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ASU Women’s Basketball: Sun Devils host UTSA in season opener

By Alex Weiner

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot Sparky the Sun Devil performs during the team's quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament against the Oregon Ducks T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon won 80-57. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The long-awaited beginning of the ASU women’s basketball season is over Sunday as the Sun Devils open up the season versus UTSA.

At 2 p.m. MT Sunday on the ASU Live Stream, a new season of ASU women’s basketball begins in Tempe as they host the University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners.

After finishing last season 20-13 with a second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, ASU will come out with a different, more youthful look.

Four seniors have graduated, including last season’s two leading scorers in Sophie Brunner and Quinn Dornstauder. Now, there are no current seniors on the roster. It will be intriguing to see which players will step up and be leaders on the court and in the locker room.

The starting backcourt returns with junior Sabrina Haines and sophomore Reili Richardson. Richardson led the team in assists (3.8 per game) while scoring the third most points (8.4 per game) and earning a Pac-12 All-Freshman honorable mention to in 2016-2017.

Haines, along with Brunner, scored the most points in postseason play (13.3 per game) and had the second most assists last season (2.4 per game). The two guards will have much different role this season, as they are now veteran starters and will be looked upon to lead.

Charli Turner Thorne returns for her 21st season as ASU’s head coach. She has led the Sun Devils into the Tournament in 17 out of the last 18 years. It will be up to her to figure out an effective way to utilize her young talent.

UTSA comes in after a season in which they finished 14-16 overall, while going 4-8 in non-conference play. They lost their only Pac-12 game last season to Oregon in Eugene.

But, under first-year head coach Kristen Holt, they have started their season 1-0 with a 97-47 beating of Sul Ross State at home.

Next: ASU Women's Basketball: Sun Devils embark on new era

The Sun Devils are a much more talented team than the Roadrunners, but it will be vital that ASU does not take that for granted. UTSA is coming off of a blowout win, and Arizona State has a lot to figure out with such a young team. The Sun Devils should pick up a victory, but they need to come out with the right mindset if they wish to avoid an upset.