Molly Miller Reflects on Arizona State's Narrow Victory Over Arizona

The Sun Devils secured their 21st win of the season in dramatic fashion on Saturday.

ASU Sun Devils head coach Molly Miller talks to her team during a timeout in their game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (21-6, 8-6 Big 12) capped off what proved to be an undefeated week on Saturday afternoon with an overtime victory against Arizona on Saturday afternoon in Tucson.

The 75-69 victory capped off another historic feat accomplished by head coach Molly Miller in her first season in the role - as the 21st win marked a first-year record for victories that a leader of the program accomplished.

Miller reflected on the hard-fought battle following the game, discussing fan support, the flow of the game, and more in lieu of the victory.

Arizona State Sun Devils forward McKinna Brackens (21) is pressured by Arizona Wildcats guard Mireia Jurado (8) on Jan. 28, 2026, at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona State Fans, Stars Showd Up When Needed

"Well, first of all, just a fantastic environment. I know we won on the scoreboard, but women's basketball won today, and we had an amazing fan base today come up from Tempe. So big shout out to the Sun Devils. They were maybe outnumbered, but a lot of heart and amazing to see our fans make make the trip. So what a great game, both teams. I feel like I just played an overtime game, but that back and forth was fun. A lot of heart on both sides of the ball."

The main takeaway from this game is split into two distinct parts - the excitement surrounding Arizona State women's basketball has been reignited, and that this particular team is wired to squeeze out victories under a myriad of circumstances.

This game was great for women's basketball as a whole, as the Sun Devils and Wildcats both drew great crowds for the game despite the contest starting at noon - it also was proof that the game has come a long way over the last decade as far as parity is concerned.

There was a ton of energy invested into the game on both sides, with Arizona State forcing overtime and pulling away in the five-minute period behind exceptional shotmaking from the Sun Devils' stars.

Forward McKinna Brackens and guard Gabby Elliott deserve much credit for turning this rivalry battle into a classic game, as the former forced overtime by connecting with a jumper with just over three seconds remaining, while the latter knocked down a quartet of three-point attempts - including the go-ahead shot with just over two minutes remaining in OT.

Arizona State is seeking to extend their current win streak to three games this coming Wednesday, when the Sun Devils travel to take on Audi Crooks and the Iowa State Cyclones.

ASU Sun Devils guard Gabby Elliott (0) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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