The official athletics site of Arizona State University Opens in a new window
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Sun Devil Athletics
HomeHome
ASU Home My ASU Colleges and Schools
Loading

WBB concludes first road trip at Santa Clara

Game Notes PDF Opens in a new window
WBB concludes first road trip at Santa ClaraWBB concludes first road trip at Santa Clara
Brittany Graham

Up next

Coming off a 3-point shooting clinic in which it tied the single-game school record for 3-pointers (14) and gave new head coach Molly Miller her 300th win as an NCAA head coach, the Sun Devil Women’s Basketball team (3-0) will conclude its first road trip of the season when it plays at Santa Clara (3-1) on Sunday (2 p.m. MST/1 p.m. MST).

Watch / Listen

Sunday’s game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KDUS AM 1060 (pregame radio coverage starts at 1:30 p.m.). The state of Arizona’s 2010 and 2019 Broadcaster of the Year, Jeff Munn, is in his 22nd season as the voice of ASU WBB.

Molly Miller era off to a winning start

  • ASU has started the Molly Miller era with three wins in as many games. The Sun Devils opened the season with home wins over Coppin State (67-53 on Nov. 3) and Eastern Washington (73-58 on Nov. 8) and a road triumph at San Diego (79-47 on Nov. 13).
  • Against Coppin State, ASU shot 67 pct. and outscored CSU 27-10 in the final frame to turn a three-point deficit into a 67-53 win.
  • A 26-8 scoring run that commenced in the final minute of the first half and concluded in the first minute of the final quarter helped ASU defeat EWU 73-58. In the first and third quarters combined, ASU outscored the Eagles 37-17 while allowing them to make only 21% (6-29) of their shots.
  • In Thursday’s 79-47 win at San Diego, ASU tied the school record for 3-pointers in a game and shot a season-high 52 pct. (64 pct. 3FGs/14-22). For the second straight game, ASU utilized a scoring run (11-0) that started at the end of the first half and carried over into the second half. It stretched a seven-point lead into a commanding 18-point advantage.

Did you know, as a head coach, Molly Miller ...?

  • Entered the 2025-26 campaign third in winning percentage among active coaches who have served at least five years as a Division I head coach. Miller (84.4 pct/297-55 career record/11 seasons entering 2025-26) trailed only legendary coaches Geno Auriemma (88.3%/1,250-165 career record/40 seasons entering 2025-26) and Kim Mulkey (85.9%/754-124 in 25 seasons entering 2025-26).
  • Has won her last 33 non-NCAA Tournament games, going back to last season when she was coaching at Grand Canyon University.
  • Has won her last 25 home games, dating back to the 2023-24 season, when she was the head coach at GCU.
  • Won her 300th game as an NCAA head coach on Nov. 13, 2025.

Series notes vs. Santa Clara

  • The teams have split two prior meetings. ASU won the 1982-83 season opener (78-44) at the Cal Poly-Slo Straw Hat Classic, and the Broncos evened the series with a 65-55 win in Tempe in December 2023.

Prime performers
Gabby Elliott (18.3 ppg, 54 pct FGs and 3FGs, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 spg), Marley Washenitz (16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 spg, team-highs in FTs att/made) and McKinna Brackens (10.3 ppg, team-high 5.7 rpg, 3.0 apg) are all averaging double figures with Elliott and Washenitz notching double-digit scoring totals in every game.

  • LSU transfer Last-Tear Poa had a career-high 10 assists, most by a Sun Devil since current graduate assistant Reili Richardson had 11 at Colorado State on Dec. 9, 2018, in ASU’s season-opening win over Coppin State. In the last two games, ASU has been without Poa and her 103 games of experience due to injury. Starting in Poa’s place has been freshman Amaya Williams, who made her first career start in the second game of her career against EWU. Against the Eagles, Williams scored 10 points (4-8 FGs). In Thursday’s win at USD, Williams came through with a performance more befitting of a seasoned senior as she (at the time) became one of two freshmen who have had 11 assists in a game this season.
  • In ASU’s comeback win over Coppin State, Elliott scored 14 of her 16 points and shot 62.5 percent from the floor in the second half. She led ASU’s rally with a team-high eight points in the final quarter. Elliott was every bit as impressive defensively, leading ASU with a game- and career-high seven steals. Elliott led ASU with 15 points in the win over EWU and went over the 1,000-point mark for career points. Her six 3-pointers at USD were one short of tying the single-game school record of seven.
  • Washenitz has scored in double figures in the first half in all three of ASU’s games (10, 10, 11).
  • Brackens had season highs in points (14) and rebounds (eight, most by a Sun Devil this season) in a win vs. Coppin State.
  • Brackens (5.7 rpg), Elliott (5.3 rpg), and Heloisa Carrera (8.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg) are all averaging five or more rebounds. Carrera scored nine of her career-high 13 points in the second half against Coppin State.
  • Returner Jyah LoVett has ASU’s top scoring performance off the bench this season with 13 points vs. EWU (Nov. 8).

New faces bring lots of experience

  • Of the 10 new players on this year’s roster, six players have played 50 or more games at the D1 level, including one student-athlete (Last-Tear Poa), who has played in 103 games.
  • Four of this year’s newcomers – Marley Washenitz (81), Gabby Elliott (76), Acacia Hayes (75), Jordan Jones (72) – have started more than 70 games at the D1 level.
  • Both of ASU’s returners from last season – Makayla Moore (73 games/33 starts), Jyah LoVett (51 games/38 starts) – also have a significant amount of experience. LoVett started 21/31 games as a 2024-25, while Moore had five starts in the 21 games she played.

Notes from ASU's 3-0 start

  • Against Coppin State ... Closed the game on a 16-2 run after Coppin State tied the game at 51-51 with 5:43 remaining ... After shooting 31 pct. in the first three quarters, hit shots 67 pct. in the final 10 minutes. On the flip side, Coppin State made 47 pct. of its shots during the first 30 minutes/38 pct. in the final 10... Converted 33 turnovers into 37 points... Had 19 steals, the most by a Sun Devil squad since it had 20 in a win over Cal Poly on Dec. 3, 2010.
  • Against Eastern Washington ... Scored 19 points on the 22 turnovers it forced... The Sun Devils took control of the game with dominating defense at the start of both halves. In the first and third quarters combined, ASU outscored the Eagles 37-17 while allowing them to make only 21% (6-29) of their shots. ASU forced the Eagles into missing their first nine shots of the game and allowed them to shoot only 22% for the quarter.
  • Against San Diego ... Tied the single-game school record for 3-pointers (14) ... The 47 points ASU allowed represented the fewest scored by an opponent since ASU defeated Idaho State 72-40 on Nov. 19, 2023 ... Made a higher percentage of their attempts from outside the arc (63.6 percent/14-22 3 FGs) than inside it (44.4 percent/16-36 FGs). Made a season-high 51.7% of its shots ... Had a season-high 25 assists.

Winning formula
With San Diego’s 20 turnovers on Thursday, ASU has now forced the opposition into a per-game average of 24 turnovers in the first three games. Equally important is that ASU has scored 27 points per game off those turnovers.

  • The Sun Devils have allowed 13 or fewer points (52.0 points per game average) seven times in 12 quarters. In five of the last eight quarters, the opposition has shot under 31%.
  • ASU has scored 19 or more points in a quarter (76.0 ppp average) seven times, including a season high 27 points in the fourth quarter of its comeback win over Coppin State (Nov. 3).
  • The Sun Devils have more than twice as many steals (41-19) and blocks (14-7) as the opposition.

Notes on this year's squad

  • Four Sun Devils came into this season averaging double-figure career scoring averages: Jordan Jones (15.1 ppg), Elliott (12.1 ppg), Hayes (12.0 ppg) and returning guard Jyah LoVett (10.8 ppg). Jones’ 19.9 ppg as a junior at Denver last season represents the highest single-season scoring average on ASU’s roster.
  • Other proven scorers at the NCAA DI level include returning guard Makayla Moore (averaged 11.6 as a sophomore at Seattle University) and McKinna Brackens (9.8 ppg last season at UNLV), and Marley Washenitz (9.3 ppg), who are all coming off their best seasons in points per game.
  • With Gabby Elliott going over 1,000 points in ASU’s win over Eastern Washington on Nov. 8, the Sun Devils now have three players who have scored 1,000 or more points in their career: Jordan Jones (1,193), Acacia Hayes (1,021) and Elliott (1,012).
  • Timya Grice (6-5), Martina Fantini (6-3), Deborah Davenport (6-2) not made their NCAA DI debuts this, they also brought size to this year’s team. Other new players who figure to do the same are Ole Miss transfer Heloisa Carrera (6-2), UNLV transfer McKinna Brackens (6-1) and Denver transfer Jordan Jones (6-0).

2025-26 Nonconference schedule notes

  • Eight home games, including a pair of multi-team events, highlight the Sun Devil Women’s Basketball team’s 2025 non-conference schedule.
  • The eight home contests the Sun Devils play will take place within their first 10 games of the season. After the season opener vs. Coppin State, ASU will host Eastern Washington on Saturday Nov. 8. The Sun Devils will next play consecutive road games at San Diego (Thursday, Nov. 13) and at Santa Clara (Sunday, Nov. 16). ASU’s contest vs. UNLV on Saturday, Nov. 22, will be the first of six consecutive games played on its home turf. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Sun Devils will be in University Park, Pa., to face Penn State, the first of three straight road games they will play to close out the nonconference schedule.
  • ASU’s six-game homestand that starts vs. UNLV on Nov. 22 will include consecutive weekends in which the Sun Devils will host a pair of events in which they will play two games in as many days.
  • Over Thanksgiving weekend, ASU will face Little Rock (Nov. 28) and SEMO (Nov. 29). The weekend will also include a pair of non-ASU games: San Diego vs. Little Rock (Nov. 28) and San Diego vs. SEMO (Nov. 30).
  • The following weekend, ASU will host the annual Briann January Classic (Dec. 5-6), an event in which McNeese State, Nevada and San Francisco will also be participating.
  • ASU will play in the second game of both of the weekend’s doubleheaders, which will be taking place at Mullett Arena, Sun Devil Athletics' newest on-campus Multi-Purpose Arena. On Friday, Dec. 5, the Sun Devils will host McNeese State (preceded by Nevada vs. San Francisco), and the following day, they will face San Francisco (preceded by McNeese State vs. Nevada).

Big 12 schedule notes

  • When ASU hosts Colorado in its first Big 12 contest on Sunday, Dec. 21, it will be the squad’s first home game since Saturday, Dec. 6. Before the contest vs. Colorado will be road games at Penn State (Wednesday, Dec. 10), at Oregon State (Sunday, Dec. 14), and at Gonzaga (Tuesday, Dec. 16).
  • After the conference opener against Colorado, ASU will have its longest gap of the season between games (10 days). The Sun Devils will resume Big 12 play with consecutive road games in the state of Utah (at Utah on Wednesday, Dec. 31 and at BYU on Saturday, Jan. 3). Following a home contest vs. UCF (Wednesday, Jan. 7), ASU will play at TCU (Sunday, Jan. 11), the third time in four games it will be on the road following the holiday break.
  • When ASU hosts Arizona on Wednesday, Jan. 28, it will be the first of three straight home games and four of five overall. Matchups vs. Kansas State (Sunday, Feb. 1) and Oklahoma State (Wednesday, Dec. 4) at Desert Financial Arena will precede ASU’s only road game in the stretch, at Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 7. The span will conclude with a rematch vs. Utah in Tempe (Wednesday, Feb. 11).
  • ASU’s game at West Virginia (Wednesday, Jan. 21) will be the second time the Sun Devils will be playing more than 2,000 miles away from home in 2025-26. The first instance will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at Penn State, the first of three consecutive road games ASU will play on the road to conclude the non-conference portion of its schedule. After playing at West Virginia, ASU will play a second consecutive road game at Cincinnati (Saturday, Jan. 24).

Sun Devil Athletics counts down to NCAA Women's Final Four
In October 2020, the NCAA officially named ASU, the city of Phoenix, and the Footprint Center as hosts for the Women’s Final Four Tournament, to be held April 3, 5, 2026.

In August, Sun Devil Basketball’s head coach, Molly Miller, joined several key community members at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to unveil the official Countdown Clock to the event.

Unveiled alongside Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallaego, 2026 Women’s Final Four Committee Jay Parry, and NCAA Vice President for Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman, the clock is located at the busiest terminal in the airport, Terminal 4, on the west end of the baggage claim. The placement means it will see significant foot traffic to build maximum excitement.

Arizona State University had a significant presence at the event. ASU Athletic Director Graham Rossini, Sparky, and Senior Associate Athletics Director Christina Wombacher were on hand to help underscore the University’s role as a proud stakeholder in bringing the Women’s Final Four to the Valley for the first time.

Up next
After Sunday’s game, the Sun Devils will be back at Desert Financial Arena on Saturday to face UNLV, the first of six consecutive games ASU will play at home. The Rebels have averaged 28 wins the past four seasons (26, 30, 31, 26)  and have qualified for three of the past four NCAA Tournaments.