TEMPE- Arizona State women's basketball head coach Molly Miller spoke to reporters after a practice on Wednesday.
During the Sun Devils' dominant win on the road at San Diego on Nov. 13, Miller got her 300th career win as head coach. Arizona State ties its single-game record in women's basketball program history with 14 three-pointers made.
Miller shared her memories of the moment she spent with her kids and biological kids, celebrating and having fun together during the team's road trip.
"Those core memories that I have with my family, my family would travel on the road, my basketball family is there with me," Miller said Wednesday. "So I'm happy for this team. I'm happy for my family, and how it's all blending together."
Arizona State has an undefeated record of 4-0 through four games of the season, and the Sun Devils have a positive, competitive spirit of energy on and off the court.
Miller enjoys being around the group of players she brought into the program while building success daily and establishing their defensive identity.
"They're fun to be around," Miller said. "There's so many personalities I really enjoy. Even if you look on social media, they're rooting for each other. A clip comes out, and it's a highlight on McKinna Brackens. I've got everyone like reposting that and rooting for one another. So we all really are on the same page right now, and it's early, but if we could be on the same page right now, I can imagine what that builds into, and we're just going to get better."
Freshman guard Amaya Williams had the opportunity to learn under Miller and the coaching staff and filled in the starting spot for Last-Tear Poa, who was out for two games due to hand injury.
In Thursday's game, she scored six points, made two three-pointers, and had 11 assists as a starting point guard for the Sun Devils.
Williams and the players celebrated Miller for getting her 300th win as NCAA Women's basketball head coach.
"It was amazing," Williams said. "It was a great milestone for Coach Molly. And I'm just happy to be a part of whatever she's trying to build here."
"I mean, it was super awesome to be a part of anytime I can celebrate her," Arizona State senior guard Marley Washenitz added. "It's so deserving, and it's so easy. She's someone who's so easy to celebrate because she celebrates us every day, and she pours so much into us. So to be able to pour into her and give her the love she deserves was really awesome."
Junior forward McKinna Brackens shared some takeaways on learning in Miller's coaching system and mentioned playing in Arizona State's pace.
In the first game, the Sun Devils were adjusting to the pace of play, and some of their possessions ended with the team turning the ball over. Since then, Arizona State has improved at taking care of the ball and pacing on the court.
"I learned that we play fast," Brackens said. "Of course, in practice, we're always playing fast, but it's fun to see how it correlates to the game and how the stuff that we work on in practice actually does happen in the game. So we play fast and we're gonna play hard, and if you're not playing hard, she's gonna take you out. So that's what I learned, that we're gonna play fast and we're gonna play faster."
The Arizona State Sun Devils will face the UNLV Rebels at home on Saturday, Nov. 22.