(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)
After struggling through a three-game losing streak, ASU women’s basketball (17-7, 8-4 Pac-12) has won four of its last five games as postseason play approaches.
Since the team’s loss against Stanford — a game described as the worst performance of the year by coach Charli Turner Thorne — the Sun Devils have found their groove again, winning their last three games by an average of 20 points.
Despite the rollercoaster of a season, the team is still in prime position to make a postseason run as it currently sits fifth in the Pac-12.
“I think our team is excited,” Turner Thorne said. “Three weeks left in the season and we’ve positioned ourselves to be in contention.”
The recent string of success by ASU will be tested this weekend as it will head to California to take on USC and No. 8 UCLA.
USC enters the game with a 5-7 conference record, but the Trojans will not be taken lightly by the Sun Devils as they possess individual scorings threats capable of taking over games.
“They’re just good,” Turner Thorne said. “They have three of the top 10 scorers in the conference in their starting five.”
The trio of players includes Kristen Simon, Aliyah Mazyck, and Minyon Moore, who combine to average just over 47 points per game for the Trojans.
Not only do the players excel on offense, they bring a defensive mindset to the team as well.
“Their individual offense is outstanding,” Turner Thorne said. “They are very talented, and they work hard on defense.”
ASU will then take on the No. 8 ranked team in the nation in UCLA, who sits at a conference record of 10-2 with its only losses in Pac-12 play coming to conference leader No. 9 Oregon and No. 17 Stanford.
The Bruins will also be led by a trio of players in Jordin Canada, Monique Billings, and Kennedy Burke, who nearly 41 points per game — over half of the team’s 75 points per game average.
One of the tallest threats the Sun Devils will attempt to limit is Billings. The six-foot-four senior forward has reached double digits in rebounds in 13 of the team’s 23 games. Not only does Billings crash the boards, but she’s managed double digits in scoring in 12 of those 13 games.
Tipoff between ASU and USC is set for Friday, Feb. 9, at 8 p.m. MST, and UCLA will host the Sun Devils on Sunday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. MST.
