The Return of Charli

Arizona State welcomes back Charli Turner-Thorne from her year off. Charli came back with a plan as Interim Coach Joe Anders is gone, and Assistant Coach Chris Mennig went back to his job the previous year with Blue Star.

Jackie Moore comes in as an assistant and the recruiting coordinator with 18 years of coaching experience. While she spent the past 3 years as a Wal-Mart Corporate Manager, she has coached, in most recent order, at Nevada, Miami (FL), Boston College U of Mass and prior to that Head Coach at Santa Fe JC in Gainesville, FL.

The 2nd assistant will be former ASU star Amanda Levens. Levens was the Head Coach at Southern Illinois for the past 4 years going from 5 wins in Year One to 18 wins this past season. Levens was All Pac 10 twice, in 2001 and 2002. This makes one wonder if Levens might be the next ASU Head Coach.

Last year while Charli was off ASU went 20-12 with a loss to UOP in the WNIT. In the Pac 12 ASU was 10-8. Not a typical year and changes were made.



THE SCHEDULE: The schedule has not been announced yet.


LOSSES: First of all the stats: ASU scored only 58 points per game and made just 120 threes at 29%. The Sun Devils lost thru graduation 5 players but 28 points per game, almost half. They lost 17 rebounds per game, almost half. The Sun Devils lost 77 of their threes, or 64%.

Kimberly Brandon was both the leader scorer and rebounder at 10 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Kali Bennett was second in scoring, 8 points per game and rebounding, 6.5. Alex Earl made 39 threes or 1/3 of ASU’s total and at 35%. All three were starters. Oliva Major was 2nd on the team with 28 threes also at 35%. Haley Parsons played 5 games.


RETURNEES: Deja Mann is a 5-7 Sr and was the starting Point Guard last season. She averaged 8 points per game and had a fine 1.0 : .6 assist to turnover ratio. Mann led the team in free throws and shot 81%.

Micaela Pickens is a 5-8 Sr Guard who started all but three games last season as ASU used a three guard line-up. Pickens averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds per game.

Promise Amukamara is 5-8 Soph Guard who played in all but one game averaging 15 minutes and 4 points per game.

Adrienne Thomas is 5-9 Jr Guard who played all games last season averaging 10 minutes and 1.5 points per game.

Joy Burke is the ASU Post, a 6-5 Jr. Burke only played 8 games last year so almost a newcomer. She suffered a concussion in Game 8 and had to sit out the remainder of the season. As a Soph Burke had Highs of 7 points and 10 rebounds. Joy made a shampoo commercial at age 4 in Taiwan where she lived for her first 12 years.

Janae Fulcher is a 6-3 Sr Forward who averaged 6 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. Janae graduated in three and a half years and is a 5th year Sr.

Jada Blackwell is a 6-1 Soph Forward who averaged 6 points and 4 rebounds 14 minutes per game last season.


NEWCOMERS: Eliza Normen is a 6-0 Guard/Forward who is a redshirt Frosh. Normen tore her ACL towards the end of her Sr Season in High School and played only 4 games last season with a non knee injury. I saw her play after her Jr year in High School and loved her play. She is an excellent shooter who is a complete team player as an excellent passer also. If healthy, Normen will really make an impact for the Sun Devils.

Elisha Davis is a 5-3 Frosh Guard from Berkeley High School. I saw her also playing Travel ball. An excellent passer and 3 point shooter who can drive. Named # 131 in the Country out of High School by Blue Star.

Isidora Purkovic is a 5-11 Frosh Guard from Canada. Isidora played on the Canadian National 17U and then 19U teams.

Arnecia Hawkins is a 5-10 Frosh Guard ranked # 124 overall by Blue Star and # 51 overall by All Star Girls Report.

Nisha Barrett is a 6-1 Jr and a JC transfer. She was All State JC in California averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds per game.

Haley Videckis is a 6-0 Frosh Forward from Illinois who averaged 18 points and 6 rebounds a game last year in High School. She also made 74 threes this past season.

Katie Hempen is a 5-9 Soph Guard who transferred from Southern Illinois at the end of the past school year. Hempen was the League Frosh of the Year but must sit out this season due to the transfer rule. As a Frosh last season Hempen averaged just shy of 10 points per game.

OUTLOOK: ASU lost 4 of their top 5 players from last year due to graduation. That’s a huge loss. Charli returns and hires two new Assistants and they sign 3 in the late signing period. A lot seems to depend on Burke and Normen being 100%, as the Sun Devils are a guard orientated team without them. It’s an opportunity for the new players and ASU has only 3 Srs so 11 would return next year. It’ll be interesting as always with Charli Turner-Thorne back in charge.