TEMPE- The Arizona State Sun Devils women's basketball team is about to enter a new era, as Molly Miller prepares to coach her first game as the team's head coach.
Just last season, Arizona State faced significant player injuries and finished second-to-last in the Big 12 with a 3-15 record (10-22 overall). Since then, the Sun Devils made a lot of major changes on the coaching staff and player movement.
Earlier in the spring, the team decided to part ways with Natasha Adair, who is now the associate head coach for Syracuse women's basketball, and brought in Miller, who led the GCU Lopes to an appearance in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
"She's really just instilled a lot of confidence in us, and I think that's gonna take us a long way," Arizona State fifth-year guard Gabby Elliott said Oct. 30. "It's a whole new team and a whole new program. So with Molly Miller giving us the confidence that we need to soar this season, it's exciting."
As the Sun Devils start their season at home on Monday, November 3, the team is full of energy and ready for the challenge Miller is about to give the players to instill confidence on and off the court.
More importantly, Arizona State has four seniors and two fifth-year students to help guide the underclassmen toward success now and in the future.
"We are very happy [with the seniors]," Arizona State freshman center Martina Fantini said. "We're very fortunate with our seniors. There are great leaders. They're great human beings, and they're always trying to help us. They understand our position, especially I'm a freshman, so they understand that I need to make mistakes to learn, and from me, I feel grateful for them to understand this; They are positive leaders, so they are trying to correct us and make us learn, but in a positive and good way."
One of the Sun Devils' acquisitions is Australian fifth-year guard Last-Tear Poa, who was a part of the LSU Tigers' National Championship team just two years ago.
Miller is impressed with Poa's competitive nature and the championship pedigree she brings to the Sun Devils.
"I mean, she's played at the highest level and been to the national championship game," Miller said. "What more could you ask for when you're trying to attain some of those similar goals? She's competitive. ... She's wired with that competitive nature. She never stops. Her motor is on go and on all the time. That comes from playing at the highest level around the best in the country. So to have one of the best in the country on your team is a really good advantage for us."
When Miller and former longtime Arizona State head coach Charli Turner Thorne had an interaction, Miller expressed gratitude for getting the opportunity to coach the Sun Devils.
"Charli's a dear friend," Miller said. "I want to make her proud. I really respect it when I look up at those banners, and the practice facility has her name written all over it. You know, they're because of her and how she led this program."
As the Arizona State women's basketball program aims to improve, especially after their last appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2019, there's work to do to reach their goals.