Momentum builds for ASU women's basketball with local commitments

When guards Armani Hawkins and Sabrina Haines begin their Arizona State women's basketball careers in 2015-16, they will join a veteran team that could be positioned for a standout season.

Only Promise Amukamara and Nisha Barrett depart after 2014-15, when ASU will try to build on a 23-win season in which the Sun Devils reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That means in 2015-16, Hawkins and Haines will join this group:

Perimeter: Seniors Elisha Davis, Katie Hempen, Arnecia Hawkins, Peace Amukamara, Isidora Purkovic; sophomores Nicole Iademarco and Tiare Kanoa.

Post: Senior Eliza Normen; juniors Kelsey Moos, Sophie Brunner, Quinn Dornstauder; sophomore Shaq Edwards.

ASU also hopes to land 6 foot forward Kianna Ibis (19.4 ppg, 15.4 rpg) of Omaha, Neb., in its 2015 recruiting class with 6-0 Hawkins of Mesa Mountain View High School and 5-10 Haines of Phoenix Desert Vista. The local pair were teammates at Mountain View and are club teammates with Blue Star Arizona, coached by Hawkins' father Dana. Hawkins is ranked No. 48 nationally in the class of 2015 by HoopGurlz.

"We've played together so long and know each other really well," Haines said of Armani. "To think about playing together again on an even bigger scale makes me really excited.

"Coach Dana has done a great job, and I'm so appreciative of what he's done for both of us. We love each other on and off the court, and we're looking to bring our intensity into Arizona State and making a bigger impact."

Haines already has had a Division I state championship impact at Desert Vista. She had other scholarship offers -- from Oregon State, Colorado, Texas Tech, among others -- but made her commitment to ASU after an official visit last weekend.

"Even though I live 15 minutes away, I got to see more of the university, more about majors I'm interested in and all the great stuff Arizona State has to offer through players' eyes," Haines said. "I learned a lot. It was very informative."

She committed the next day, on Easter, contributing in ASU's resurrection from a 13-win team in 2012-13 to one that can push for a deep NCAA Tournament run like Charli Turner Thorne's Elite Eight squads in 2007 and '09.

"The coaches are great people who care about us as young women," Haines said. "This feels great. It's stress lifted off."