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Women's Basketball starts second half of Big 12 play on Sunday vs. Kansas State

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Women's Basketball starts second half of Big 12 play on Sunday vs. Kansas StateWomen's Basketball starts second half of Big 12 play on Sunday vs. Kansas State
Sun Devil Athletics

Sun Devil WBB (18-4, 5-4 Big 12) vs. Kansas State (11-9, 4-5 Big 12)

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The Sun Devil women’s basketball team (18-4, 5-4 Big 12) starts the second half of Big 12 conference play on Sunday (2 p.m. MST) when it hosts Kansas State (11-11, 4-5) at Desert Financial Arena. For ASU, Sunday’s contest will be the second of three straight home games following a stretch in which it played eight of 11 games on the road.

Watch/Listen

Sunday’s game vs. Kansas State can be seen on ESPN+ (Jordan Hamm/Kelly Burke). It can also be heard on KDUS AM 1060 (pregame coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. MST). 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. He will be joined by former Sun Devil head coach Maura McHugh.

How good was that 15-0 start?

ASU started 15-0 this year after going 10-22 last year. How impressive is that? Since 1999-2000, only Nebraska has bounced back from a losing record to post more season-opening wins, as Nebraska won its first 30 in 2009-10 after going 15-16 in 2008-09.

On Dec. 6, head coach Molly Miller’s first ASU squad surpassed the 1991-92 team (9-0) for the best start in school history. With its win over Utah on New Year’s Eve, ASU tied the 2008-09 and 2015-16 teams for the longest winning streak in school history. It was not until Jan. 3 (71-62 at BYU) that ASU lost for the first time in 2025-26.

Best season-opening win streaks after losing record previous season (1999-00 to present)

  • 30 by Nebraska in 2009-10 (15-16 in 2008-09)
  • 15 by Arizona State in 2025-26 (10-22 in 2024-25)
  • 14 by Georgia in 2025-26 (13-19 in 2024-25)
  • 14 by TCU in 2023-24 (8-23 in 2022-23)
  • 14 by Indiana in 2013-14 (11-19 in 2012-13)

State of play

  • Coming into Sunday’s game ASU (18-4, 5-4 Big 12 is tied for seventh in the Big 12 standings. It is a half game behind sixth-place Utah (15-7, 6-4), one game behind fifth-place Oklahoma State (17-5, 6-3), 1.5 games behind No. 21 Texas Tech (20-3, 7-3) and No. 22 West Virginia (17-5, 7-3), who are tied for third place) and three games behind No. 12 TCU (20-2, 8-1) and Baylor (19-3, 8-1), who are tied for the top spot. ASU will play five of its final nine regular season games at home. Its current homestand will conclude on Wednesday when it hosts Oklahoma State.
  • ASU was faced with what arguably was its most difficult test to date in the second half of Wednesday’s 68-61 win over Arizona. Coming off back-to-back losses for the first time this season – including a 66-64 setback in the final seconds at Cincinnati, the only time to date ASU did not win a game decided by five points or less (now 4-1) – the Sun Devils found themselves trailing by eight points after the Wildcats started the second half with a 17-2 run to take a 43-35 lead with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter. With their backs suddenly against the wall, the Sun Devils responded like the team that always found a way during its 15-0 start. In the space of 3:27 ASU outscored Arizona 15-2 to reclaim the lead late in the quarter. After McKinna Brackens swished a pair of free throws to give ASU a 54-53 lead, the Sun Devils did not allow Arizona to go ahead or tie the score over the last seven minutes of the game. In fact, ASU scored the game’s last six points while holding Arizona scoreless over the last 2:13 of the game.
  • Gabby Elliott led all players with 22 points vs. Arizona, her seventh game of the season with 20 or more points and her 10th straight game scoring in double figures. Elliott also had seven rebounds and two steals... Brackens collected her seventh double-double of the season (13 points, 10 rebounds) to go with three assists and two steals. In the fourth quarter, Brackens scored nearly half her points and pulled down more than half her rebounds... Heloisa Carrera tallied her third double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 reboundsWith her seventh double-double vs. UA, Brackens (as of Jan. 30), is 43rd in the NCAA and third in the Big 12 in double-doubles.
  • With two more wins, Molly Miller’s first Sun Devil squad would become the 21st in program history and the first since 2019-20 to win 20 games. With wins in its next two contests, this year’s Sun Devils would be the fastest to reach 20 wins since the 2015-16 team started the season with a record of 20-4. One season earlier, the 2014-15 squad set the current program standard as the fastest to reach 20 wins, doing it in 22 games (20-2). The 2013-14 team, which started the school record of consecutive 20-win seasons with seven, reached the 20-win mark in 23 games (20-3).

Series notes vs. Kansas State

  • ASU leads the all-time series 3-2 with three of the games played at a neutral site.
  • No. 11 Kansas State’s 81-69 win in last season’s contest played in Manhattan, Kan., was the first time the two teams encountered one another since ASU claimed a 65-51 in 2018 in a contest that was played in La Crosse, Wisc.

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 pct/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).
  • Including last season’s 32-3 record at Grand Canyon, is 50-6 over last two seasons and has won 48 of last 53 games (includes loss in first round of 2025 NCAAs) going back to last season.
  • Has won her last 35 home games going back to the 2023-24 season at GCU.
  • Won 300th game as an NCAA head coach on Nov. 13, 2025.

Home sweet home

  • ASU’s 68-45 win over UCF on Jan. 7 represented its 10th win at home this season (currently 12-0). The 2025-26 squad became the 28th in program history to win at least 10 home games going back to 1975-76.
  • The 2014-15 team holds the record for most wins at home (16). The 2005-06 squad is the only Sun Devil team to go unbeaten at home (15-0).
  • When playing at home this season ASU has... Outscored the opposition by an average of 16.8 ppg... Is shooting 9.8 percentage points higher... Is +8.6 on the boards and +3.5 in turnover margin.
  • Only Colorado (63) and Arizona (61 points) have scored more than 60 points vs. ASU in Tempe.

Home away from home

Even when ASU is not playing in front of its fans at Desert Financial Arena, it has still performed at a high level as it has won six of its 10 road games. The last time the Sun Devils had a winning record on the road was in 2018-19 when it went 7-4.

  • In its 10 road games ASU is +4.5 in turnover margin and +5.2 in points off turnovers (18.7-13.5).
  • Individually, Gabby Elliott (19.2 ppg, 40 pct 3FGs/5.6 rpg) and McKinna Brackens (15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) have combined to average 34.9 ppg.
  • ASU’s four highest single-game individual scoring totals this season have all come on the road. Brackens: 31 points at Utah and Elliott 30 points at Gonzaga (Dec. 16), 27 points at Penn State (Dec. 9) and 24 points at San Diego (Nov. 13). In the contest at San Diego, Elliott knocked down six 3-pointers, one short of tying the program record.
  • ASU is 4-1 this season in games decided by five points or less, including 3-1 on the road: 55-53/OT at Oregon State (Dec. 14), 68-66 at Gonzaga (Dec. 16) and 69-68 at Utah (Dec. 31). Its only loss came at Cincinnati, 66-64 on Jan. 24.

It’s no coincidence ...  

When she assumed the reins at ASU, Miller emphasized defense as one of the pillars of success of her past teams and it would be no different at ASU. Miller’s last two GCU teams were among the best in the nation in scoring defense: 19th in 23-24 (56.4 ppg), 31st in 24-25 (57.2 ppg). It should come as no surprise those teams won 83.6 percent of their games (56-11).

One of the biggest benefits of playing excellent defense is limiting the number of times a team finds itself in the unenviable position of having to chase the game. That has been a significant factor in ASU’s success this season as it has trailed by double digits only three times: at BYU, at TCU, at West Virginia. In addition, ASU has led for at least half the game (20+ mins) in all but three of its contests (at BYU, at TCU, at West Virginia), including 13 games it has led for 30+ mins.

FUN FACT: Going back to her first season at Grand Canyon (2020-21), Molly Miller’s teams are 72-1 when holding the opposition to 55 or fewer points.

Dominant Devil defense  

  • As of Jan. 30, ASU is ranked among the top 50 teams in the nation in scoring defense (37th/57.3 ppg), turnovers forced per game (31st/20.9), and steals per game (46th/10.7 spg).
  • ASU has held the opposition to 13 or fewer points in a quarter 42 times this season, including single digits 15 times. At West Virginia (Jan. 21), the Mountaineers scored more than 13 points in a quarter only one time.
  • In its 67-44 win vs. San Francisco (Dec. 6), ASU held the Dons more than 30 points below their scoring average... ASU’s 56-53 win over UNLV (Nov. 22) represented the first time the Lady Rebels were held to 53 or fewer points in 148 games... In their 53-43 loss at West Virginia (Jan. 21), the Sun Devils held West Virginia to its second-lowest point total of the season (53), 25.6 points below its scoring average, and 11.1 percentage points below its usual 34.2 percent efficiency from beyond the arc.
  • On Dec. 14, Oregon State (15 points) became the first ASU opponent in six games to reach a double-digit point total in the second quarter. ASU’s previous five opponents scored a combined 28 points in the second quarter (5.6 ppg): Little Rock - 5, SEMO - 5, McNeese - 7 San Francisco - 7, Penn State - 4.
  • The opposition has had 20+ more turnovers 11 times, including a trio of 30+ TO games: 33 vs. Coppin St. (Nov. 3), 31 vs. San Francisco (Dec. 6) and a season-high 36 at Penn St. (Dec. 9).
  • As of Jan. 30, Gabby Elliott has two of the highest single-game steal totals in the Big 12: 8 vs. San Francisco, 7 vs. Coppin St.
  • In its win over Colorado (Dec. 21), ASU’s defense stepped up when it mattered most. After CU made its first three shots of the fourth quarter to pull within two points, 58-56, ASU forced CU into missing seven of its last nine shots and outscored CU 21-7 over the last 7:57 of the game.
  • In their eventual 68-61 win over Arizona on Jan. 28, the Sun Devils did not allow Arizona to go ahead or tie the score after taking a 54-53 lead with seven minutes remaining. In fact, ASU scored the game’s last six points while holding Arizona scoreless over the last 2:13 of the game.

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). Its rebounding effort vs. Utah Tech represented the third time in the last 25 years it had at least 60 rebounds in a game.
  • ASU has outscored the opposition by an average of 20.0-13.5 in points off turnovers this season.
  • ASU has scored 20 or more points in a quarter 24 times.
  • In its win at San Diego (Nov. 13), ASU tied the single-game program record for most 3-pointers (14). As of Jan. 30, ASU’s 63.6 percentage from beyond the arc in that game is the second-highest 3-point shooting percentage by a Big 12 team this season.
  • Six Sun Devils have led/tied for the team lead in scoring: Elliott (10x), Brackens (8x), Carrera (4x), Washenitz (1x), Williams (1x), LoVett (1x).
  • Seven Sun Devils have scored in double figures multiple times: Elliott (20x - including last 10 games), Brackens (18x), Washenitz (10x), Carrera (9x), LoVett (3x), Williams (4x) and Poa (2x).
  • Seven Sun Devils have led or tied for the team lead in rebounding: Brackens (10x), Carrera (7x), Elliott (4x), Deborah Davenport (3x), Washenitz (1x), Martina Fantini (1x) and Poa (1x).
  • Elliott, Carrera and Washenitz have started every game this season. Williams (three starts), LoVett and Davenport (two starts) have played in every game this season.

Individual player notes

  • Brackens scored a then-career high 23 points in consecutive games: at Santa Clara (Nov. 16) and vs. UNLV (Nov. 22) and set a new career standard in scoring with 31 points at Utah (Dec. 31).
  • Four different players have posted double-doubles this season: Brackens (7), Elliott (1), Poa (1) and Carrera (1). With her seventh double-double vs. Arizona on Wednesday, Brackens (as of Jan. 30), is 43rd in the NCAA and third in the Big 12 in double-doubles.
  • 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 game since current graduate assistant Reili Richardson had 11 at Colorado State on Dec. 9, 2018. Poa hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining in overtime in ASU’s 55-53 win at Oregon State (Dec. 14).
  • Brackens’ second half (22 points) and fourth quarter (14 points) at Utah (Dec. 31) were reminiscent of what Elliott did at Gonzaga on Dec. 16. In that contest, Elliott scored 21 points in the second half with 17 of them coming in the final 10 minutes to lead ASU to a 68-66 win.