Devils in Detail
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ASU Basketball: A Look at Next Season’s Women’s Frontcourt

By Sam Ficarro

Jan 3, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne is presented with an award marking her 400th career win during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Wildcats won 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne is presented with an award marking her 400th career win during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Wells-Fargo Arena. The Wildcats won 94-82. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the graduation of the most successful senior class, ASU basketball looks to replace the production of Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder & Kelsey Moos.

ASU basketball is entering a new era in the frontcourt with the graduation of forwards Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos and center Quinn Dornstauder.

Arizona State will endure a similar changing of the guard as they did leading up to last season in the backcourt with the graduation of guards Elisha Davis, Katie Hempen and Arnecia Hawkins.

Luckily for Arizona State, the way head coach Charli Turner Thorne rotates players, it should lead to a pretty seamless transition for those who are returning to the team.

The consensus for Arizona State is that forward Kianna Ibis will start next season giving ASU a stretch-forward on the court.

Ibis played in every game last season averaging 5.3 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game while playing 17.7 minutes per game.

What separates Ibis from the other forwards is her 3-point ability shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc.

Ibis plays differently than other forwards on the team with her ability to shoot from the perimeter.

It will be interesting to see if she can develop a post-up game similar to the likes of Brunner and Dornstauder.

A player who impressed at the end of last season was forward Jamie Ruden.

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Ruden missed the majority of last season because of a Jones fracture, but returned in the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament because she was not eligible for a medical redshirt having played over 30 percent of games.

Ruden averaged 3.9 PPG in 14 games, including scoring 12 points versus UCLA in the second round of the Pac-12 Tournament.

Similar to Ibis, Ruden has the ability to make threes and stretch the defense while also being a strong rebounder.

Another returnee for Arizona State is forward Charnea Johnson-Chapman.

Johnson-Chapman had an up-and-down sophomore season playing in 29 games and not playing a lot down the stretch.

Averaging only 6.8 MPG, Johnson-Chapman averaged 0.9 PPG and 1.8 RPG shooting 13-of-27 last season.

This is Arizona State’s most interesting player because she has the size to be productive in the paint, but she struggles to gain positioning in the paint.

Johnson-Chapman has the greatest room for growth heading into next season.

Arizona State will now turn to other players who will be applying their first minutes as a Sun Devil.

The player that will likely make the most impact from that group is transfer forward Courtney Ekmark.

The UConn transfer returns home after attending St. Mary’s High School leading them to three straight Division I state titles.

In her two seasons in Storrs, Ekmark played limited meetings averaging 8.9 MPG scoring 2.0 PPG and 1.1 RPG shooting 45 percent from the field.

Turner Thorne has raved about Ekmark’s leadership and her mentorship of the young guards.

After not being able to breakthrough at UConn, Ekmark will be fully healthy and will look to be a key leader on and off the court taking the place of Moos in the starting lineup.

ASU will also have a freshman class of three players with forwards Eva Rubin, Bre’yanna Sanders and Sophia Elenga.

Next: ASU Basketball: What Does the Future Hold For Women’s Team?

It should be fascinating to see how this group grows throughout the season and who will emerge as ASU embarks on a new season with no seniors graduating after next season.