ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils struggle in all facets against No. 6 Stanford

(Photo via Janaé Bradford/WCSN)

Arizona State Women’s Basketball came into Sunday’s game with all the odds stacked against it. The Sun Devils were 7-15 overall and had yet to record a win in 13 conference games. On the other side of the court was the No. 6-ranked Stanford Cardinal, that only had three losses on the season. The matchups featured two programs in very different stages, and that much was clear Sunday afternoon.

The Sun Devils’ hopes of conjuring up a seemingly-impossible upset were quickly squandered as Stanford built a double-digit lead in the first six minutes of the game, ending the half up by 31. The Cardinal dominated ASU in all facets of the game: inside scoring, outside shooting, forced turnovers, blocks, rebounding (on both ends), points in the paint and fastbreak points were just some of the categories Stanford led in. The game ended with a score of 96-64, with Stanford recording its second-highest scoring mark in conference play – its highest also came against ASU in December.

The Cardinal scored from anywhere on the court, seemingly anytime they wanted to. They scored 38 points in the paint and 36 points from beyond the arc, shooting 46% from the field and 52% from deep. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils had to fight and claw for every bucket, only shooting 33% from the field and 31% from three.

One silver lining is that ASU converted free throws at a better rate than Stanford, something that has been a strength of the team all season. Head coach Natasha Adair thinks that the talent at Stanford is special, but the depth is what puts it over the top.

“They just keep coming,” head coach Natasha Adair said. “I think every team has the talent, but their (strength) is the depth. They really have no drop-off, and you don’t see that across the board everywhere. You see people’s top seven or eight, but not 13 or 14.”

Another silver lining for the Sun Devils was their play in the second half, where they only got outscored by one point. Though Stanford did not play its starters as much, ASU’s response after the lopsided first half was important, especially considering how the Sun Devils have struggled in third quarters this year. At one point ASU went on a 22-5 run thanks to junior guards Tyi Skinner and Jaddan Simmons hitting four three-pointers in a little over 3:30 minutes. Adair thinks that the second-half performance can be used as momentum to carry on into upcoming games.

“I think you build on that for sure,” Adair said. “You show them the things that you did well, and then you show them the controllable plays: second chance opportunities, transition points, where, if you cut those or limit those, you put yourself in a better position.”

As Adair alluded to, the second chance points and transition points were another struggle for the Sun Devils. The Cardinal led ASU 58-35 in the rebounding battle and 22-12 in offensive boards, leading to a 19-0 advantage in second-chance points. Stanford also outpaced ASU on fastbreaks 33-11. Adair knows that the talent difference between the two teams is something the Sun Devils can’t control, but the effort they put in is something they can.

“You could see it, they were just relentless,” Adair said. “Knowing their role, knowing that that’s what they needed to do on every shot. I told our players, where you might not be able to outjump certain players, you have to stop their feet from moving. You have to be in position early. You have to track where the ball is coming. … I think that they are really good with that and balanced across the board with that, so that again is another bonus to why they are as talented as they are.

The Sun Devils are now approaching the two month mark since their last win on Dec. 17 against Prairie View A&M. But per usual, Adair is staying positive and not changing her philosophy. She feels like this team still has much room to grow, and although the losses are discouraging, the team is still improving.

“We have to continue growing as a team,” Adair said. “I thought we showed fight, and I thought we showed moments, but I think I say that pretty much every time I come in here and talk to you all. You see the fight. You see the moments, and we just have to continue to build on those moments to where they’re consistent for 40 minutes. And again, that will come. That’s part of growth. That’s part of coaching. That’s part of teaching to a group that is still getting better.”