When head coach Molly Miller was hired as the catalyst for ASU women’s basketball’s restoration roughly 11 months ago, she established the program’s new philosophy in a simple sentence:
"When there’s no wind in your sail, row," Miller said per Sun Devil Athletics.
In the time since, that’s exactly what the Sun Devils have done. With a fresh staff and a starting five made up entirely of transfers, the group is cruising in its first season.
Perhaps even more important, the program won over ASU fans and alumni in a convincing fashion.
"When we started to hear rumblings in the community that (Miller) might be coming to ASU, I got in that queue for season tickets," Karen Self, a four-year starter for ASU in the 1990’s and member of the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame, said in a Sun Devil Athletics podcast. "I’m just as excited as an everyday fan about the passion that she brings to the team and to this community."
On Feb. 14, Miller broke the program record for most wins (21) by a head coach in their first season.
"When they said, 'Hey, first year, low expectations, don’t worry about it.' I'm like, 'Hi, have we met?'" Miller said in an interview on SportsCenter. "We’re not doing low expectations. We’re going to set high goals, we’re going to be ambitious about this, and we’re going to do it the right way."
Senior guard Marley Washenitz has accomplished several of the goals she set for her final season in college, but she’s still not satisfied, citing the team’s drive and determination as crucial players in its success thus far.
"I wanted to leave the program better than I found it, and fortunately, so far we’ve done that," Washenitz said. "We're just such a competitive group that we’re never satisfied … Yes, we've accomplished so much, and we’re so happy with what we've done, but that’s not enough for us. We want more, and I love that about our team."
Washenitz and the other transfers with one year of eligibility remaining put their faith in Miller’s initial vision - trusting that their last season wouldn’t be spent with an all-new program struggling to find its footing.
"They took a leap of faith on me to entrust their last college career season with just a blind leap of faith," Miller said. "They might not be with me for the long haul. It's a short one-and-done year, but they started this. They're building the legacy."
With success comes recognition, and Washenitz is proud to have helped put ASU women’s basketball back on the map.
"I’ve seen so much growth and support for women’s basketball here from our first game up until today," Washenitz said. "You can see the difference in our games and the energy."
ASU basketball's dynamic has seen a drastic shift within the last year as more fans have begun to latch onto the women's program. The men's team has trudged through another disappointing season, while the women’s team only seems to continue breaking records.
On Jan. 28, ASU beat UA 68-61 in a Territorial Cup matchup that saw 6,121 fans in attendance - the most ever for a game between the two programs in Tempe.
That rivalry clash won’t be one that graduate student guard Gabby Elliott forgets any time soon.
"I’ve been to a number of schools, and I have never played in front of a home crowd so involved and so tied into what was going on on the court, even before the game even started," Elliott said on a Sun Devil Athletics podcast. "You've got people telling me that this is their first year buying ESPN subscriptions, and they’re buying season tickets next year. That was way bigger than what I could've ever imagined."
Those invested in the program couldn't be happier about the recent surge that all of women’s basketball has seen, something that Miller plans to capitalize on.
Whenever she's not on the court, she's likely to be promoting ASU women's basketball in any way she can.
"There's a bridge right now that's happening in women's basketball," Miller said in a Sun Devil Athletics podcast. "There’s more agency, there's more exposure, there's more opportunities now with the expansion ... So that's a great opportunity for us to expose our brand and get more people hooked."
ASU women's basketball has made impressive strides this season, but it's just the beginning for the new-look program.
Luckily for everyone watching, Miller doesn't intend to stop rowing anytime soon.
Edited by Niall Rosenberg, Henry Smardo and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at holtzingerethan@gmail.com and follow @EthanZinger6 on X.
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Ethan Holtzinger is a sports reporter for The State Press who has previously worked for Cronkite News and the Arizona Interscholastic Association. He is in his 2nd semester with The State Press and 5th semester at ASU.
