The Arizona State women’s basketball team looks to get its season underway soon. This season is sure to be filled with tons of trials and tribulations under first-year ASU head coach Molly Miller.
Junior forward McKinna Brackens will be a key part of Miller’s team this season. Brackens is one of three Sun Devil players traveling to the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Media Day in Kansas City, Missouri, on Oct. 21.
At Thursday’s, Oct. 16, media availability, Brackens spoke about her willingness to compete as a Sun Devil this upcoming season.
Brackens transferred to ASU after spending her previous two seasons at UNLV. Brackens was a part of a top-20 Rebel squad during her freshman season and took on an increased role as a sophomore last year.
“I am excited for Big 12 play,” Brackens said. “I come from a mid-major UNLV, so anything Power Four is exciting. It makes me a bit nervous, but I am excited for the challenge.”
Brackens highlighted the community that coach Miller aims to build when making her final commitment decision.
“I played against her team in a scrimmage, and that was hard,” Brackens said. “They defended us pretty hard, but I looked at them. I wondered what it’s like to be on a team like that, and then when I got in the portal and she recruited me … I was like, that looks fun. It looks hard, but I think I wanted to play [for her].”
“Once I actually got to know her and got to talk to her and come see the school, I fell in love with the school,” Brackens said. “I fell in love with her and what she was about.”
“She is just so happy all the time,” Brackens said. “The way she motivates you, her energy, she gets so excited when you do it right … So I think because she gets excited for the little things, it makes you want to work harder.”
Brackens was able to talk about her teammates and some bonding activities they did over the summer. For a new group, chemistry can be tough unless a concerted effort is made, which is something that Brackens tried to execute.
“I think it works really well because we’re all new,” Brackens said. “We all had the same goal in mind … We came from different programs and we want to win.”
The Sun Devils' offseason camp, set in place by coach Miller, was a welcoming but tough challenge for Brackens.
“I think our identity is that we are going to run hard,” Brackens said. “We are going to play fast and get after it on defense. I think that is very important for Coach Miller, and it is becoming important to us.”
The Maroon and Gold will lean on Brackens to be the breakout star that they know she can be.
“Just come together and keep grinding it out, keep working … Just trust what the coaches are telling us and it will all work out.”