After not playing since Dec. 30 due to COVID-19, the Arizona State women’s basketball program will resume its 2021-22 season and finally begin Pac-12 play on Friday at home against No. 22 Colorado (13-2, 2-2 Pac-12) at 5 p.m. MST.
Since the Sun Devils’ last game against Lipscomb, the COVID-19 surge currently sweeping the world has resulted in the postponement of six conference games ASU was supposed to play in the last three weeks (at UCLA, at USC, vs. Washington, vs. Washington State, at Oregon, at Oregon State). Friday’s game will be the first game ASU will play in Desert Financial Arena since Dec. 5. The Sun Devils played their past two home games at the Weatherup Center practice facility due to a power outage at Desert Financial Arena.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne discussed the COVID-19 pause and finally resuming the season.
“It’s brutal,” Turner Thorne said. “I never in a million years thought we would be back here this year. Last year was just incredibly hard. We’re all vaccinated, we’re all boosted. I mean everybody in my program. Every player, every coach, every staff member. And yet, we got decimated. … Just the fact that it’s been three weeks and we haven’t had a game, it almost feels like we’re starting over with a new season.”
ASU (8-5) was inconsistent during non-conference play. However, the team is much stronger offensively this season than last season. Transfers Jade Loville (team-high 15.5 points per game) and Mael Gilles (10.8 PPG) have greatly improved ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils are averaging close to 67 PPG this season compared to 54 PPG last season.
While ASU’s offense has improved this season, the Pac-12 remains probably the best conference with two teams, No. 2 Stanford and No. 10 Arizona, in the top-10. Friday’s game and the rest of the conference schedule will be the true gauge for judging the Sun Devils.
Ater being the last remaining undefeated team in Division I, Colorado lost 60-52 to Stanford last Friday and 69-66 in overtime to a solid Oregon State team. The Buffaloes played a weak non-conference schedule but the narrow losses to great, or at least solid, Pac-12 teams showed they can play.
The Buffaloes feature one of the top players in the Pac-12 in fifth-year senior Mya Hollingshed. The forward is averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.7 rebounds per game. Junior center Quay Miller will also be a test for the Sun Devils as she is averaging 12.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG.
Colorado’s dynamic duo will be a key for the Sun Devils on Friday but figuring out how to score against the Buffaloes is probably the biggest challenge. Colorado is No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing just about 54 PPG.
“Colorado is really good,” Turner Thorne stated. “Very deserving of their national ranking. Probably took a little too long. Women’s polls - do not get me started. (JR Payne) does a fantastic job. They’re a veteran team. They’ve got fifth-year players that used their COVID year, came back - Hollingshed. Just a veteran team. And then they’ve added some really nice pieces through the transfer portal. … Fast pace, aggressive team. It’ll be a fun game to come back to.”
Colorado is not the only team ASU will face this weekend. Utah (9-4, 0-1 Pac-12) will visit Desert Financial Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Utes are a great offensive team as they are leading the Pac-12 in PPG with about 85 PPG and are second in the conference in team 3-point percentage (37 percent). However, they are a dreadful defensive team, allowing just over 65 PPG. They rank No. 11 in the conference in scoring defense. They feature one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 in Jenna Johnson. She is shooting a whopping 61 percent from the field, averaging 14.2 PPG and averaging 5.7 RPG.
“I think they’re averaging more points than any team in our conference,” Turner Thorne remarked. “Like 84 a game. And just shoot the stuffing out of the ball.”
Since the Sun Devils’ last game against Lipscomb, the COVID-19 surge currently sweeping the world has resulted in the postponement of six conference games ASU was supposed to play in the last three weeks (at UCLA, at USC, vs. Washington, vs. Washington State, at Oregon, at Oregon State). Friday’s game will be the first game ASU will play in Desert Financial Arena since Dec. 5. The Sun Devils played their past two home games at the Weatherup Center practice facility due to a power outage at Desert Financial Arena.
ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne discussed the COVID-19 pause and finally resuming the season.
“It’s brutal,” Turner Thorne said. “I never in a million years thought we would be back here this year. Last year was just incredibly hard. We’re all vaccinated, we’re all boosted. I mean everybody in my program. Every player, every coach, every staff member. And yet, we got decimated. … Just the fact that it’s been three weeks and we haven’t had a game, it almost feels like we’re starting over with a new season.”
ASU (8-5) was inconsistent during non-conference play. However, the team is much stronger offensively this season than last season. Transfers Jade Loville (team-high 15.5 points per game) and Mael Gilles (10.8 PPG) have greatly improved ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils are averaging close to 67 PPG this season compared to 54 PPG last season.
While ASU’s offense has improved this season, the Pac-12 remains probably the best conference with two teams, No. 2 Stanford and No. 10 Arizona, in the top-10. Friday’s game and the rest of the conference schedule will be the true gauge for judging the Sun Devils.
Ater being the last remaining undefeated team in Division I, Colorado lost 60-52 to Stanford last Friday and 69-66 in overtime to a solid Oregon State team. The Buffaloes played a weak non-conference schedule but the narrow losses to great, or at least solid, Pac-12 teams showed they can play.
The Buffaloes feature one of the top players in the Pac-12 in fifth-year senior Mya Hollingshed. The forward is averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.7 rebounds per game. Junior center Quay Miller will also be a test for the Sun Devils as she is averaging 12.4 PPG and 5.5 RPG.
Colorado’s dynamic duo will be a key for the Sun Devils on Friday but figuring out how to score against the Buffaloes is probably the biggest challenge. Colorado is No. 2 in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing just about 54 PPG.
“Colorado is really good,” Turner Thorne stated. “Very deserving of their national ranking. Probably took a little too long. Women’s polls - do not get me started. (JR Payne) does a fantastic job. They’re a veteran team. They’ve got fifth-year players that used their COVID year, came back - Hollingshed. Just a veteran team. And then they’ve added some really nice pieces through the transfer portal. … Fast pace, aggressive team. It’ll be a fun game to come back to.”
Colorado is not the only team ASU will face this weekend. Utah (9-4, 0-1 Pac-12) will visit Desert Financial Arena on Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Utes are a great offensive team as they are leading the Pac-12 in PPG with about 85 PPG and are second in the conference in team 3-point percentage (37 percent). However, they are a dreadful defensive team, allowing just over 65 PPG. They rank No. 11 in the conference in scoring defense. They feature one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 in Jenna Johnson. She is shooting a whopping 61 percent from the field, averaging 14.2 PPG and averaging 5.7 RPG.
“I think they’re averaging more points than any team in our conference,” Turner Thorne remarked. “Like 84 a game. And just shoot the stuffing out of the ball.”
