before suffering season-ending injury at Washington State (19th game of the season)
• Isadora Sousa - Missed first 10 games due to injury before making 2023-24 debut vs. Arizona (Dec. 17).