World News – US – ASU Women’s Basketball starts the season with uncertainty

The Sun Devils will add seven new players to the team and install a new offense

Junior Guard / Striker Bre’yanna Sanders (24), newcomer Eboni Walker (22), newcomer Guard Sydnei Caldwell (21) and Senior Guard Kiara Russell (4) celebrate a basket on Tuesday November. 5, 2019, at the Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona.

For one, COVID-19 is on the rise across the country and has already caused problems in the women’s college basketball landscape. There remain question marks as to whether the season can be carried out safely.

And on the court, the Sun Devils will try to replace five key seniors who made up most of their minutes and production from last season’s team that ended their COVID-shortened season between 20 and 11.

The seven new players who ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne hired in the off-season will be forced into action early on. Six of these new players are newbies.

« It’s probably the youngest team I’ve coached, but we’re really talented, » said Turner Thorne. “All of our newbies will play. They are all as ready as we can get them. ”

The ASU off-season has been shortened and changed due to NCAA health guidelines. This has limited the time the Sun Devils have on the court to gel as they attempt to incorporate a new offensive system based on positional basketball and movement.

« I am very pleased with the versatility of our offense. The funny thing about our new offense is that we can move people, ”said Turner Thorne. “We can bring any five people to justice and they should know what to do as part of the crime. ”

With the ASU revising the roster, implementing this system can be challenging, especially given the youth surplus.

The only senior on the squad is rarely used striker Bre’yanna Sanders. ASU’s youth is an adaptation for Turner Thorne who has relied heavily on their veterans in the past.

The upper class in the team has to take a step forward this season in both leadership and production on the pitch.

« Charli always emphasizes that everyone has the ability to lead in one way or another, » said junior guard Jamie Loera. « It’s definitely up to us high school students to set the tone every day and to have good days throughout. ”

Turner Thorne mentioned that some of the players she expects to join this season are Loera, junior strikers Jayde Van Hyfte and Iris Mbulito, and junior guard Taya Hanson.

« My role as a player has increased this year, but I’m really looking forward to helping my teammates and having fun, » Mbulito said on Pac-12 Media Day last week. « We are ready to fight every game and overtake every team. « . « 

« We don’t have a number with our name on, but we don’t care, » said Mbulito.

Barring setbacks related to COVID, the team will be playing a 22-game conference schedule from early December.

Last year the team played 12 non-conference games before going into the conference game. However, there are only three games scheduled this year before that period, which means the team will need to quickly establish their identity before entering the Pac-12 battle.

« If ever there was a season where we could have used our full preseason (non-conference) schedule to prepare for Pac-12 (season) then this was definitely the right one, » said Turner Thorne.

Even Turner Thorne doesn’t have a good feeling about her team yet, she said, pointing to the many players on the team who hadn’t played organized basketball in almost half a year before returning to practice.

« It’s so hard to know how good we are, » said Turner Thorne. « We haven’t had normal training yet. We haven’t had our normal practices. We didn’t have contact until the end of September. ”

The Sun Devils begin a non-conference four-team tournament against Stephen F on Wednesday. . Austin at the Desert Financial Arena at 4 p.m.. m. MST.

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