Senior forward Kali Bennett, star of the ASU women’s basketball squad, believes it is impossible to be too selfless.
Bennett has made an impact in her two years at ASU with her leadership and unique passing abilities.
Rarely does a center lead a basketball team in assists, but Bennett is the top distributor for the Sun Devils this season with 37.
ASU’s starting center loves to distribute the ball and set her teammates up for points. Bennett said she has been that type of player for as long as she can remember.
“Since day one, my first thought has never been to shoot,” Bennett said. “My first thought has always been (to) pass and see who’s open. I know that most times, the pass doesn’t come from the center, so it opens up a lot of things.”
This mentality caused Bennett to obtain some incredible passing abilities.
Throughout the season, she weaved passes through defenders, perfected the no-look pass and even dumped off the ball to a teammate who was surprised to receive it.
Bennett said fundamental physical practice is very important to her craft, but having special chemistry with her teammates creates big plays.
Senior forward Kimberly Brandon, Bennett’s partner in the post, talked about the duo’s chemistry and said when she locks eyes with Bennett, she knows what to do.
“I know especially when she gets the ball at the top of the key, I know what she is looking for first,” Brandon said. “I just make eye contact with her and cut to the basket and she just gives it to me. Her passes are amazing, especially with her size.”
Junior guard Michaela Pickens is a newcomer to ASU, but she has learned when Bennett wants to set her up.
“I enjoy playing with Kali,” Pickens said. “It is a lot of fun. Sometimes I will not even know to cut and she gives a little head nod.”
Coach Joseph Anders said Bennett came into the season focusing on her passing abilities.
However, since she is a senior on the team, Anders has looked for her to try and be more of a finisher this season.
“Early on in the year she actually wanted to be more of facilitator than a finisher,” Anders said. “This is now a point in the year where we really need her to shift and be somewhat more of a finisher for us as well (and to) do those things that we’ve talked about in terms of hooking up teammates.”
In response to coach’s request, Bennett has attacked the basket more as the season progressed. She is ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 7.9 points per game.
She really tried to make the transition once Pac-12 competition began. In the last three games, all Sun Devils victories, Bennett has scored in double digits.
Bennett likes that the team depends on her for points, but she enjoys seeing her teammates score off her passes more.
“I’ll take a dime any day,” Bennett said. “I love getting a back door cut or a skip pass for a three. That gets me way more hyped up than a basket.”
Bennett records a lot of assists and points for the Sun Devils, but the biggest impact she has on the team does not show up in the stat books.
Anders said after the Oregon State loss, Bennett sent an emotional message to the rest of the team. She said they needed to embrace the time they have to play basketball because it goes by too fast.
Since that speech, the Sun Devils are 3-0 in Pac-12 play — so the message must have stuck with the players.
“She has been our rock since day one this year,” Anders said. “She finally, honestly gets it. She is making the most of her senior campaign.”
As Bennett looks to the future, she said the key is to success is to remain consistent every game for the rest of the year.
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
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