ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils set to open season against NAU

(Photo via Rebecca Striffler/WCSN)

Arizona State Women’s basketball kicks off its 2022-2023 campaign against instate opponent Northern Arizona on Monday night.

The Sun Devils had a disappointing 2021-2022 campaign, finished 12-14 and 4-9 in Pac-12 play. Their curtain call came with a 54-59 loss to Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Following the retirement of long-time head coach Charli Turner Thorne, ASU brought in former Delaware Head Coach Natasha Adair. Adair held a 95-58 record over five years with the Blue Hens, and her coaching talent earned her Colonial Athletic Association Head Coach of the Year honors.

While at Delaware, Adair brought the program its winningest season since 2013 and its highest-scoring season. Before Adair’s departure, the Blue Hens celebrated back-to-back 20-plus win seasons, and they qualified for the 2022 NCAA Tournament as a No. 13 seed.

Even with all the questions and uncertainties around Arizona State, the Sun Devils have remained positive. Although most of the buzz has centered around junior guards Jaddan Simmons and Treasure Hunt, Adair believes several other players could also hold key roles.

While ASU is favored in Monday night’s matchup, the Sun Devils will likely still need to play their brand of basketball to start the season 1-0.

NAU will enter Desert Financial Arena coming off a solid 2021-2022 season in the Big Sky, in which the Lumberjacks finished 17-14 and 12-8 in conference play. However, in that season, NAU faltered every time they faced Pac-12 competition, taking losses to Arizona, Washington, and Washington State. Additionally, ASU is 2-0 in matchups with NAU, with the last meeting coming in 2010.

Although history favors the Sun Devils, with a new coach and a wealth of new players, ASU will need solid performances on all fronts to establish its new identity and lead off the Adair era with a win.

The excitement continues to build around ASU Women’s Basketball, but the Sun Devils will need to prove they can play their game Monday against NAU.