Molly Miller and the Sun Devils may be destined to dance, as for the first time since the 1991-92 season, ASU will start the year off 6-0.
Much like the 1991-92 team, this year’s Sun Devils look to break an extended absence of six seasons or more from March Madness.
“It just feels great to win games, you know,” said freshman guard Amaya Williams. “I feel like we expected to be good this year and start off winning, you want to go undefeated in non-conference play.”
Such a lofty goal was nearly achieved in 1991-92, though the squad came just short after beginning its season 9-0, as it fell to Saint Mary’s in California.
This year, that goal is still well in reach for the Sun Devils and is something they have been striving for since their schedule was released.
ASU has seven remaining non-conference games this season, the toughest of which would be against either Penn State or Oregon State.
This year’s team shares uncanny similarities to the 1991-92 team in many facets. The biggest of which is that both teams are led by a group of important upperclassmen.
In 1991-92, it was Ryneldi Becenti and Monique Ambers who both went to the WNBA along with Lisa Salsman, Frozena Jerro, Crystal Cobb, and Jovonne Smith. All six were the team’s six leading scorers.
This year’s team possesses senior guards Gabby Elliot, Marley Washenwitz, and Last-Tear Poa, plus juniors McKinna Brackens and Jyah Lovett.
“The benefits are definitely experience,” said head coach Molly Miller. “You can’t have an old team and have that lack of understanding the game flow, and the knowledge and experience.”
The comparisons that this year’s team would love to have with 1991-92 are getting the chance to go dancing in March.
The 1991-92 team made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest before being upset by No. 11 seed DePaul.
The record and the comparisons are not what coach Miller is worried about; she’s excited to see her team progressing game-by-game.
“It’s great, but I’m more dialed into how we’re doing it and how we can improve,” said Miller. “Because in this program I’ve preached from the beginning, we’re not going to take shortcuts. And what that process looks like, we’re not going to shortchange. So I think these kids have really bought into one game at a time.”
Whether Molly Miller and her squad hit the 9-0 record to start the season like in 1991-92 or make their first appearance in March in six seasons, the comparisons cannot be denied between the two teams, as there is a lot to look forward to in Tempe.
