TEMPE, Ariz. – With summer workouts underway, Arizona State women’s basketball enters the 2026-27 season with a greater degree of certainty – and higher expectations. 

A season ago, head coach Molly Miller departed cross-town foe Grand Canyon for Tempe. Despite holding a strong reputation, uncertainty surrounded her first year in the power-conference landscape. Yet Miller rose to the occasion, leading the program to a 24-win season and its first NCAA Tournament berth in seven years. 

After a successful first campaign where the Sun Devils went 15-2 at home, Miller said she has settled into Tempe entering Year 2.

“I feel like I can breathe,” Miller said. 

Miller said she had to learn a lot in her first season outside basketball, including how to hire and pay staff. 

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Miller said, “and I didn’t know a lot.” 

There were also challenges for recruiting, Miller said, due to the program’s lack of an established culture and a winning resume.

“We had to sell a little bit of blind faith that we were going to win,” Miller said. 

One of the players who bought into Miller’s long-term vision was sophomore guard Amaya Williams.

Originally committed to GCU under Miller, Williams followed the coach who recruited her to ASU.

Williams said Miller, the coaching staff and the program’s culture kept her committed to the future of ASU women’s basketball. 

“It’s really like a family,” Williams said. 

Williams is among a number of key players Miller retained entering 2026. 

ASU returns five players who played significant roles on the team that went to the NCAA Tournament last March.

With success comes more comfort but also heightened expectations. 

Senior forward McKinna Brackens embraced these expectations.

“I don’t think any of us are going to bow down or like back away from a challenge,” Brackens said. 

Heightened expectations, Brackens said, are also an encouraging sign for a blossoming program.

“I feel like it’s good to have expectations because that means you have respect,” Brackens said. 

Brackens is poised to be a leader on and off the court for the Sun Devils, as she enters her senior season. The forward was third-team All-Big 12 a year ago and led the team in double-doubles. 

Brackens also sees Williams as a veteran on the court who’s grown into a greater leader.

“(Williams is) bringing her intangibles, the energy (and) the effort,” Brackens said. 

Miller also had high praise for her guard. 

“(Williams) is the epitome of what it takes to have grit and passion,” Miller said.

Miller said last year’s success has allowed the program to build momentum and an important resume to recruit top-end talent. 

The 2026-27 season will prove key to whether this momentum keeps rolling for ASU, but Miller made it clear that wins and losses aren’t the only measure of the state of the program. 

“What I really value about what we’ve done here is our kids are happy,” Miller said. 

However, Miller doesn't confuse this positive energy with softness. 

“I’ll wrap my arms around you; I’ll be your biggest cheerleader," Miller said, “but I am going to push you.”