KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Sun Devil women's basketball team's 2024-25 season concluded on Thursday. In each of its setbacks the last four months it refused to stop fighting until the end. It was no different in Thursday's 96-88 loss to Iowa State in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship at T-Mobile Center.
Just like in its first round triumph over Cincinnati 24 hour earlier, all eight players on ASU's active roster – the same roster that started with 16 players before being decimated by injury – did everything it could to extend its season. By the conclusion of the contest, the ultimate numbers game caught up with the Sun Devils as three players fouled out and three others were one infraction away from the same fate.
The numbers most indicative of ASU's effort were 29 and 53. The former represented the number of points ASU scored in the fourth quarter, the most it scored in a quarter this season. Ditto for the latter number in terms of the most points ASU scored in a half, first or second, in 32 games.
For the second time in as many nights, Jalyn Brown (26 points) and Tyi Skinner (23 points) led the way on the offensive end. Skinner also led the team in assists (four) and steals (two) while Brown also had five rebounds and three assists. The duo also tied for the team lead in 3-pointer (four), combining for eight of the team's season high-tying 12 makes from beyond the arc.
Also accounting for double-figure scoring performances were Jyah LoVett (12 points) and Hanna Miller (10 points), who arguably had one of the best storylines over the first two days of the tournament was the play of Miller.
Prior to ASU's victory over Cincinnati, Miller had played in only six games this season and, before Wednesday's game, had not played double-digit minutes in a game since Nov. 14 when she played 12 minutes vs. Grand Canyon. Against Cincinnati, Miller was superb in logging 22 minutes, scoring four points and posting career highs in rebounds (6) and assists (3). She turned it up another notch on Thursday as she played 32 minutes, scored a career-high 10 points and tied for the team lead in rebounds (six).
ASU's two starting posts – Nevaeh Parkinson and Kennedy Basham – did all they could to help the cause before fouling out in the fourth quarter. In her final game, Parkinson scored nine points to go with five rebounds. Basham was equally effective, scoring six points, tying for the team lead with six rebounds and swatting six shots, the fourth time this season she had six or more blocks in a game.
Each of ASU's starters scored in the first four minutes to help the Sun Devils establish an early 10-4 lead.
ASU's ability to stay in the game was unraveled the same way it did in the first meeting between the two teams, won by the Cyclones (22-10) 90-83 on Jan. 8 in Tempe. In that game, Iowa State hit eight 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 34-23 lead after 10 minutes.
In Thursday's rematch, Cyclones once again used the long ball to take command of the game, this time making six triples in the first quarter to take a 34-23 after one quarter.
The Sun Devils faced the same 11-point deficit, 45-34, at the half.
The Cyclones slowly pushed their lead even higher over the first five minutes of the third quarter. Addy Brown's 3-point play, part of her game-high 41 points, gave Iowa State a 60-40 lead with 4:43 remaining.
Although the Sun Devils outscored the Cyclones 48-36 the rest of the way, ASU was not able to make it a single-digit game until there were less than three minutes remaining in the game. At that point the Sun Devils were down to just six players after Basham and Parkinson fouled out earlier in the quarter.
POSTGAME NOTES
• ASU shot .758 in 2024-25 (414-of-546) from the free throw line this season, the top mark in school history. The Sun Devils have a chance to lead a conference in free throw percentage for the first time since 2006-07, when their .751 (571-of-768) effort led the Pac-10. That marked the only time the Sun Devils led the Pac-10/12 in its 38 seasons (1986-87 to 2023-24).
BEST SUN DEVIL WBB FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAMS
.758 (414-546)/2024-25
.751 (557-768)/2006-07
.743 (318-428)/2021-22
.737 (511-693)/1982-83
.736 (472-641)/2005-06
• Tyi Skinner (28/32 games) and Jalyn Brown (25/29) combined to score in double figures 53 times this season.
• Brown (13) and Skinner (12) combined to score 20 or more points 25 times this season.
• With four 3-pointers, Tyi Skinner (80 3-pointers in 2024-25) surpassed Katie Hempen (76 3-pointers in 2014-15) for the most 3-pointers by a Sun Devil in program history. Skinner is now No. 3 on ASU's career list with 148 3-pointers.
• With 23 points today, Skinner now has 1,078 points as a Sun Devil (No. 20 on ASU's career scoring list).
• With 26 points today, Brown became the 28th Sun Devil to score 1,000 or more career points. Brown now has 1024 points as a Sun Devil – 1,032 points in her career – and is tied for 24th on ASU's career scoring list.
• Kennedy Basham had six blocks, the fourth time this season she has had six or more blocks in a game and the 21st time she had multiple blocks in a game. Basham had a career-high seven blocks in ASU's contest at San Francisco (Dec. 17).
• Basham concludes the season with 83 blocks, eight short of the single-season record of 91 set by Kali Bennett in 2011-12.
• With six rebounds, Basham led or tied for the team lead in rebounds in eight of ASU's last nine games.
Just like in its first round triumph over Cincinnati 24 hour earlier, all eight players on ASU's active roster – the same roster that started with 16 players before being decimated by injury – did everything it could to extend its season. By the conclusion of the contest, the ultimate numbers game caught up with the Sun Devils as three players fouled out and three others were one infraction away from the same fate.
The numbers most indicative of ASU's effort were 29 and 53. The former represented the number of points ASU scored in the fourth quarter, the most it scored in a quarter this season. Ditto for the latter number in terms of the most points ASU scored in a half, first or second, in 32 games.
For the second time in as many nights, Jalyn Brown (26 points) and Tyi Skinner (23 points) led the way on the offensive end. Skinner also led the team in assists (four) and steals (two) while Brown also had five rebounds and three assists. The duo also tied for the team lead in 3-pointer (four), combining for eight of the team's season high-tying 12 makes from beyond the arc.
Also accounting for double-figure scoring performances were Jyah LoVett (12 points) and Hanna Miller (10 points), who arguably had one of the best storylines over the first two days of the tournament was the play of Miller.
Prior to ASU's victory over Cincinnati, Miller had played in only six games this season and, before Wednesday's game, had not played double-digit minutes in a game since Nov. 14 when she played 12 minutes vs. Grand Canyon. Against Cincinnati, Miller was superb in logging 22 minutes, scoring four points and posting career highs in rebounds (6) and assists (3). She turned it up another notch on Thursday as she played 32 minutes, scored a career-high 10 points and tied for the team lead in rebounds (six).
ASU's two starting posts – Nevaeh Parkinson and Kennedy Basham – did all they could to help the cause before fouling out in the fourth quarter. In her final game, Parkinson scored nine points to go with five rebounds. Basham was equally effective, scoring six points, tying for the team lead with six rebounds and swatting six shots, the fourth time this season she had six or more blocks in a game.
Each of ASU's starters scored in the first four minutes to help the Sun Devils establish an early 10-4 lead.
ASU's ability to stay in the game was unraveled the same way it did in the first meeting between the two teams, won by the Cyclones (22-10) 90-83 on Jan. 8 in Tempe. In that game, Iowa State hit eight 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 34-23 lead after 10 minutes.
In Thursday's rematch, Cyclones once again used the long ball to take command of the game, this time making six triples in the first quarter to take a 34-23 after one quarter.
The Sun Devils faced the same 11-point deficit, 45-34, at the half.
The Cyclones slowly pushed their lead even higher over the first five minutes of the third quarter. Addy Brown's 3-point play, part of her game-high 41 points, gave Iowa State a 60-40 lead with 4:43 remaining.
Although the Sun Devils outscored the Cyclones 48-36 the rest of the way, ASU was not able to make it a single-digit game until there were less than three minutes remaining in the game. At that point the Sun Devils were down to just six players after Basham and Parkinson fouled out earlier in the quarter.
POSTGAME NOTES
• ASU shot .758 in 2024-25 (414-of-546) from the free throw line this season, the top mark in school history. The Sun Devils have a chance to lead a conference in free throw percentage for the first time since 2006-07, when their .751 (571-of-768) effort led the Pac-10. That marked the only time the Sun Devils led the Pac-10/12 in its 38 seasons (1986-87 to 2023-24).
BEST SUN DEVIL WBB FREE THROW SHOOTING TEAMS
.758 (414-546)/2024-25
.751 (557-768)/2006-07
.743 (318-428)/2021-22
.737 (511-693)/1982-83
.736 (472-641)/2005-06
• Tyi Skinner (28/32 games) and Jalyn Brown (25/29) combined to score in double figures 53 times this season.
• Brown (13) and Skinner (12) combined to score 20 or more points 25 times this season.
• With four 3-pointers, Tyi Skinner (80 3-pointers in 2024-25) surpassed Katie Hempen (76 3-pointers in 2014-15) for the most 3-pointers by a Sun Devil in program history. Skinner is now No. 3 on ASU's career list with 148 3-pointers.
• With 23 points today, Skinner now has 1,078 points as a Sun Devil (No. 20 on ASU's career scoring list).
• With 26 points today, Brown became the 28th Sun Devil to score 1,000 or more career points. Brown now has 1024 points as a Sun Devil – 1,032 points in her career – and is tied for 24th on ASU's career scoring list.
• Kennedy Basham had six blocks, the fourth time this season she has had six or more blocks in a game and the 21st time she had multiple blocks in a game. Basham had a career-high seven blocks in ASU's contest at San Francisco (Dec. 17).
• Basham concludes the season with 83 blocks, eight short of the single-season record of 91 set by Kali Bennett in 2011-12.
• With six rebounds, Basham led or tied for the team lead in rebounds in eight of ASU's last nine games.