ASU Basketball: Sun Devils’ women’s basketball unveil non-conference schedule

Arizona State women’s basketball has announced its upcoming non-conference schedule which features twelve opponents and three tournament-style events. The schedule will run from early November and run until late December, giving the Sun Devils, along with second-year head coach Natasha Adiar, plenty of battles throughout the season.

Nov. 6 vs. UTSA

The Sun Devils will begin conference play against UTSA at Desert Financial Arena, giving ASU an early test in the year. The Roadrunners were 11-13 overall and 9-11 in C-USA conference play last year. UTSA qualified for the C-USA conference tournament last season, winning two games and reaching the semifinal round. Arizona State has won all five previous meetings between the two programs.

Nov. 10 vs. Montana State

The Montana State Bobcats were an impressive 20-11 during the regular season before a shocking upset loss in the Big Sky Tournament ended their season. MSU was stellar on the road as well last year, winning 8-of-12 true road games including two non-conference road wins at BYU and San Jose State. In last year’s contest, the Sun Devils jumped out to an early 20-0 lead, proving to be the difference maker in a 79-64 win for ASU in Bozeman, Montana.

Nov. 13 vs. San Francisco

Another non-conference game will be played against WCC opponent San Francisco on Nov. 13. The Dons were 19-13 with a 9-9 conference record last season. Although Arizona State has not played San Francisco since 1985, the Dons had a rocky going against Pac-12 opponents last year. USF was 0-3 against the Pac-12 with two non-conference losses to Washington State and USC, and a WNIT tournament loss to Washington.

Nov. 16 at Grambling State in Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series

Part of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series, the Sun Devils first true non-conference road test will come in Grambling, Louisiana against Grambling State. The Pac-12/SWAC legacy series signed a partnership last season which saw 12 mens and women’s basketball games between the two conferences.

The Legacy Series was established to create a competitive atmosphere for the two conferences while establishing an educational connection between the two on issues of anti-racism and social injustice in the United States. Last year’s content went the Devils way in a 62-49 victory in Tempe.

Nov. 19 vs. Idaho State

ASU will return home to take on Idaho State. Last season, the Bengals finished with a 11-19 overall record and a 5-9 road record which included two pac-12 losses to USC and Washington. The last time these two programs met was in 2019 when the Sun Devils won 74-69.

Nov. 23 vs. Texas in Paradise Jam

ASU will head down to the U.S. Virgin Islands to play in the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Women’s Paradise Jam beginning Nov. 23-25. The opening opponent for Adair’s team will be the Texas Longhorns. The Longhorns had a 26-10 overall record and qualified for the NCAA Tournament. After beating East Carolina, Texas’ season ended in a 73-51 loss to Louisville. In all-time matchups between the two programs, ASU has yet to win in five games between the two.

Nov. 24 vs. South Florida in Paradise Jam

On the second day of tournament play, the Sun Devils will play South Florida. After two straight AAC regular season titles, the Bulls head into the Paradise Jam tournament as favorites to win the title. The Bulls breezed through the conference schedule with a 14-1 regular season record last season. These two programs haven’t met in over 20 years with the last meeting being a Sun Devil defeat in Tempe.

Nov. 25 vs High Point in Paradise Jam

The final game in the tournament for the Sun Devils will be played against High Point University who finished the regular season 2nd in the Big South Conference. The Panthers earned a bid into the WNIT last year after losing in the Big South Championship to Gardner-Webb. Arizona State and High Point have never met previously.

Other teams included in the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Women’s Paradise Jam include: NC State, Kentucky, Colorado and Cincinnati.

Dec. 1-2 vs. Xavier and Pacific in Briann January Classic

The second annual Briann January Classic will feature four teams, two of which ASU will be slated to play. On Dec. 1 the Sun Devils will play Pacific at Desert Financial Arena. The Tigers lost twice last season to in-state pac-12 opponents Stanford and Cal.

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The second game of the tournament for the Sun Devils comes against Xavier on Dec. 2. The Musketeers were last in the Big East last season, including a 20-game, conference losing streak.

Dec. 8 vs. GCU

In-state rival GCU will make the short bus ride to Tempe to play the Sun Devils on Dec. 8. After beating the Lopes last year, the Sun Devils are now 3-0 against Grand Canyon in head to head matchups.

Dec. 20 vs. Fresno State in Jerry Conangelo Hall of Fame Series

Slated as a road game, the Sun Devils will take on Fresno State from Footprint Arena in downtown Phoenix. The Bulldogs were an 11-22 team last year and experienced a first-round exit in the Mountain West tournament. Arizona State is now 4-0 against Fresno State all-time.

Dec. 30 vs. Santa Clara

The Santa Clara Broncos travel to Tempe in the final non-conference game for the Sun Devils. Santa Clara finished with a 15-17 record last season and it will be the first ever matchup between the two programs.