KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Sun Devil women’s basketball team showed toughness on multiple levels to advance to the second round of the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament following its 54-51 win over Arizona at T-Mobile Center.
Heloisa Carrera scored 16 points to lead the Sun Devils (23-9), who made it three times collecting a trio of wins over the Wildcats (12-18), since conference tournaments began in 2002. First-year head coach Molly Miller joined former Sun Devil head coach Charli Turner Thorne (2018) and interim head coach Joseph Anders (2012) as the coaches to accomplish the feat.
In ASU’s previous two wins against Arizona, it had a combined seven double-digit scoring performances. On Wednesday, all nine Sun Devils who played contributed points to the win as Carrera (8-15 FGs) was the lone Sun Devils to score in double figures.
Moving on 😈 pic.twitter.com/APo9wXHoLl
Marley Washenitz scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, while Amaya Williams (seven points, 3-5 FGs, two assists and one steal) and Deborah Davenport (six points, 3-4 FGs) combined to score 13 of ASU’s 17 bench points. Davenport’s game-high eight rebounds helped ASU finish the game plus four (34-30) on the boards. Carrera and Gabby Elliott (four points, three assists) added five rebounds each to help ASU’s cause on the glass.
Also filling the stat sheet in numerous categories were Washenitz (four rebounds, three assists, two steals) and McKinna Brackens (five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals).
Both teams had identical shooting numbers in the first quarter (8-16 FGs). The Sun Devils, who used a 9-0 run to offset an 8-0 by Arizona to start the game took an 18-17 lead after one quarter, the difference being ASU hitting one more 3-pointer (two, both by Washenitz) than UA (one). Although the teams did not know it at the time, each team’s respective point total after one quarter would end up being half the number it would score over the game’s next three quarters.
The last 20 minutes included five ties and six lead changes with the biggest lead held by either team being only four points, held twice by ASU in the first 2:30 of the last quarter.
Tied at 47-47 with five minutes remaining, Williams scored the next three points give ASU a 50-47 led.
The Wildcats responded by scoring the next four points to take their only lead of the fourth quarter, 51-50 with less than three minutes left.
Consecutive field goals by Carrera and Last-Tear Poa returned the advantage to ASU, 54-51 with 1:55 remaining.
Defense ruled the rest of the way as the two teams combined to miss five field goal attempts, including Arizona’s attempt to tie the game at the buzzer and send the game into overtime. Excellent defense by Poa and Davenport helped make sure the Sun Devils won the game in regulation.
Up next for the Sun Devils is a rematch against No. 7 seed Iowa State on Thursday (5:30 p.m. CST/4:30 p.m. MST) in the third of four second round games at T-Mobile Center. The game can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on KDUS AM 1060.