Sun Devils ready to move on from 2022-23 campaign with fresh start

(Photo via Janaé Bradford/WCSN)

As the 2023-24 women’s basketball season looms just around the corner, the Arizona State Sun Devils are gearing up for their second season under head coach Natasha Adair. Coming off an 8-20 campaign riddled with injuries, Adair and the Sun Devils are looking to bounce back with a strong season.

Despite missing key players, ASU nearly upset three top 25 teams during the last five games of the season, which ended up as narrow losses to No. 21 Colorado, No. 4 Utah, and No. 19 UCLA in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. The Sun Devils also managed to finish second in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation in fewest turnovers per game with 12.3.

Adair has plenty of experience turning programs around, starting with her time at Georgetown. She authored a complete turnaround of that program, transforming a four-win squad into a postseason contender.

After Adair’s three years in Georgetown, she took her talents to the Delaware, leading the Blue Hens to a 95-58 record during her five years at the helm. Adair’s tenure in Delaware also included an NCAA Tournament berth in the 2021-22 season, a feat she is looking to replicate with the Sun Devils in Tempe.

One of coach Adair’s best weapons from last year was senior guard Tyi Skinner, who earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors at the end of the season. Skinner averaged 19.3 points per game in 2022-23. It was her first season with the Sun Devils after transferring from the University of Delaware, where she played under Adair. Skinner was also among the leaders in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers per game and minutes per game, establishing herself as one of the premier scorers in the nation.

Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, Skinner will miss the entire 2023-24 season with a knee injury, leaving a massive hole to be filled offensively. Senior guards Jaddan Simmons and Treasure Hunt, who averaged 12.4 and 11.3 points per game, respectively, will attempt to fill the void left by Skinner’s absence.

Simmons earned Pac-12 All-Defensive honorable mention honors in 2022-23 but will need to prove she can be the primary scorer in order for ASU to succeed. Hunt, who was second on the team in 3-point attempts last season, will need to connect from range more frequently to make up for the loss of Skinner.

The Sun Devils also have a plethora of fresh faces, including transfers and players returning from injury. One such player is senior forward Maggie Besselink, who missed all of the 2022-23 season due to injury. Besselink is a fantastic rebounder, averaging 5.5 boards per game in her career, in addition to 4.6 PPG on 37.9% from the field. Her return should help bolster the Sun Devils on the glass and provide an additional leadership presence in the locker room.

Sophomore guard Jalyn Brown, a transfer from Louisville, will be another new option on the wing for ASU. Brown is a former four-star recruit out of St. Frances Academy in Maryland. She saw action in seven games last year for a Louisville team that made a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. As a three-level scorer and a solid perimeter defender, she will look to provide great value on both sides of the ball for the Sun Devils.

The last key new face for ASU is junior guard Morasha Wiggins. Wiggins transferred from North Carolina after her freshman year but missed the entirety of last season with an injury. A top-20 recruit coming out of high school, she played in 21 games for the Tar Heels as a freshman. Wiggins had all the raw talent a coach could ask for. Now, Adair will look to hone her skills to make her a valuable asset for the Sun Devils.

Looking at the schedule for this season, the Sun Devils will open their non-conference slate with UTSA, Montana State, San Francisco, Grambling State, and Idaho State, all teams that ASU has beaten in its last respective match with each team.

The rest of the non-conference games are highlighted by two teams that made the NCAA tournament in No. 13 Texas and South Florida. ASU will face the Longhorns and Bulls in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. ASU will also take on GCU, which the Sun Devils defeated in a tight contest last season.

ASU’s conference schedule in the Pac-12 will be grueling, with two matchups each with UCLA, Stanford, USC, and Washington State, ranked No. 4, No. 15, No. 21, and No. 24 in AP preseason rankings, respectively. Additionally, the Sun Devils will face other tough Pac-12 opponents, including No. 5-ranked Utah, Washington, Oregon, and Arizona. The Pac-12 looks to be one of the toughest conferences in the nation, with great talent spread throughout the conference.

The 2023-24 Arizona State women’s basketball team certainly has its work cut out for them. The loss of Skinner and an unforgiving schedule will put a great deal of pressure on Adair’s squad. While Adair has a track record of turning programs around, the process in Tempe may need another year or so before ASU is a playoff contender, and with a roster full of question marks, the future of this team remains uncertain.