Every year, Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne tries to set her team up with a nonconference schedule that will prepare it for the Big 12.
Payne believes her squad is ready to go in conference play this year, and she’ll find out for sure Sunday when the Buffaloes visit Arizona State.
“I feel really good about our team going into conference play,” Payne said after the Buffs’ victory against Northern Colorado on Tuesday. “I think we’ve played a lot of different styles throughout the preseason. We’ve played teams that press, teams that zone, teams that switch. We’ve seen everything almost at this point, which is sort of the point of preseason, and we’ve grown a lot. Still lots to grow, but I’m excited to get going.”
With 10 new players this season, CU has a squad with very little Big 12 experience, but the same is true for Arizona State.
Under first-year coach Molly Miller, ASU has just two players with Big 12 experience in returning Sun Devils Jyah Lovett and Makalya Moore, neither of which start. All five of ASU’s starters were at different schools a year ago.
Most of CU’s team was somewhere else last year, too, including guard Desiree Wooten. The junior guard is a transfer from North Texas and looking forward to her first Big 12 game.
“Yeah, I’m really excited,” said Wooten, who is averaging 10.8 points for the Buffs. “I’m ready to make an impact with my team, for my team, and I’m ready to compete.”
The most experienced Big 12 player in Sunday’s game will be CU’s Jade Masogayo, who was All-Big 12 honorable mention a year ago.
Masogayo battled through a slow start to this season as she recovered from a knee injury. Since shedding the brace on her knee, she’s been dominant again, averaging 18.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in her past two games, while hitting 15 of 24 shots (.625).
Along with Masogayo, several other Buffs are settling into roles. Wooten has become a spark plug off the bench; freshman Logyn Greer is pacing the Buffs in scoring (11.6 points per game); and forward Anaelle Dutat is a consistent rebounder and defender.
Knowing the rigors of a Big 12 schedule, Masogayo said she’s ready to go into battle with her team.
“Absolutely,” she said. “It’s my last year. I’m ready to play some big games against some good teams and just more physicality. I’m excited for sure.”
CU went 9-9 in its return to the Big 12 last year. While the conference will have a much different look with so many new players, and a few new coaches, Masogayo expects the same level of intensity as last year.
Going into Saturday, there were just 12 undefeated teams in the country, with four of them (ASU, Iowa State, TCU and Texas Tech) in the Big 12. Half of the league is ranked in the top 45 of the NET rankings.
“Oh, for sure (the intensity ramps up in conference play),” Masogayo said. “Especially the physicality of it all, when it comes to the Big 12. It’s a lot, so it’s cool to be competitive in that aspect and just, you know, play basketball at a higher level.”
CU Buffs women’s basketball at Arizona State
TIPOFF: Sunday, 5 p.m., Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona
TV/RADIO: ESPN+/KHOW 630 AM
RECORDS: Colorado 9-3, 0-0 Big 12; Arizona State 13-0, 0-0 Big 12
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 10th season (173-119; 274-232 career). ASU — Molly Miller, 1st season (13-0, 310-55 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Anaelle Dutat, 6-0, Sr. (9.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.9 spg, .529 fg%); F Logyn Greer, 6-4, Fr. (11.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .495 fg%); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Sr. (9.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.2 apg); G Kennedy Sanders, 5-8, So. (9.3 ppg, 2.2 apg, 1.9 spg); G Zyanna Walker, 5-11, Jr. (9.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.5 spg); G Desiree Wooten, 5-8, Jr. (10.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.6 spg). Arizona State — F McKinna Brackens, 6-1, Jr. (14.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, .417 3pt%); F Heloisa Carrera, 6-2, So. (9.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, .524 fg%); G Gabby Elliott, 5-10, Sr. (16.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.9 apg, 2.6 spg); G Jyah LoVett, 5-8, Jr. (5.2 ppg, 1.7 rpg); G Last-Tear Poa, 5-11, Sr. (6.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.6 apg); G Marley Washenitz, 5-7, Sr. (9.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.2 spg).
NOTES: Since 1996 (the year the Big Eight expanded to the Big 12), CU is 12-17 in conference openers. That includes a 4-9 mark during the Pac-12 era and 8-8 in Big 12 games. … CU won its league opener last year, upsetting No. 14 West Virginia, 65-60. … The Buffs went 1-8 in Big 12 road games last year. … CU is 14-16 all-time against ASU, but has won the past three meetings, including 89-54 on Feb. 26, 2025, in Boulder. Only four of the 20 players who appeared in that game will be in uniform Sunday. … ASU is off to the best start in program history. The previous best was a 9-0 start in 1992-93. … In the preseason, CU was projected for a ninth-place Big 12 finish in both the media and coaches polls, while ASU was projected for 11th in both polls. … Going into Saturday, ASU was No. 43 in the NET rankings, while CU was No. 65. … Prior to being hired at ASU, Miller went 117-38 in five seasons at Grand Canyon, including 32-3 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year. Before that, she went 180-17 in six seasons at her alma mater, Drury University.
