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WBB plays first of two games in two days vs. Little Rock on Friday

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WBB plays first of two games in two days vs. Little Rock on FridayWBB plays first of two games in two days vs. Little Rock on Friday
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The Sun Devil Women’s Basketball team (6-0) plays the first of two games in two days on Friday (10:30 a.m. MST) when it hosts Little Rock (1-3) at Desert Financial Arena. Thirty-two hours later, it will be back in Desert Financial Arena to face Southeast Missouri (2-2) at 6:30 p.m. MST.

In addition to ASU’s games, there will also be a pair of neutral-site games in Tempe this weekend. Little Rock will face San Diego prior to ASU’s game on Saturday (4 p.m. MST). In the last of the four games, San Diego (2-4) will face SEMO on Sunday at 11 a.m. MST. 

Watch/Listen

Both of ASU’s games this weekend can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KDUS AM 1060 (30 minutes prior to each game). 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.

About the 6-0 start

  • ASU entered Tuesday’s game vs Utah Tech with a 5-0 record, becoming just the third Sun Devil team to start 5-0 since 2002-03. After making it six wins in six games following Tuesday’s 81-54 victory, Molly Miller’s first Sun Devil squad is off to the program’s best start since the 1991-92 team (coached by current Sun Devil WBB radio analyst Maura McHugh), which opened its campaign with nine straight wins, also the longest streak of victories to start a season in program history. McHugh’s 1990-91 team started the campaign 8-0.
  • If ASU concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule with an unbeaten record at home, it will own the best start in program history (10-0).

State of play

  • Friday’s contest will be the second of three home games ASU plays this week and the third of six consecutive home games overall. The current stretch of home contests started vs. UNLV on Nov. 22 and will conclude on Dec. 6 when the Sun Devils play San Francisco on the second day of the annual Briann January Classic.
  • Like this weekend, ASU will play two games in two days next weekend. The Sun Devils will start the Briann January Classic next Friday when they host McNeese State.
  • On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Sun Devils will be in University Park, Pa., to face Penn State, the first of three straight road games – ASU will also play at Oregon State on Dec. 14 and at Gonzaga on Dec. 16 – they will play to close out the non-conference schedule.
  • The Sun Devils will commence Big 12 play on Sun., Dec. 21, when they host Colorado.

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 percent/297-55 career record/11 seasons entering 2025-26) trailed only legendary coaches Geno Auriemma (88.3 percent/1,250-165 career record/40 seasons entering 2025-26) and Kim Mulkey (85.9 percent/754-124 in 25 seasons entering 2025-26).
  • Has won her last 36 non-NCAA Tournament games, going back to last season when she was coaching at Grand Canyon University.
  • Has won her last 27 home games going 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.

Notes from Tuesday’s 81-54 win over Utah Tech   

  • McKinna Brackens posted her third consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. In ASU’s last three games, she is averaging 21.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. After tying her career high with a trio of 3-pointers on Tuesday night, Brackens has made 60 percent of her attempts from long range while shooting 52 percent from the floor during the three-game stretch.

McKinna Brackens Career Top Scoring Games
23 vs. UNLV (Nov. 22, 2025)
23 at Santa Clara (Nov. 16, 2025)
20 at New Mexico (Jan. 12, 2025/UNLV)
19 vs. Utah Tech (Nov. 25, 2025)
19 vs. UCF (Nov. 27, 2024/UNLV)
18 at Colorado State (Feb. 22, 2025/UNLV)
17 at Utah Tech (Nov. 25, 2025/UNLV)
17 vs. East Carolina (Nov. 29, 2024)
15 vs. San Jose State (Mar. 1, 2025/UNLV)
15 vs. Fresno State (Dec. 29, 2024/UNLV)

  • Gabby Elliott nearly had her second double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Elliott’s evening included career highs in free throws made (6) and attempted (7).
  • After posting career-high totals of 16 points and eight rebounds in Saturday’s win vs. UNLV, Heloisa Carrera came through with a solid 12-and-7 performance on Tuesday.
  • Amaya Williams matched her career high in scoring with 10 of ASU’s 17 bench points in addition to a career-high six rebounds.
  • Last-Tear Poa (nine points) and Marley Washenitz (eight points) also had solid scoring contributions.
  • Freshman Martina Fantini nearly had her first double-figure rebounding game with a career-high nine boards.
  • Deborah Davenport was one of six Sun Devils who collected at least five rebounds.
  • Utah Tech’s 3-pointer with 7:18 remaining in the third quarter was its first make from long range after missing its first 16 attempts.
  • Every player who got into the game played at least 13 minutes.
  • ASU has now limited its opponent to 13 or fewer points in a quarter (52.0 ppg average) 11 times this season.
  • ASU’s final rebounding total of 62 represented the third time in the last 25 years it had at least 60 rebounds in a game. Combined with the 59 rebounds they pulled down at Santa Clara on Nov. 16, the Sun Devils have the two highest rebounding totals in the Big 12 this season.
  • The 22-7 advantage ASU had in second chance points represented the second time in three games the Sun Devils had more than twice as many second chance points as their opponent (20-8 at Santa Clara on Nov. 16).
  • The eight points Utah Tech scored in the first quarter matched the fewest number of points ASU has allowed in a quarter this season, while the 21 points Utah Tech scored in the first half were the fewest allowed by ASU in a half this season.

Rankings of note

  • As a team, ASU is currently among the top 50 teams in the nation in rebounds per game (28th/44.8), rebounding margin (+11.0/31st) and defensive rebounds per game (43rd/29.8). ASU is not far off from being among the top 50 teams in offensive rebounds per game (15.0/55th).
  • Individual players who are currently ranked among the best in the Big 12 include... Gabby Elliott is 8th in scoring (17.0 ppg), tied for 9th in rebounding (7.3 rpg), and 15th in FT pct. (77.3), and 3rd in minutes (33.3 mpg).
  • McKinna Brackens 12th in scoring (16.0 ppg), 6th in rebounding (8.0 rpg), 12th in FG pct. (47.5), tied for 7th in offensive rebounds (3.0 rpg) and 8th in minutes played (31.6).
  • Marley Washenitz is tied for 11th in steals per game (2.17) and 14th in minutes per game (29.5).

Series history vs. Little Rock

  • The only prior meeting between the two teams in 2015 was a memorable one, as a berth to the Sweet 16 of the NCAAs was on the line.
  • ASU rallied from 16 points down in the second half to defeat the Trojans 57-54 and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
  • Promise Amukamara and Sophie Brunner each scored 17 points. Elisha Davis’ improbable 3-pointer – banked it off the glass in a catch-and-shoot scenario as the shot clock was about to expire.

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 106 games.
  • Four of this year’s newcomers – Marley Washenitz (84), Gabby Elliott (79), Acacia Hayes (75), Jordan Jones (72) – have started more than 70 games at the Division I level, and McKinna Brackens has 41 starts in 64 career games.
  • Both of ASU’s returners from last season – Makayla Moore (76 games/33 starts), Jyah LoVett (54 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

  • ASU’s bench has outscored the opposition’s reserves four times in six games this season. The bench was especially important in ASU’s win at Santa Clara on Nov. 16 as Last-Tear Poa (14 points, five rebounds and five assists) and Martina Fantini (six points, six rebounds, two assists) combined for 20 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. In ASU’s win over Eastern Washington, returner Jyah LoVett scored 13 points.
  • 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 (Nov. 8) 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 three times in five games this season.
  • ASU is outscoring its opponents by nearly six points in second-chance points (13.2-7.3).
  • ASU is averaging 21.5 points per game on opponent miscues.

Notes from ASU’s 6-0 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 percent in the first three quarters, they hit 67 percent of shots in the final 10 minutes. On the flip side, Coppin State made 47 percent of its shots during the first 30 minutes/38 per cent in the final 10 ... Converted 33 turnovers into 37 points ... Had 19 steals, the most by an ASU squad since it had 20 vs. 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 percent (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 percent 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 percent of its shots ... Had a season-high 25 assists.
  • Against Santa Clara: McKinna Brackens (career-high 23 points, 11 rebounds and career highs in free throws made/attempted – 9/12) and Gabby Elliott (20 points and career highs of 16 rebounds and five assists) combined for 43 points and 27 rebounds, while accounting for the team’s first double-doubles of the season ... After missing the last two games due to injury, Last-Tear Poa tied her career high in scoring with 14 points, had five rebounds and tied Elliott for the team high in assists (five) ... Marley Washenitz (11 points, six rebounds) joined Elliott as the only two Sun Devils who have scored in double figures in every game ... Heloisa Carrera had eight points and collected four rebounds ... Martina Fantini came off the bench with valuable contributions of six points, six rebounds and six assists ... ASU jumped out to an 18-point lead in the second half. It then had to hold off a furious rally by the Broncos, who tied the game twice in the fourth quarter, but were never able to reclaim the lead.
  • Against UNLV: Marley Washenitz hit a ‘you had to see it to believe it 3-pointer in the closing seconds to help the Sun Devils defeat UNLV 56-53, giving ASU its second 5-0 start since 2005 ... It was the first time UNLV was held to 53 or fewer points in 148 games ... The 56 points ASU scored on Saturday came on the heels of scoring a season-high 82 points in Sunday’s 82-79 win over Santa Clara. On the flip side, the 53 points UNLV scored on Saturday represented the third time in the season’s first five games the Sun Devils have held the opposition to 53 or fewer points ... After scoring a career-high 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds at Santa Clara, McKinna Brackens had her second consecutive double-double, matching her career-high point total to go with 10 boards against her former team. Heloisa Carrera had career-best figures in points (16), rebounds (8) and field goals made (8). Gabby Elliott scored in double figures for the fifth time in as many games, accounting for 11 points. In addition to scoring the game-winning triple, Washenitz also had a game-high five assists.
  • Against Utah Tech: McKinna Brackens posted her third consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds ... Gabby Elliott nearly had her second double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and pulling down nine rebounds. Elliott’s evening included career highs in free throws made (6) and attempted (7) ... After posting career-high totals of 16 points and eight rebounds vs. UNLV, Heloisa Carrera came through with a solid 12-and-7 performance ... Amaya Williams matched her career high in scoring with 10 of ASU’s 17 bench points in addition to a career-high six rebounds ... Last-Tear Poa (nine points) and Marley Washenitz (eight points) also had solid scoring contributions ... Freshman Martina Fantini nearly had her first double-figure rebounding game with a career-high nine boards ... Deborah Davenport was one of six Sun Devils who collected at least five rebounds ... Every player who got into the game played at least 13 minutes ... ASU’s final rebounding total of 62 represented the third time in the last 25 years it had at least 60 rebounds in a game. Combined with the 59 rebounds they pulled down at Santa Clara on Nov. 16, the Sun Devils have the two highest rebounding totals in the Big 12 this season ... The 22-7 advantage ASU had in second chance points represented the second time in three games the Sun Devils had more than twice as many second chance points as their opponent (20-8 at Santa Clara on Nov. 16).

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 non-conference 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. Prior to 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.