Arizona State sets attendance record in win over rival

Just a few months ago, right before Molly Miller was hired, fan enthusiasm for Sun Devil basketball was at an all-time low. Not only had the men's team finished another disappointing season, but the typically strong women's program was enduring its worst three-year stretch in decades.

It's crazy to think how far Miller has brought this program already.

On Wednesday night, the Sun Devils snapped a six-game losing streak to their rivals, the Wildcats. They overcame a flurry of scoring from Arizona to start the second half, and their defense helped seal the win in the end. To make matters even better, they did it in front of a record crowd.

The 6,121 fans who showed up to the game set a record for most in attendance for a women's basketball game against Arizona ever. That crowd number wasn't even hit during the peaks of the Charli Turner Thorne era. That's how much excitement Miller has infused into this program.

It's easy to see why, too. Miller almost completely rebuilt this roster through the tranfer portal, and she hit on every player. Gabby Elliott is a walking bucket, both McKinna Brackens and Heloisa Carrera are forces to be reckoned with down low, and the duo of Last-Tear Poa and Marley Washenitz have enough grit and defensive savvy to shut down anyone they face.

Not only is this roster capable of playing a very fun brand of basketball, Miller has the energy (and the style) to get the fans just as pumped up as she is. Take a look at her reaction as the clock hit zero on Wednesday night.

It's easy to see how much this means to Miller and the rest of her team, and that excitement is infectious for a fan base that has all but forgotten what it's like to see elite basketball inside the walls of Desert Financial Arena. Now that they have it, the people are showing up in numbers.