ASU Women’s Basketball Sees Home Win Streak Snapped in Gritty Loss to Kansas State
TEMPE - For the first time this season, the Sun Devil women’s basketball team walked off the Desert Financial Arena floor without a win. Their perfect 12-0 home record came to an end Sunday afternoon in a 74-67 loss to Kansas State, a game that saw ASU claw back from a 24-point second-half deficit but ultimately fall just short in front of 3,954 fans.
This wasn’t a case of the Sun Devils folding - far from it. They battled to the final buzzer, but Kansas State’s red-hot shooting from beyond the arc was simply too much to overcome.
The Wildcats knocked down 11 of their first 14 three-point attempts, using that barrage to build a commanding lead midway through the third quarter. By the time ASU found its rhythm, the hole was already deep.
Still, the Sun Devils showed plenty of fight. Down by as many as 24 in the third, they surged back to within nine points with 3:28 to play, riding a wave of defensive energy and clutch buckets. But the comeback ran out of time, and Kansas State held on for the win.
Brackens, Elliott, and Carrera Lead the Charge
McKinna Brackens led the way for ASU with 20 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter when the Sun Devils made their final push. Gabby Elliott added 18 points and was all over the stat sheet, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists. Heloisa Carrera chipped in 11 points of her own, giving the Sun Devils a solid trio of scorers who combined for 49 of the team’s 67 points.
Marley Washenitz and Jyah LoVett each added nine points, with LoVett doing all of her damage in the second half - part of a collective effort to get ASU back in the game after Kansas State’s early onslaught.
Brackens also paced the team on the glass with six rebounds, while Elliott and LoVett each pulled down five. Sharing the basketball was another bright spot: ASU tallied 20 assists on 27 made field goals. Amaya Williams and LoVett led the way with five dimes each, while Elliott and Washenitz added four apiece.
Kansas State’s Shooting Clinic
The Wildcats came in with a modest record but played anything but modest basketball. They shot 60 percent from three (12-of-20) and 51.2 percent overall - becoming just the second team all season to shoot over 50 percent against ASU’s defense. That kind of efficiency is tough to beat, especially when it’s paired with strong rebounding and timely defense.
The turning point came during the second and third quarters. Kansas State outscored ASU 41-29 during that 20-minute stretch, using a combination of sharp ball movement and perimeter shooting to stretch the lead. At one point in the third, the Wildcats led 56-32 - a margin that felt insurmountable until ASU flipped the switch.
The Comeback Attempt
ASU ended the third quarter on a 12-2 run, igniting the crowd and breathing life back into the game. LoVett capped the quarter with a buzzer-beating layup off a steal by Washenitz, trimming the deficit to 14 and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.
Kansas State briefly pushed the lead back to 18, but the Sun Devils didn’t blink. A 9-0 run, punctuated by an Elliott three-pointer, cut the gap to 64-55 with just over three minutes left. The arena was buzzing, and the Sun Devils had momentum on their side.
But the Wildcats managed the clock, hit enough free throws, and kept ASU just out of reach. Elliott scored the game’s final points with five seconds left, but by then the outcome was sealed.
What’s Next for ASU
With the loss, ASU drops to 18-5 overall and 5-5 in Big 12 play. This was a tough one, no doubt - not just because it ended a home win streak, but because of how hard the team fought to get back into it.
There’s no question the Sun Devils have the talent and toughness to compete with anyone in the conference. If they can tighten up defensively and avoid early deficits like this one, they’ll be a tough out the rest of the way.
Kansas State, now 12-11 (5-5 Big 12), reminded everyone that records don’t always tell the full story. When a team gets hot from deep, anything can happen - and on Sunday, they made sure ASU felt every bit of it.
But don’t expect this to be the start of a slide for the Sun Devils. If anything, this game showed just how much fight this team has. And with the season heating up, that grit is going to matter more than ever.