“Our kids get to play in an environment with eyes on them, it’s a high-intense level, so they have to communicate when there is background noise,” Head Coach Molly Miller said. “I think it is a good run-through for ourselves, too.”

Miller engaged personally with the crowd, explaining the purpose of each drill and how they prepare the team for opponents. 

Before practice started, loud music played throughout the arena to energize the athletes. 

At the beginning of practice, Miller had the team do what is called “load management.” The warmup consisted of three stations: shooting, dynamic stretching and defense. 

Each station lasted two minutes before the team rotated.

Miller had the girls running very high-conditioned and high-pressure drills throughout the whole practice. 

One drill pressured the girls to make 60 points in only 60 seconds. In all three rounds, the Sun Devils were able to superpass 60 points.

The practice squad consisted of male athletes who challenged the girls throughout practice. Strong defense and offense were presented to the team in order to prepare them for game-like action. 

The whole ASU coaching staff and players kept a very energetic and loud environment to play in. The constant clapping, high fives and cheers filled the stadium for the fans to experience. 

“Any energy we can generate from the sideline, replicating from the game a little bit with the noisy environment, is a positive for us,” Miller said. “I really tip my hat to our staff and our dream team; they have been wonderful.”

Senior guard Marley Washenitz consistently yelled and was very vocal while communicating with her teammates up and down the court. 

One of the last drills Miller had the girls perform was just simple shooting. She said to the girls, “Shoot when you are tired.”

At the end of practice, Miller opened the court up to the fans to come down to meet the team and herself. 

The Sun Devils mingled with the fans on the court by going up and introducing themselves to the people standing around. 

Several local high school teams and coaches attended the practice. Multiple Sun Devils put up shots with the students. 

A fan was even able to get a few Sun Devils and Miller to sign their mini basketball on the court. 

Other basketball coaches around the Valley were able to learn a few tips from Miller and ask her questions about how to prepare their own teams. Several of the coaches were taking notes in the crowd. 

The Sun Devils have a stacked schedule ahead of them for the 2025-26 season, and Miller plans to train and guide them in the most efficient way possible.