Arizona State's Season on Line in Big 12 Tournament

The Sun Devils will take on a familiar foe in round one in Kansas City on Wednesday.

ASU Sun Devils head coach Molly Miller yells out to her team as they play the Coppin State Bald Eagles at Desert Financial Arena on Nov. 3, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (22-9, 9-9 Big 12) now have their backs against the wall at the tail-end of Molly Miller's first season in charge of the program.

Arizona State's 15-0 start to the year has been backed up with a 7-9 record since, although the Sun Devils have been competitive in the vast majority of those defeats. They still land in ESPN bracket expert Charlie Creme's "next four out" heading into the Big 12 tournament, with much of the trepidation being due to a relatively soft non-conference schedule.

Arizona State on SI breaks down the significance of the days ahead for the Sun Devils below.

ASU Faces Uphill Climb to Reach NCAA Tournament

The Sun Devils being considered as the fifth team out of the 68-team bracket insinuiates that a run is needed in Kansas City this week to ensure a selection to the field.

Defeating Arizona on Wednesday is an absolute non-negotiable. Arizona is the 15 seed in the bracket and has been one of the weaker teams in the league this season - a victory is needed in the worst way.

An Arizona State win would set up a rematch with Iowa State on Thursday - the Cyclones took Arizona State down by 26 points in a game just over two weeks ago. Audi Crooks presents a real challenge to the ASU defense, but Iowa State is a potentially winnable game. The Sun Devils would then be matched up with West Virginia in the quarterfinals on Friday with a win against Iowa State. A win over all three is likely necessary to work their way back into the tournament.

Supporting Cast Must Step Up

The two mainstays in Arizona State's success this season have been guard Gabby Elliott and forward McKinna Brackens. The former has paced the team in scoring throughout the season, while the latter has been a double-double threat for a large portion of the year.

There hasn't been a true consensus player that has stepped up as the "third" throughout the year, but several have stepped up in supplementary roles. Last-Tear Poa is coming off of a stat-sheet stuffing performance against Texas Tech, while Heloisa Carrera has been an efficient scorer throughout the course of Big 12 play. Marley Washenitz has been the source of timely shotmaking and defense. Deb Davenport has had huge moments this season as well.

All in all, there are several Sun Devils that have the potential to be difference makers in the days ahead.

Arizona State's Last-Tear Poa grabs a rebound away from Texas Tech's Gemma Nunez in a Big 12 women's basketball game Sunday, March 1, 2026, at United Supermarkets Arena. | Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / 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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