Looking Back and Looking Forward at the State of ASU Women’s Basketball

The clock ran out on the Sun Devils. 

In the First Four matchup against Virginia, the Arizona State women’s basketball team fought. Head coach Molly Miller fought just to get to the game. Sickness meant she had to take a flight Thursday morning just to make the game. Gabby Elliott played through a slow start to total 11 points and nine rebounds. Marley Washenitz hit a career-high five three-pointers in what could have been her best game of her Sun Devil career.

Virginia led for the majority of the game and endured Sun Devil runs throughout the game. Arizona State tied it with 41 seconds left. 

But Kymorah Johnson had four points after that point in the game and the Cavaliers survived and advanced with a 57-55 win.

Every team except one sees their season end the same way. There’s only one champion. 

Everyone else feels the sting of a season cut short. While this context won’t ease that sting now, what was accomplished and what could be on the horizon needs to be put in perspective.

After the game, Molly Miller summed it up succinctly:

“Although I’m hurting now, I think I’ll look back and think, ‘What a team.'”

92% of this team’s scoring came from newcomers. All five starters were elsewhere last year. 

This staff was building the program on completely new footing. 

How did they respond? Opening the season 15-0, the best start in program history. Their 9-9 record in conference play meant they were the No.10 seed in the conference tournament with wins over Arizona and Iowa State in the process, a six-spot jump from last season. Attendance skyrocketed from last year’s numbers. 

The fanbase was rejuvenated and growing. The new players and coaches embraced Tempe as home and the program values. 

This season was always going to be a significant one. It was the 50th year for the program. It’s natural to look back and look forward at a significant touchstone like that. 

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This year’s team played with a defensive ferocity like Charli Turner Thorne’s squads. Associate head coach Stephanie Norman came home to Tempe to help expedite the rebuild. And they did just that. The team reached the NCAA tournament for the 19th time.  Their 24 wins is the most for a first-year coaching staff in program history. 

Seniors Gabby Elliott, Marley Washenitz, Last-Tear Poa and Makayla Moore set the tone as leaders, and their absence will be felt next year. The Devils should return a strong core from this year’s squad, but in the world of the transfer portal era, not everyone with remaining eligibility is guaranteed to return. 

Tennessee transfer Ruby Whitehorn is already on-campus and practicing with the team. Jordan Jones averaged nearly 20 points a game at Denver University but missed the year with injury. Arizona State also signed three incoming freshmen: Averie Lower (SportsCenter NEXT No. 54 overall player), Londyn Parker, Quin’Nya Gray de Sanders. 

When next year’s squad takes the huddle for the first time, they should look back at the first team Miller and co. assembled in Tempe and think, “What a team.”

Then they’ll need to get to work to build upon that foundation that was set.