(Photo: Troy Tauscher/WCSN)
Sun Devil women’s hoops (7-3, 3-3 Pac-12) will be returning to the court for the first time in nearly three weeks as they prepare to host Colorado and Utah this weekend.
Their previous two weeks, which included four matchups against the Washington and Oregon schools, had been postponed due to COVID-19 developments within the program.
The Devils have only played two games this month. The last time they saw action was January 3 in a 68-60 loss to then-No. 1 Stanford.
“Good to be back definitely,” head coach Charli Turner Thorne said in her weekly media availability session on Wednesday. “It’s been a process just with getting our team healthy and kind of easing our way back into the gym, so I’m excited for us to be able to play this weekend.”
As it approaches the halfway mark of the season, Arizona State has had five games postponed to date, including its first scheduled meeting against Colorado last month. The team has also had several injuries, leaving the roster shorthanded and adding another challenge to the already strenuous season.
“It’s been an interesting season. We have not had our entire team healthy for a single game,” Turner Thorne said. “When I think about that and having one senior on the team and no returning starters, I think it’s pretty impressive what this young group has been able to do so far.”
After their long break from action, the Devils will first take on Colorado (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) on Friday. The Buffs are coming off their biggest win in program history against Stanford, which toppled them from its No. 1 rank. Senior forward Mya Hollingshed was named Player of the Week by both ESPN and the Pac-12 for putting up 32 points in the upset.
“JR [Payne] is a great coach and that team just keeps getting better and better,” Turner Thorne said. “They’ve been a young team and now they’re finally not that young anymore, and a lot of those kids have a ton of starts under their belt…So that is paying off, all the experience with good coaching and growing that team. They’re going to be a very formidable opponent.”
Both teams will be relying on their strong defenses. The Sun Devils are allowing 55 points per game, the fewest in the Pac-12, and are ranked 18th nationally in scoring defense.
On Sunday, ASU will take on Utah (3-8, 2-8 Pac-12), who it beat 56-48 after erasing a double-digit deficit in Salt Lake City last month. Junior guard Taya Hanson put up 15 points in the contest.
The Utes fell in their last appearance on the court to Stanford, 82-54. They are coming off a postponed game against Cal, but are set to face Arizona before visiting Tempe.
Even with tight protocols, COVID-19 found a way to throw the Devils’ season into a loop. As they take the court this weekend, the team needs no reminder of how fortunate they are for any opportunity to play.
“I don’t think we needed the break to know that we’re very grateful for any game that we’re going to get this year,” Turner Thorne said.
The Devils will play Colorado on Friday at 3 p.m. MST and against Utah on Sunday at 2 p.m. MST. Both games will be available via ASU live stream.
