Gabby Elliott Helps Team Lieberman to Women’s College All-Star Game Win

PHOENIX – Arizona State graduate guard Gabby Elliott’s collegiate career led her to nearly every corner of the country. The Detroit native spent time at Clemson, Michigan State, Penn State and, most recently, ASU. On Saturday, Elliott bookended her college journey at Global Credit Union Arena in West Phoenix for one final game as a student-athlete.

Fueled by a dominant defensive effort, Elliott helped Team Lieberman to a 72-69 win over Team Miller in the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game.

The game attracted several big-name stars in women’s basketball, including three-time WNBA champion and former league MVP Diana Taurasi and WNBA champion and four-time All-Star Kahleah Copper. Both are players Elliott looks up to.

“It’s an amazing feeling just to see how far the game has come, how much support we have as women,” Elliott said.

Elliott did her best to ignore the star-studded audience, but the ASU coaching staff’s shouts cut through the noise.

Head coach Molly Miller and the entire Sun Devil staff sat courtside, but for Miller and assistant coach Daniel Barber, watching Elliott as spectators rather than coaches proved especially difficult.

“I tried to let her do her thing, but I was like ‘Gabby, go get a bucket’ or ‘play defense, Gabby, go get a rebound.’ Me and Daniel Barber, we couldn’t help ourselves on the sideline,” Miller said.

Looking back on her first year at ASU, Miller almost feels cheated that she wasn’t able to coach Elliott for more than a year.

After inheriting a player who had battled injuries and never risen beyond a secondary offensive role, Miller helped Elliott evolve into a do-it-all point forward capable of guarding anyone on the floor.

And for the first time in ASU program history, be one of 20 players selected for the All-Star game.

“She’s a tough matchup,” Miller said. “She can score at all three levels… I think she’s one of those players that are really coachable, that can do anything for anyone. So her versatility would fit well in the W(NBA)”

Elliott’s involvement in the All-Star game was indicative of the 180-degree turnaround Miller provided for ASU women’s basketball.

After three lackluster seasons under Natasha Adair, which produced no All-Conference selections, Miller’s first year featured two: Elliott and junior forward McKinna Brackens, both named to the All-Big 12 Third Team.

Adair’s tenure saw sterile home environments and middling fan attendance. Miller’s regime has already seen over a 50 percent jump in attendance and a complete shift in culture. Her players are adaptable to any circumstance. A primary scoring option can seamlessly morph into an exceptional team player.

Elliott showcased the versatility her coach praised on Saturday, embracing a role-player’s duties.

After a prolific season that saw her hit career high averages in points, assists and steals, Elliott’s All-Star game performance was more centered around her lockdown defense.

In only 17 minutes on the floor, Elliott tallied six points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist without committing a personal foul.

Team Lieberman head coach Nancy Lieberman showed complete trust in Elliott, turning to her in the game’s most critical moments.

Instead of playing a traditional game with four ten-minute quarters, the All-Star Game was decided by whichever team hit the target score of 72 first. The game was timed like a regular match for the first three-and-a-half quarters, then the game clock was shut off and played till the target score was reached.

With Team Lieberman clinging to a 67–65 lead, Lieberman put the ball in Elliott’s hands. Curling around the elbow and weaving through screens, Elliott took a pass from Vanderbilt’s Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda, then – reminiscent of her Sun Devil days – rose after one dribble and buried a midrange jumper.

On the ensuing possession, the ball found its way to Elliott once more. After the inbounds pass, Elliott threw her hands up, signaling to her teammate that she wanted – rather, needed – the ball. As she trotted down the court, her eyes scanned for mismatches, trying to find a hole in the defense. When she got to the three point line, she locked her sights on Mississippi’s Christeen Iwuala – the game’s eventual MVP – who was jousting for position in the post. Elliott quickly dished the ball inside, where Iwuala would easily lay the ball in for the game’s penultimate points.

Iwuala would then go on to net the game’s 72nd point on a pair of free throws and capture the win for Team Lieberman.

Elliott’s performance left her coach thoroughly impressed. Lieberman believes Elliott’s future could hold a professional opportunity.

“She plays hard, she gets in your face, she uses the strength of her body. She’s quick, she can guard big, she can guard little. When you have that type of ability, coaches recognize it because we can play her at any position,” Lieberman said.

Elliott’s collegiate career may be over, but her next journey begins Monday, April 13, where she hopes to hear her name called in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

No matter where Elliott ends up, she can be certain she left a lasting mark on her coaches, teammates, and the ASU community.

“I’m so proud of her,” Miller said. “She’s a great human being, she’s a great teammate, and obviously a great basketball player. So this is a great day to celebrate her.”