(Photo: Troy Tauscher/WCSN)
Arizona State women’s basketball is set to tip off their season at home against Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday with a young squad. The large incoming class features seven newcomers to the roster, six of them being freshmen.
One thing that remains constant for the Sun Devils is coach Charli Turner Thorne, who will begin her 24th campaign in Tempe.
The match is part of a four-team tournament that is being hosted at Desert Financial Arena to commence the season. The Sun Devils will be playing VCU on Friday, and Saint Mary’s on Monday.
With half of the roster being brand new, it may take time for Turner Thorne to decide on the best rotation for the Devils. Just one senior is on the roster, and young talent will look to establish themselves and step up in place of the talented class that graduated last year.
While facing inexperience, this Sun Devil team is still full of talent. Freshman guard Jaddan Simmons is the all-time leading scorer in the Green Bay metro area and was ranked No. 31 at her position by ESPN. She is expected to be in the starting lineup for her first game as a Sun Devil along with freshman forward Katelyn Levings, the No. 23 player at her position according to ESPN, who had a decorated high school career in Oklahoma.
Other new names to look out for on the court include guard Sydney Erikstrup, who is ranked No. 32 at her position by ESPN and excels from behind the arc. Junior guard Gabriela Bosquez transferred from Blinn College and will bring collegiate-level experience to the team.
Like past years, the Sun Devils looked outside of the United States to help complete their roster. Maggie Besselink is joining the team from Canada, and 6-foot-4 center Imogen Greenslade is coming from Australia to help add frontcourt depth for the Devils.
This incoming class is being touted as the tallest in ASU history.
Turner Thorne is also calling the team the youngest that she has ever coached, though expectations remain high for the Devils to reach their seventh straight NCAA Tournament.
The Sun Devils’ last appearance came over eight months ago during the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas where they fell to Cal. The Devils finished the season with a 20-11 record, their eighth consecutive 20-win season.
Their opening slate of non-conference games should help the Devils test their young roster before jumping into Pac-12 play on December 4th against USC. Stephen F. Austin and VCU were both voted preseason favorites to win their conferences and are retaining most of their talent from last season.
Stephen F. Austin finished last season 23-6. The Ladyjacks will be led by Aiyana Johnson and Stephanie Visscher, who each averaged 13.3 ppg last season and were picks for the preseason All-Southland Conference First Team.
VCU is coming off a 20-12 season and will be headlined by guard Tera Reed, a preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team selection.
The Sun Devils’ first tip will come Wednesday at 4 p.m. For the tournament the teams will be in a pseudo bubble and no fans will be allowed in attendance.
All the Sun Devil games will be available through the ASU live stream on Pac-12 Plus.
