The Arizona State Sun Devils didn’t have to look far to find a replacement for Natasha Adair when they made a coaching change last March.
The Sun Devils only had to look across town to hire Molly Miller away from Grand Canyon, which had just won the Western Athletic Conference title and played in the NCAA Tournament. It won’t be an easy job for Miller. Most of last year’s roster either graduated or transferred away and she was unable to import any talent from her former school because most of it graduated. Miller and the Sun Devils are starting anew.
Here is a preview of the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Arizona State Sun Devils
2024-25: 10-22, 3-15, 15th place in Big 12. Lost in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. Did not participate in any postseason play. Coach Natasha Adair was fired after the season.
Head coach: Molly Miller was hired away from cross-town program Grand Canyon to take over the Sun Devils. She led the Lopes to a WAC tournament championship and NCAA Tournament bid last season. In 11 seasons as a head coach (six at Division II Drury, five at Grand Canyon), she is 297-55.
Big 12 history: Arizona State joined the Big 12 last season after spending decades in the Pac-12. The program last reached the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and last reached the Elite Eight in 2009.
West Virginia Schedule: Click here for a complete 2025-26 Big 12 schedule.
Arizona State 2025-26 Roster Review
Gone: G Jalyn Brown (18.0 ppg), G Tyi Skinner (16.8 ppg), C Nevaeh Parkinson (9.7 ppg), G Kenedy Fauntleroy (8.7 ppg), F Kennedy Basham (5.7 ppg), G Jazion Jackson (3.9 ppg), G Maggie Besselink (2.8 ppg), F Kadidia Toure (2.0 ppg), F Hanna Miller (1.8 ppg), G Adison Novosel (1.0 ppg), G Morasha Wiggins.
Returning: G Jyah LoVett (8.9 ppg), G Makayla Moore (2.8 ppg), F Heavenly Greer (1.0 ppg), C Timya Grice.
Incoming transfers: F McKinna Brackens (9.8 ppg at UNLV), F Heloisa Carrera (1.7 points at Ole Miss), G/F Deborah Davenport (9.3 ppg at Northwest Florida State College), G Gabby Elliott (13.6 ppg at Penn State), G Acacia Hayes (11.2 ppg at Western Kentucky), G Jordan Jones (19.9 ppg at Denver), G Last-Tear Poa (2.0 ppg at LSU), G Marley Washenitz (9.3 ppg at Pitt),
Freshmen: C Martina Fantini (played on U-20 Italian national team), G Amaya Williams (played at Mater Dei in California).
Projected Starting Lineup
G Jordan Jones: She’s the leading scorer of anyone on the roster and that scoring ability demands she be in the lineup.
G Jyah LoVett: She was among the top five scorers on last year’s team. She’ll be an asset in Miller’s system.
G Gabby Elliott: A high scoring average at a power conference school gives her an inside track at a starting job.
G Marley Washenitz: The Sun Devils will be aggressive under Miller and use four guards a lot.
F McKinna Brackens: Not the tallest player on the team (6-foot-2), but the most experienced forward with the best track record.
Starting Lineup Crashers
G Last-Tear Poa: It’s her last year and she didn’t get much run at LSU. She could make an impact.
C Timya Grice: Missed all of last season due to injury but was recruited as a Top 30 player out of the Houston area.
Lineup Competition
Expect there to be plenty of it. Miller played an aggressive style at GCU, and she worked to cultivate a roster that fits that mentality. What’s interesting is that she didn’t bring a single transfer with her from the Lopes. That’s because most of the players from last year’s WAC champions were out of eligibility. Miller will run a lot of guards through the lineup early to see which players fit together. Determining who helps inside will be a significant challenge leading up to the season. There isn’t much experience inside.
Early Prediction
Arizona State could have a solid record early in the season. But, a three-game stretch will test the Sun Devils going into conference play. They are at Penn State on Dec. 10, at Oregon State on Dec. 14 and at Gonzaga on Dec. 16. These three games are their toughest on the schedule before Big 12 play and it’s smart to save them for the end as a springboard into league action. The question is whether they’ll be up to the challenge.
