By the time Molly Miller was introduced as the new head coach of Sun Devil women's basketball, the majority of the roster she was taking over had either graduated or hopped in the transfer portal. Given Arizona State's 10-22 finish this past year, that's not exactly a surprise.
Still, it meant Miller - who saw just four players stick around - needed to almost completely overhaul the roster. With the transfer portal now closed to new entrants, Miller has done a tremendous job of stacking the cupboard thus far. While some additional transfers are still expected, here is where the roster stands as of now.
Projected Starting 5:
G Last-Tear Poa
G Makayla Moore
G Gabby Elliott
G Jordan Jones
F McKinna Brackens
Let's start with holdover Makayla Moore. A transfer from Seattle University a year ago, Moore was a key bench player for the Sun Devils and started five games, shooting 35.4% from three. While not a lock to start, her shooting prowess and program loyalty should put Moore in a good spot to contribute regularly in 2025.
Miller's two most high profile transfers, though, are Gabby Elliott and Jordan Jones. Elliott comes from Penn State, where newly-hired assistant coach Daniel Barber also comes from. Elliott was once a budding star at Clemson who transferred to Michigan State, where injuries derailed things, ultimately leading her to Penn State last year.
In Elliott's two seasons as a full-time starter - her freshman year with Clemson and this past season for the Nittany Lions - she averaged 13.6 points a game. Her three-point shooting skyrocketed to 47.4% this past year. Jones, meanwhile, was an extremely productive starter for Denver the last two years, averaging 19.9 points and 6.7 rebounds a game this past year.
McKinna Brackens figures to compete for starting minutes at the 5 spot, though she'd put the Sun Devils in a bit of a small ball lineup. Still, she more than held her own at UNLV last year, averaging 9.8 points and 5.7 rebounds as the starter for the Rebels.
Then there's Last-Tear Poa, who has the potential to be the biggest steal of the transfer portal. The Australia native was a key piece of LSU's national championship team three years ago. Poa fell into a bit of a time share at point guard this past year, prompting her departure. Still, Poa has received praise in the past from LSU head coach Kim Mulkey for her leadership and natural facilitator skills.
Not known for her scoring, Poa is an old school point guard. She's never averaged more than five points per game in a season, but the Tigers ran their offense through her when on the court, and she routinely helped set up stars Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow.
Landing Poa alongside a couple explosive scorers in Elliott and Jones is a stroke of genius from Miller, and seemingly a perfect fit for the offense that worked so well at Grand Canyon the last few years.
Bench Players
G Marley Washenitz
G Jyah LoVett
G Amaya Williams
F Heloisa Carrera
F Heavenly Greer
C Timya Grice
Pittsburgh transfer Marley Washenitz may very well work her way into the starting lineup, but she offers strong appeal as the first one off the bench too. Nobody made a bigger jump from the arc than Washenitz last year, going from 12.8% three point shooting to 35% in her junior year.
Another candidate to work her way into the starting lineup is Jyah LoVett, who started 21 games for the Sun Devils last year after transferring in from San Jose State. Like Washenitz, though, LoVett offers great value off the bench, having averaged 8.9 points per game on 35.2% shooting from three.
Amaya Williams represents the lone (so far) high school commit for Miller. The California native originally committed to Grand Canyon but is now following Miller to Tempe, where she is likely to have a minimal role as a freshman.
Arizona State's most recent transfer, forward Heloisa Carrera, comes teeming with potential. The Brazilian made headlines when she committed to Ole Miss a year ago over many other prominent programs. She played sparingly as a freshman, but comes to Arizona State with endless possibilities as a multifaceted wing.
Returners Heavenly Greer and Timya Grice both offer plenty of size for Miller to work with down low. Greer, a Phoenix native, returned home last year after transferring from Kansas State. The 6'3" Greer exclusively came off the bench last year, but offered valuable rebounding and defense. At 6'5", Grice is a true center, but did not see any playing time last year as a true freshman.
That rounds out the roster so far. Miller has three more roster spots available, and could gain two more pending approval on the House v NCAA settlement later this summer. There are still more than 600 players in the portal who remain uncommitted, so don't be surprised if Arizona State welcomes in some new transfers or high school recruits.
As of right now, though, Miller appears to have already upgraded the roster from last year. Elliott and Jones should provide plenty of scoring, while Poa seems destined to rack up assists with regularity. It will be interesting to monitor how this roster grows from here.