May 7, 1999
TEMPE, Ariz. - Members of the Arizona State women's basketball team won't have to wait until October to begin preparations for the 1999-2000 season.
In fact, the team holds the first of its nine official practices for a two-week tour of Australia that runs May 22-June 4 on Tuesday. The team will work out daily from May 11-14 and again May 17-21 before boarding a plane for Sydney May 22.
A total of six games are on tap for the Sun Devils while abroad - three in Melbourne, two in Sydney and one on Cairns - which are sandwiched between opportunities to explore some of the best sites in and around each city.
"This is an excellent opportunity for us to continue to grow our program," says fourth-year ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne. "We've been making good strides but I really feel this tour will be the difference in having a winning season and getting to postseason play next year. Specifically, we're really going to focus on executing down the stretch of games and getting consistent with our passing decisions and our rebounding."
Turner Thorne says she also welcomes the travel schedule the Sun Devils will undergo as part of the tour. ASU flies from Sydney to Melbourne May 23, from Melbourne back to Sydney on May 28 and from Sydney to Cairns on June 1.
"A tour like this provides the opportunity for our team to work on our 'road warrior' mentality," she says. "It's an excellent chance for us to gain toughness. We play two games right after we get off planes, and I like that. Getting used to travel fatigue and having to perform under those circumstances should translate into major benefits in the upcoming season."
During its five-day stay in Melbourne, the team will play the Victoria All Stars in the first game of a triple-header that features the Australian Women's National Team vs. Brazil and the Australian Men's National Team vs. Russia. ASU's three games in Melbourne include a meeting with the Kilsyth Cobras, a team the Sun Devils defeated 69-67 in a November 1997 exhibition game in Tempe.
While in Sydney, the Sun Devils will stay at The Wentworth Hotel, located just four blocks from the world-renowned Sydney Opera House. The Sun Devils will take in the Taronga Zoo and have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. They also plan to visit "The Rocks" (Sydney's historical district), the Sydney Aquarium, Darling Harbor, Chinatown and the Sydney Olympic 2000 site. Game days in Sydney are May 28 and May 30.
"This is a good opportunity for our team to bond and get to know each other on different levels than just basketball," says forward Kristine Sand, one of three seniors on next year's team. "We'll have a lot of free time. Basketball-wise, it's just a great opportunity to see where we are. It's sort of a mini-preseason for us, which is very exciting. I think it will make it easier for us to maintain our games over the summer."
The Sun Devils will spend their final days "Down Under" in Cairns, where they will face Cairns BBC in the final game of the tour. The team will visit the Cairns Wild World Animal Park, where they can hand-feed kangaroos and watch snake, crocodile and aboriginal shows. They will conclude their tour with a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef on June 3.
"This is a time for our team to completely bond and grow close to one another," says forward Leah Combs, a sophomore next season. "Everything's going to click. We're all going to be on the same page, and the chemistry will come together. I have a good feeling and a good outlook about it. I want to see a koala bear and kangaroo. If I can see those two things I'll be set."
The Sun Devils will return to Sydney on Friday, June 4 and depart Sydney for Los Angeles later that evening. They arrive in Phoenix June 4 at 6 p.m. local time.
Arizona State Women's Basketball Australian Tour Schedule
Date Opponent Site/City Time
May 25 Nunawading BBC Nunawading Stadium/Melbourne 6:30 p.m.
May 26 Kilsyth Cobras Kilsyth Stadium/Melbourne 7:30 p.m.
May 27 Victoria All Stars The Glasshouse/Melbourne 4 p.m.
W-National Team vs. Brazil 6 p.m.
M-National Team vs. Russia 8:30 p.m.
May 28 Illawarra Kittyhawks Beaton Park Stadium/Sydney 8:30 p.m.
May 30 Sutherland BBC Bankstown Stadium/Sydney 4:30 p.m.
June 1 Cairns BBC NBS Complex/Cairns 6 p.m.
**All times are local to game sites