Simply put, the ASU women’s basketball team struggled last year without now-redshirt senior guard Deja Mann.
The Sun Devils went just 13-18 and were eliminated in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament last season.
But with a year of outside observations under her belt, Mann will return from injury in 2013-14, joining redshirt sophomore transfer guard Katie Hempen and a solid freshman class on a basketball squad with limited time playing together.
Coach Charli Turner Thorne said that creating togetherness will be the most challenging aspect of the new season.
“(Mann) has not played with 80 percent of this team,” Turner Thorne said. “We’re really excited about the pieces we have but what everybody has to remember is we’re a very new team to each other.”
Mann tore her right ACL just before the 2012-13 season, something Turner Thorne said was both a blessing and a curse.
“You always, when you get step back and watch, get great clarity,” Turner Thorne said. “Obviously any time you’re out a year, she’s going to have some rust.”
Hempen won the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year award in her season at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville but sat out the 2012-13 season at ASU because of NCAA transfer rules. Turner Thorne said both Mann and Hempen will likely supply the majority of the perimeter shooting for ASU.
Redshirt senior center Joy Burke joins the pair in what Turner Thorne described as a potential “big three.” Burke, standing 6-feet 5-inches tall, led the Sun Devils in both rebounds per game (6.1) and blocks per game (1.0) in her junior year.
“I would put Joy Burke with (Mann) and (Hempen) as three people that probably have the most potential to put up numbers consistently,” Turner Thorne said.
Turner Thorne said a committee of players would likely produce the rest of the offense. Junior guard Promise Amukamara joins freshmen forwards Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos in a group expected to contribute in the new season.
“We have our green light scorers and then we have some people that on any given day can get their six-ten points,” Turner Thorne said. “(Brunner), (Moos), they’re going to score. They’re going to find ways getting offensive rebounds in transition.”
Freshman center Quinn Dornstauder played with the Canadian Junior National Team in Panevezys, Lithuania as part of the FIBA U19 World Championships in summer 2013. The Regina, Saskatchewan, native was not able to practice with the Sun Devils during that time.
“She’s not behind as a basketball player,” Turner Thorne said. “She’s a good athlete, she can score, block shots, she does a lot of good things. But she’s behind in terms of the team because they were all out here for like six-eight weeks so she’s still kind of catching up.”
The Sun Devils, known for their pressure defense, will actually debut a new offensive style in 2013-14, although Turner Thorne is keeping it under wraps for now.
Hawaii Notes:
The 2013-14 season begins Saturday when the Sun Devils host Hawaii. The Warriors finished second in the Big West last season, making a postseason appearance for the first time in 10 years.
Mann, who will likely start in her first game back, said the emotions will feel familiar.
“It kind of feels like I’m starting all over again,” Mann said. “So I just have to keep reminding myself that I’ve done this before.”
Saturday’s game begins at 4:00 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe.
Reach the reporter at bmargiot@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @BenMargiott.
