The 2014-15 ASU women’s basketball team was not supposed to be this good.
The team was picked to finish seven overall in the Pac-12. It was not one of the 25 ranked in the AP preseason poll. There was not going to be a postseason for an undersized ASU team that didn’t have a go-to player.
Instead, the second-place, No. 9, third-seeded Sun Devils missed the Elite Eight by one basket.
ASU got going quickly in the season, losing just one game before the Pac-12 portion of the schedule rolled around. The heavy press on defense wore opponents out and the steady flow of help defense — “team defense,” as players and head coach Charli Turner Thorne referred to it as — held opponents to 56 points per game during that 11-1 span.
It did not let up during the Pac-12 portion, despite playing against four other teams that were ranked at some point in the season. At season’s end, the defense allowed 55.9 points per game.
The catalyst of the defensive program was senior guard Promise Amukamara. With quick lateral movement and the ability to stay in front of the other player without fouling, she became a feared defender in the league and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team.
“When somebody gets hot against us, we put Promise on them, Nigerian Nightmare, and they don’t have a good game,” Turner Thorne said in a press conference after the Sweet 16.
For the majority of the season, it worked.
In addition to her defensive honors, Amukamara was named to the All-Pac-12 team. Joining her from ASU was sophomore forward Sophie Brunner.
In a breakout season, Brunner was second on the team in points per game (11.9), led in rebounds (7.6) and grew from an underrated defender to a feared one despite her 6-1 frame at the center position.
She was given an honorable mention for the Pac-12 defensive honors.
Brunner’s array of post moves grew as the season progressed, and she was able to get down pivot moves and left-handed layups around defenders. She was a big reason ASU was able to complete a comeback in the Round of 32 after falling behind by 16. Her 14 second-half points and 11 total rebounds helped tire out UALR and guide the Sun Devils to victory.
Redshirt junior Katie Hempen received All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors. She led the team in scoring with 12 points per game.
Hempen broke the record for 3-pointers made in a single season at ASU.
“I think she has a chance to be our all-time best (3-point shooter),” Turner Thorne said after the UALR game on March 21.
She hit a little slump in the middle of Pac-12 play, but she broke free at the right time. In the tournament, she combined for eight 3s in the Ohio and FSU games. Whether it was off the dribble, a catch-and-shoot or an off-balance prayer, chances were Hempen was going to hit a dagger.
The three players received Pac-12 honors, but there was no go-to player on the team. It’s almost unsurprising they were able to accomplish so much; any player could make an impact. Whether it was a Hempen 3, an Amukamara dribble-drive finished with a left-handed layup, or a Brunner post move; whether it was sophomore forward Kelsey Moos coming up with an offensive rebound and putting the ball back into the hoop; maybe it was junior guard Elisha Davis, dribbling around, finding room to make a pass on off her improved point guard skills, but someone would be able to make a play.
Even the bench got in on it: Sophomore center Quinn Dornstauder became a little more aggressive and is getting the feel of American basketball. Junior guard Arnecia Hawkins shot the ball well all year and became a solid option when Hempen was struggling to get the ball to fall. Junior guard Peace Amukamara became more aggressive as the season went and she became comfortable taking the load on offense when it would stall.
The point is, ASU was a deep team and had the chemistry to give the ball to the open player. Egos were low and the excitement was high.
Turner Thorne consistently raved about how her team practiced and interacted with each other. She said there were no conflicts, something to which she is unaccustomed.
“This has been one of my most fun seasons ever in coaching,” she said after the Sweet 16 loss. “This team is so tough, and so fun to coach, and no drama and no selfishness.”
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow @Logan_Newsman on Twitter.
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