Sun Devils beat San Francisco to cement best start in program history

Arizona State's women's basketball program is used to winning. Charli Turner Thorne turned them into a powerhouse in the early 2000's, leading the team to 15 seasons with at least 20 wins and 14 NCAA tournament appearances.

It's a big reason why her successor, Natasha Adair, was let go after just three seasons. Arizona State knew they were capable of better, and athletics director Graham Rossini went all-in to get it right with the next coach. Just 10 games into the Molly Miller era, it looks as if Rossini knocked this one out of the park.

Miller just accomplished something no other Arizona State coach - not even Turner Thorne - has ever done. With Saturday's 67-44 win over San Francisco, the Sun Devils improve to 10-0, the very best start in program history.

It was a typical game for these Sun Devils, limiting the Dons to just 4/22 from the arc and forcing a whopping 31 turnovers. Gabby Elliott and McKinna Brackens scored plenty, as they often do, but Jyah Lovett - one of the rare holdovers from the previous regime - tied Brackens for the lead in scoring with 15 points off the bench.

Miller's signature grit was also on display early and often. Marley Washenitz, who led the team in minutes played with 37, was mixing it up with several Dons players early, even getting bloodied at one point. She finished with 5 poins, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and drew several key charges.

Getting to 10-0 is a special milestone for this squad, but they're just getting started. From here, they close out non-conference play with three straight road games, starting with Penn State on Tuesday. From there, they'll begin Big 12 play, the ulitmate proving ground.

Regardless of what happens the rest of this season, though, it's become quite clear that Miller is building something special in Tempe.