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ASU WBB: Loss of Leadership, What’s Next for the Sun Devils?

By Gigi Micketti

Mar 23, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Sophie Brunner (21) and forward Kelsey Moos (24) go after the rebound during the first half against the UALR Trojans in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Sophie Brunner (21) and forward Kelsey Moos (24) go after the rebound during the first half against the UALR Trojans in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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With ASU basketball heading to the NCAA Tournament later this month, few games remain for the team’s four seniors. Quinn Dornstauder, Kelsey Moos, Sophie Brunner, and Sarah Hattis will be hanging up their Sun Devil jerseys for the last time, leaving the Sun Devils without leadership.

ASU basketball entered into the 2016-2017 with solid but inexperienced young players feeding off of the leadership of the seniors on the team. Hattis hadn’t had much time on the court to truly contribute effectively with each game, but the trio of Moos, Dornstauder, and Brunner dominated and picked up the tempo of play with the freshmen on the team.

After Moos’ injury early in the season, strong leadership was needed more than ever for the Devils. Missing the Moos from games forced the freshmen to step up which brings hope for the girls next season without their key players.

Of the freshmen to make a difference during the season, Reili Richardson performed with such confidence and poise that is much beyond her freshman status. Head coach Charlie Turner-Thorne

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praised her performance all season with how calm she remains on the court and can effectively lead the team from the guard position.

Robbi Ryan has the potential to fill the shoes of Moos as the dominant defensive presence for the team. On the court Ryan provides much needed support to her team and has a very aggressive style of play that reflects Moos. Much similar to her senior counterpart, Ryan does rack up points but isn’t a good player because her stats, but rather because of the pressure she puts on her team to step up and compete each game.

Though she had not made an appearance during regular season, Jamie Ruden played few minutes in the Pac-12 Tournament and showed the team why she was a five-star recruit coming into the year. She has a quality shot and is a solid player to have sitting on the post. Her height and strength combine to help box out in the paint and get rebounds, something ASU desperately needed all season. As long as she stays healthy, her leadership at the forward position will be a great benefit to the team in place of Sophie Brunner.

As far as how well next season will go for the Devils, it is kind of up in the air for now. They’ll still have a lot of young guards but will really need strength at the posts if they are to do well. Those positions will more than likely be filled by freshman recruits, so the lack of experience there could potentially hurt the Devils in which case it could take them a couple years to build up team chemistry and truly be a strong team.

Next: Poor First Quarter Dooms ASU Basketball in Seattle

With the guidance of Turner-Thorne, ASU  will grow and continue to be a huge competitor in the Pac-12, and it will be interesting to see where the team will go in the next few years.