WBB Opens Pac-12 Tournament Play on Wednesday vs. Utah

EMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil women's basketball team will open play in the final Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. MST/8:30 p.m. PST) / Pac-12 Network) when it faces Utah in the last of four first round games at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
 
The Sun Devils (No. 11 seed / 11-19, 3-15 Pac-12), who closed out the regular season with a 70-55 loss to No. 7 USC on Saturday (Senior Day), will be taking on Utah (No. 6 seed / 21-9, 11-7) for the second time this season. The two teams met in the first game of the 2024 calendar year; a contest won by the Utes 58-41 in Tempe on Jan. 5.
 
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--ASU women's basketball showing poise, promise in rebuild under coach Natasha Adair (by Jayla French, Cronkite News/Feb. 9, 2024)
--From Brazil to Tempe, ASU's Isadora Sousa inspires on and off basketball court (by Jayla French, ASU News/Feb. 28, 2024)

The Utes came into the game ranked No. 5 in the nation in scoring (91.2) and the top-ranked team in the nation in field goal percentage (53.3). Although ASU did not get the win, it came through with one of its best defensive performances in limiting the Utes to what at the time was their lowest point total of the season in addition to holding them more than than 33 points below their scoring average and nearly 16 percentage points below their usual shooting percentage.

Jalyn Brown enters the tournament averaging 19.6 points per game in her past 17 games and has been in double digits each game and is averaging 19.9 points per game against ranked opponents. Trayanna Crisp has been in double figures in 10 of past 12 games (13.6 ppg.) and in seven of the nine games against ranked opponents.
 
The winner of Wednesday's game will meet the No. 3 seed UCLA (24-5, 13-5) on Thursday (9:30 p.m. MST/8:30 p.m. PST) in the last of four quarterfinal games.

To cheer on the Sun Devils at next week's Pac-12 Tournament, click here for ticket information.