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WBB hosts annual Briann January Classic

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WBB hosts annual Briann January ClassicWBB hosts annual Briann January Classic

Up next
The Sun Devil Women’s Basketball team (8-0) has a chance to make program history this weekend when it hosts the annual Briann January Classic at Mullett Arena. ASU faces McNeese on Friday (6:30 p.m. MST) and San Francisco on Saturday (2:30 p.m. MST). With a win on Friday, ASU would tie the best start in program history. Wins on Friday and Saturday would establish a new program standard.

In addition to ASU’s games, there will also be a pair of neutral-site games this weekend. Nevada will face San Francisco on Friday (4 p.m. MST), and on Saturday, McNeese will take on Nevada at 12 p.m.

Watch/Listen
Friday’s game can be seen on ESPN+ (Alex Coil and Jody Jackson) and heard on KDUS AM 1060 (coverage will start at 6 p.m.). The state of Arizona’s 2010 and 2019 Broadcaster of the Year, Jeff Munn, who on Dec. 4, 2025, was named a recipient of the Arizona Media Association Lifetime Service Award, is in his 22nd season as the voice of ASU WBB. Former ASU head coach Maura McHugh’ll join him.

About the Briann January Classic
The annual event is named for Briann January, one of the greatest players in program history. During her four seasons in Tempe (2006-09), January’s play helped catapult ASU into the upper echelon of the nation’s best teams.

The winner of the first two Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year awards (2008 and 2009), January earned honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press and WBCA in 2009. During her career, the Sun Devils won 77 percent of their overall games (104-32), 82 percent of their Pac-10 games (59-13). They qualified for the NCAA Tournament all four years, including ASU’s only two Elite Eight appearances (2007, '09).

 The Indiana Fever drafted January with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 WNBA draft. She won a WNBA championship with the Fever in 2012 and was selected to play in the 2014 WNBA All-Star Game. January also played for the Phoenix Mercury, Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm during her 14-year WNBA career. She earned WNBA All-Defensive first-team recognition five times and second-team honors twice.

In November 2021, January, became the third Sun Devil women’s basketball player to have her jersey – No. 20 – honored and hung from the rafters of Desert Financial Arena. In October 2022, January became the most recent women’s basketball player inducted into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame.

On the verge of making history
Molly Miller’s first ASU squad is approaching the best start in program history. ASU’s current 8-0 record ties the second-best mark (1990-91 squad coached by current Sun Devil radio analyst Maura McHugh). Only the 1991-92 team (9-0) – also coached by McHugh – opened its campaign with more consecutive wins.

In good company
As of Dec. 4 (not including Dec. 4 results), ASU was one of 19 teams in the nation with an unbeaten record. Of those 19 teams, ASU was one of four Big 12 teams, joining Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech.

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. At the outset of the 2025-26 campaign, Miller (84.4 percent/297-55 career record) trailed only legendary coaches Geno Auriemma (88.3 percent/1,250-165 career record) and Kim Mulkey (85.9 percent/754-124 career record).
  • Has won her last 38 non-NCAA Tournament games going back to last season when she was coaching at Grand Canyon University.
  • Has won her last 29 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.

State of play

  • This weekend’s contests will be the last of six consecutive home contests for the Sun Devils. The stretch started vs. UNLV on Nov. 22, continued with three games last week and will conclude on Dec. 6 when the Sun Devils play San Francisco.
  • ASU’s game vs. McNeese will be the first meeting between the two schools ... The Sun Devils have been victorious in three of their four all-time meetings vs. San Francisco. ASU’s 77-69 win in Tempe in 2023 was the first time the two teams crossed paths since the 1985-86 season. Last season in the Bay Area, San Francisco claimed its first win in the series, 67-64. Jyah LoVett scored 14 points in the loss.
  • ASU will close non-conference play with three road games: at Penn State (Dec. 9), at Oregon State (Dec. 14) and at Gonzaga (Dec. 16).
  • ASU will commence Big 12 play on Dec. 21 when it hosts Colorado.

Welcome home
Sun Devil Hall of Famer Amanda Levens coaches Nevada. As a player, Levens helped lead ASU to consecutive NCAA appearances (2001-02). The 2001 NCAA berth was ASU’s first since 1992. Before assuming the top spot at Nevada, Levens was an associate head coach on Charli Turner Thorne’s staff for five seasons.  

Dominant Devil defense  
Only one ASU opponent (Santa Clara, 77 points) has scored more than 58 points vs. ASU this season ... In its three wins last week, ASU gave up an average of 50.3 points... Against Little Rock, the Sun Devils recorded new opponent lows this season for points (41), points in a half (14), points in a quarter (5), field goals made (13), field goal percentage (27.1) and 3-point field goal percentage (17.9) ... The last time an opponent scored 14 or fewer points in a half was on Dec. 4, 2021: UTSA scored 13 points in the first half... In Saturday’s win over SEMO, ASU allowed five points in the second quarter for the second time in as many games... ASU has held the opposition to 13 (52.0 ppg average) or fewer points in a quarter 14 times (10x in first half) this season, including single digits six times (4x in first half)... ASU has held the opposition to 13 (52.0 ppg average) or fewer points in a quarter 15 times (11x in first half) this season, including single digits seven times (5x in first half).

Rankings of note (As of Dec. 4)

  • As a team, ASU is currently among the top 50 teams in the nation in rebounds per game (28th/43.75), rebounding margin (32nd/+9.8), and field goal percentage. defense (34th/34.9) scoring defense (37th/54.9 ppg), assists per game (41st/17.0), defensive rebounds per game (46th/29.1).
  • Individual players who are currently ranked among the best in the nation include Last-Tear Poa (assists per game/29th/5.5) and McKinna Brackens (double-doubles/34th/3).
  • Within the Big 12, Gabby Elliott is 13th in scoring (15.1 ppg), tied for 16th in rebounding (6.4 rpg), 15th in minutes per game (30.2) ... McKinna Brackens is 18th in scoring (14.6 ppg), 7th in rebounding (7.6 rpg), 13th in FG pct. (47.0), 12th in offensive rebounds (2.75 rpg), 14th in minutes per game (30.4)... Marley Washenitz is 8th in steals per game (2.13), 12th in assist-to-TO ratio (2.0) ... Heloisa Carrera is tied for 7th in FG pct (53.9), tied for 14th in offensive rebounds (2.38) ... Poa is tied for 7th in assists per game (5.5).

Individual player notes

  • Five different players have led ASU in scoring: McKinna Brackens (3x), Gabby Elliott (2x), Marley Washenitz (1x), Amaya Williams (1x), and Heloisa Carrera (1x).
  • Four different players have led ASU in rebounding: Brackens (4x), Elliott (2x), Washenitz (1x), Carrera (1x).
  • Elliott and Brackens have both scored in double figures in all but one game. Brackens (double figures in scoring in last six games) scored a career-high 23 points in consecutive games: at Santa Clara (Nov. 16) and vs. UNLV (Nov. 22).
  • Elliott’s 24 points at San Diego (Nov. 13) represent the most scored by a Sun Devil this season. In that contest, Elliott knocked down six 3-pointers, one short of tying the single-game program record.
  • Six Sun Devils have scored in double figures multiple times: Elliott (7x), Brackens (7x), Washenitz (4x), Amaya Williams (3x - led ASU with 18 points in win over Little Rock on Nov. 28), Last-Tear Poa (2x), Heloisa Carrera (4x/3x in last four games including career-high 21 points in win over SEMO (Nov. 29).
  • Earlier this season, Brackens had three straight double-doubles: 23 points, 11 rebounds at Santa Clara (Nov. 16), 23 points, 10 rebounds vs. UNLV (Nov. 22) and 19 points, 10 rebounds vs. Utah Tech (Nov. 25).
  • Poa (10 assists vs. SEMO and vs. Coppin State) and Williams (11 assists at San Diego) have combined for three double-digit assist games this season. Williams’ 11 assists were the most for a Sun Devil in a single match since current graduate assistant Reili Richardson had 11 at Colorado State on Dec. 9, 2018.
  • Elliott’s career-high 16 rebounds at Santa Clara (Nov. 16) are tied for the most in a game by a player in the Big 12 this season. Her seven steals in the season opener vs. Coppin State (Nov. 3) are the most by a player in the Big 12 this season.
  • Three players have had double-figure scoring performances coming off the bench this season: Williams (18 points vs. Little Rock), Poa (14 points vs Santa Clara/came off bench after missing previous two games and Jyah LoVett (13 points vs. Eastern Washington).

Team notes

  • ASU has the top two rebounding games by a Big 12 team this season: vs. Utah Tech (62) and vs. Santa Clara (59 rebounds).
  • The Sun Devils have nearly doubled up the opposition in points off turnovers this season: 21.2-10.9.
  • ASU has had more second-chance points than its opponent in all eight games this season. Avg: ASU 13.1-6.9.
  • ASU’s bench has outscored the opposition’s reserves six times in eight 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 its last five games, ASU has averaged 22 points scored in the second quarter while its opponents have managed only 10.6.
  • In half of its games, ASU has forced 20 or more turnovers, including a season-high 33 turnovers in the opener vs. Coppin State (Nov. 3).
  • The Sun Devils have scored 20 or more points in a quarter 13 times this season.