The Arizona State Women’s Basketball program has thrived under head coach Charli Turner Thorne. They are riding a current 9-year streak of reaching the postseason (6 NCAA berths, 3 NIT) The Sun Devils have gone 102-32 in the last 4 seasons, all culminating in trips to the NCAA Tournament. They’ve reached at least the 2nd round of the tourney all 4 years, made two trips to the Sweet 16, and another to the Elite 8.

A big reason for the Devils’ success has been the ability of Turner Thorne and her staff to recruit, especially in the Pacific Northwest. The 2007-08 ASU roster featured 4 players from the state of Washington and another from Oregon. Amy Denson (Oregon), Emily Westerberg (Washington), Betsy Boardman (Oregon) and Aubree Johnson (Idaho) all made huge contributions to the program during their tenure. Charli Turner Thorne owns the Pacific Northwest!

Which brings me to my next point…There’s a girl by the name of Jaime Nared who lives in the Portland area. She’s 12 years old, and already stands over 6 feet tall. And she can play. She’s been the source of some controversy, as the club she plays at has now prevented her from playing against boys her age, because apparently she’s too good.

Reminds me of the line Michael Keaton delivered in Night Shiftwhen talking about his gambling adventures in Atlantic City, “they barred me for being too good a player.”

ASU women’s hoops fans are crossing their fingers that Charli’s recruiting dominance in Oregon and Washington continues, although 6 years is a really long time to keep anything crossed.

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