Molly Miller Breaks Down Key Topics After First Game

TEMPE -- Arizona State women's basketball opened up the first season with Molly Miller leading the program with a 67-53 victory over Coppin State on Monday night.

The game presented challenges for Miller's squad - particularly a slow offensive start that extended into the fourth quarter.

There were still things that the 39 year old coach was pleased about in Friday media availability ahead of Saturday's game against Eastern Washington - Arizona State on SI highlights key topics that were covered below.

Miller Breaks Down What Went Right in Season Opener

Miller settled on a singular word when discussing what she was pleased with - aggressive. A caveat came with the praise as well, as there is always room for improvement moving ahead.

"I love how aggressive we were, we have to be smart aggressive though. We sent people to the line too much with silly fouls."

Miller also praised the fourth quarter offensive showing and being able to stay in front of the ball-handler on man-to-man scenarios.

Arizona State forced 33 turnovers and had a largely strong performance, but did have an issue when it came to fouls being committed. The offense also took time to settle in, but it's simple to see a world in which the unit performs consistently moving forward.

Miller Discusses Carrying Momentum Moving into Next Game

The head coach spoke on what the Sun Devils can do to carry over the fourth quarter of the opener into Saturday's game against Eastern Washington.

"Our defense created our offense. When you hit one or two shots in a row, the basket becomes bigger and the lid comes off... I think there's confidence there..."

It's no secret that Miller heavily stresses a defense-centric approach as part of her culture, and the penchant for creating turnovers will surely aid in the Sun Devils boasting more successful offensive outputs in the future if the team commits to doubling down.

Miller Gives Injury Update

The head coach ruled PG Last-Tear Poa out for the Eastern Washington game due to a hand injury suffered in the opener.

"Yeah, she'll be out for this game. After today it's going to be a day-to-day basis. The recovery for her will depend a lot on the next 48 hours."

Poa paced the team with 10 assists in the win over Coppin State - it will be fascinating to see what adjustments are made to compensate for a massive loss - at least in the short term.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here

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