June 7, 2025

‘The happiest person on the planet’: Molly Miller eager to start 1st season with ASU women’s basketball

TEMPE – Two and a half months have come and gone since Molly Miller became the newest coach of the Arizona State women’s basketball team. After the whirlwind that comes with a conference switch up (Western Athletic to Big 12) and crosstown move (Phoenix to Tempe), she and her squad are getting after it. “Now that I can settle in and get my routine with my team, I’m just the happiest person on the planet right now,” the former Grand Canyon coach said Wednesday on day three of summer camp at Weatherup Center. The Sun Devils posted a 10-22 record (3-15 in conference play) in their first run through the gauntlet that is the revamped Big 12. But as this upcoming 2025-26 season approaches – and as the 50th ASU women’s basketball team – Miller said they have to take ownership of their craft to begin to change the current narrative. “We have to take charge in developing and shaping the culture for years to come,” Miller said. “So, ‘take charge’ is kind of that overall arching theme of how we want to attack this year.” Miller’s players are even wearing gray shirts at practice with “Take Charge” donning the front and perched on top of the Sun Devils pitchfork logo. And just cracking open their summer training allowance, ASU already has made strides into establishing that desired program foundation. Miller said of the team’s 13 campus visits by incoming freshmen and transfers, nine said yes. Four of those nine were transfers with a combined 287 games in Power Four. LSU’s Last-Tear Poa, Pitt’s Marley Washenitz, Penn State’s Gabby Elliott – all guards – were joined by Ole Miss forward Heloisa Carrera. In the final of her five years at Grand Canyon, Miller’s defensive eye was on full display en route to the Lopes’ first NCAA Tournament appearance. GCU’s 2024-25 defense was a WAC-best in points allowed (57.20), opponent 3-point percentage (28.1) and steals (12.91, tied with Utah Valley). While those same conference-leading stats may not be immediately replicated, Miller said her players are “100% bought in.” “I told them like, ‘You can’t just have this honeymoon stage for one week. We’re going to have to sustain this,’” Miller said. “It’s easy to have the juice week one, but can you build on this? Can you sustain it? Can you build habit, where you love defense, you’re bought into it? “This group has been phenomenal. … They’re just hanging on every word and their eyes are this big.” With 19 players on the roster and 16 of them upperclassmen, Miller said that player experience coming into her first season at the helm will allow her to not “spend as much time teaching.”

However, Miller was clear that under her watch the Sun Devils program will be built by freshmen. “The ‘26 and ‘27 classes are really important for us,” said Miller, who added she is speaking with Top 25 prospects in the 2026 class and recently some 2027 talent. “We’re going to do that as time goes on, but when you can splash in that experience, I think that just helps you get a leg up a little quicker than normal.” So, how is Miller pitching ASU to prospects? “Well, it’s paradise,” Miller said. “So, I’m hash-tagging ‘pipeline to paradise.’ And I’m a relationship coach. … I don’t have to sell them on Arizona State in a day or two.” Bobby Hurley, coach of the ASU men’s basketball team, is going through his own whirlwind of changes with rising sophomore Trevor Best as the team’s only returning player. Entering the final year of his contract, Hurley has the onus on him to bring about results and he said he hopes Miller can do the same. “Hopefully Molly will breathe, you know, life into the program,” Hurley said. “She’s got great energy. She won last year and I think she’ll do a great job.” Despite unmistakable “newness,” Miller has a couple of sources of comfort on her coaching staff which she recently finished constructing. Jason Glover, Miller’s associate coach the past two seasons at GCU, followed her to Tempe and will serve in the same manner. His 35-plus-year coaching career included stops at former Pac-12 schools California and USC. “It’s nice because we can finish each other’s sentences right now,” Miller said of Glover. “He has an idea of the terminology. I’m telling you, it takes a whole year to learn Molly Miller terminology.” The other comforting presence is that of 1988 ASU alumnus Stephanie Norman. Before committing to the Valley, Norman helped lead the Louisville Cardinals to 16 NCAA tournaments in 18 years as an assistant and associate head coach. Now doubling as ASU women’s basketball’s director of basketball strategy and associate head coach, Miller said Norman can get the Sun Devils “back to national prominence.” “She was coasting at Louisville. They’re a well-oiled machine,” Miller said. “She told me ‘no’ twice but I guess that makes me an OK recruiter. … I pulled on her heart strings. ‘Here’s my vision. Here’s what I want. You can come full-circle with this thing.’” ASU’s summer training will continue through the end of June before taking the first week of July off. But it’s full steam ahead after that. As for what to expect the on-court product to look like? “The first year is going to be a year where you’re going to see good culture and we’re going to win games,” Miller said. “We’re going to build the right way. “You can tell they’re having fun right now. It’s going to be a lot of joyfulness but we’re going to work hard.”
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