Senior forward Kianna Ibis has led the No. 20 ASU women’s basketball team to a 15-6 record overall and a 6-4 record in Pac-12 play with her efficient stroke from all over the court.
Ibis leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points per game. She is the go-to offensive player for the Sun Devils, utilizing her well-rounded skill set in a variety of ways.
Coach Charli Turner Thorne creates unique ways to spring Ibis into comfortable areas to score. Here, Turner Thorne has two players set screens for Ibis: one being a down screen and another being a cross screen.
This frees Ibis on the right block, where she rises up and knocks down the jumper.
Ibis also has a high basketball IQ when calculating how other players’ gravity can free her up for shots. Here, she recognizes that freshman guard Taya Hanson’s drive will draw her man to Hanson.
Ibis then relocates to Hanson's previous spot, getting a defender to bite on a pump fake and then executing a smooth one dribble pull-up jumper.
Ibis’s 48 percent shooting from the field, a top-15 mark in the Pac-12, comes from her continuously seeking low-post position and capitalizing on opportunities.
Here, she simply slides in front of her defender to obtain position. Once Ibis receives the ball, she makes a quick move to shoot a hook shot over her right shoulder.
Ibis’s most underrated asset is her ability to shoot the three ball. She shoots 40 percent from the three-point line in just under two attempts per game.
One of the best ways to get a shooter open is to have them set a screen for one player, while receiving a screen from another. That is exactly what Turner Thorne does here to get Ibis a three to cut into the deficit.
Turner Thorne sends Ibis and senior forward Sophia Elenga to set two down screens for redshirt senior forward Courtney Ekmark. Immediately after that, Elenga sets a flare screen for Ibis to get open in the corner.
The play is executed beautifully, and Ibis takes advantage.
Ibis will continue to be relied upon during the team's regular season home stretch. With that said, Turner Thorne will also need to continue drawing up plays that put Ibis in the best position to succeed.
Reach the reporter at jhorst2@asu.edu and follow @HorseySeven on Twitter.
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Jeffrey Horst is the digital editor-in-chief of The State Press. He previously served as the publication's sports editor and worked at Cronkite News and ArizonaSports.com.
