ASU women’s basketball will attempt to rebound against USC and UCLA this weekend
Jesse Morrison
After losing road games to Washington and Washington State last weekend, Arizona State women’s basketball will try to get back on track against USC on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST and UCLA on Saturday at noon MST.
The Trojans (11-14, 4-11 Pac-12) are coming off a weekend where they upset a solid Utah team 83-62. They feature one of the best forwards in the conference in Jordyn Jenkins. She is No. 6 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 53 percent. And she is averaging 15.2 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
The Bruins (11-11, 6-8 Pac-12) have struggled as of late, losing four of their last five games but they do feature one of the best players in the conference in Charisma Osborne. The junior guard is averaging 17.1 PPG this season, which is No. 2 in the Pac-12. And her 3.5 assists per game ranks No. 7 in the conference. She is aided by another great player in Ilmar’I Thomas. The forward is averaging 15.5 PPG and a team-high 5.5 RPG.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne discussed how this weekend will be different from last weekend.
“They play different styles of defense,” Turner Thorne said. “Both SC and UCLA pressure a lot more. And they also accept their defenses a lot more. … We got to really have our pressure counters ready.”
The games this weekend will be ASU’s last games of the regular season. The Sun Devils will head to Las Vegas next week for the Pac-12 tournament, set to begin on Wednesday. Both this weekend and the Pac-12 tournament will be crucial for ASU as the team has fallen out of the NCAA tournament bubble. In ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme’s latest projection, ASU was not even listed as a next four out team. This was after being projected as a tournament team last week.
The season is not getting easier for the Sun Devils as heartbreaking news came down on Wednesday. Turner Thorne announced that starting forward Jayde Van Hyfte tore her ACL against Washington State. It was the same knee she has had five surgeries on.
Turner Thorne said it was a “gut punch” and “we’re all just heartbroken for her.”
On a positive note, Turner Thorne said guard Gabriela Bosquez, who left the game Sunday against Washington with an ankle injury, should be good to go this weekend.
Jesse Morrison
After losing road games to Washington and Washington State last weekend, Arizona State women’s basketball will try to get back on track against USC on Thursday at 5 p.m. MST and UCLA on Saturday at noon MST.
The Trojans (11-14, 4-11 Pac-12) are coming off a weekend where they upset a solid Utah team 83-62. They feature one of the best forwards in the conference in Jordyn Jenkins. She is No. 6 in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage, shooting 53 percent. And she is averaging 15.2 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
The Bruins (11-11, 6-8 Pac-12) have struggled as of late, losing four of their last five games but they do feature one of the best players in the conference in Charisma Osborne. The junior guard is averaging 17.1 PPG this season, which is No. 2 in the Pac-12. And her 3.5 assists per game ranks No. 7 in the conference. She is aided by another great player in Ilmar’I Thomas. The forward is averaging 15.5 PPG and a team-high 5.5 RPG.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne discussed how this weekend will be different from last weekend.
“They play different styles of defense,” Turner Thorne said. “Both SC and UCLA pressure a lot more. And they also accept their defenses a lot more. … We got to really have our pressure counters ready.”
The games this weekend will be ASU’s last games of the regular season. The Sun Devils will head to Las Vegas next week for the Pac-12 tournament, set to begin on Wednesday. Both this weekend and the Pac-12 tournament will be crucial for ASU as the team has fallen out of the NCAA tournament bubble. In ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme’s latest projection, ASU was not even listed as a next four out team. This was after being projected as a tournament team last week.
The season is not getting easier for the Sun Devils as heartbreaking news came down on Wednesday. Turner Thorne announced that starting forward Jayde Van Hyfte tore her ACL against Washington State. It was the same knee she has had five surgeries on.
Turner Thorne said it was a “gut punch” and “we’re all just heartbroken for her.”
On a positive note, Turner Thorne said guard Gabriela Bosquez, who left the game Sunday against Washington with an ankle injury, should be good to go this weekend.
