TEMPE — The modern era of college basketball is unpredictable.
Arizona State senior guard Marley Washenitz’s journey has taken her to places she’d never imagined, now including the West Coast, where she’s donning the Maroon and Gold in Tempe, Arizona.
Coming out of high school, Washenitz originally committed to her hometown team, the West Virginia Mountaineers. Her style of play fit what former Mountaineers coach Mike Carey was looking for: a defensive-minded do-it-all guard.
She built a strong reputation in the state, earning the designation of West Virginia State Player of the Year twice and being named to the West Virginia All-State First team four times.
Everything seemed to be going perfectly: The 5-foot-7 guard was going to stay in her home state and play college basketball for the team she grew up watching. Then COVID-19 hit, and turned everything upside down. The NCAA gave players an additional year to play and West Virginia couldn’t honor its scholarship offer to Washenitz.
“It was definitely an emotional thing for me,” Washenitz said. “It kind of felt like everything that I had worked towards had been stripped away. But, like I said, God is never going to fail me and just put my life faith in him.”
What was her next step?
Commit to one of, if not the biggest, rival of West Virginia, the University of Pittsburgh.
The decision might have shocked many, including her younger self and her parents. However, backed by her family, the West Virginia-native was ready to take a leap of faith.
“Whatever I do, they are going to support me 100%,” Washenitz said. “(I am) very fortunate to just have them in my corner, because they are the reason I have done what I have done.”
The decision proved to be the right one.
In her freshman year with the Pittsburgh Panthers, Washenitz earned All-ACC Academic Team honors and ranked fourth among ACC freshmen in assists with 43.
The next two seasons, Washenitz took her game to a whole other level.
Washenitz led the team in assists, finished second in steals, and tallied the third-most minutes on her team in her sophomore year.
In her junior season, she led the Panthers with 75 steals, 34 more than she had the prior season. Washenitz also averaged a career-high 9.3 PPG while setting career highs in minutes, steals, FG%, and 3-point shooting.
“I had a great three years,” Washenitz said, reflecting on her time at Pitt. “I met so many great people. I loved my time at Pitt, and I cherish it, and the coaching staff and all the teammates I had in my three years. I still talk to some of them day to day.”
For her final year of eligibility, Washenitz entered the transfer portal again with three non-negotiables: environment, style of play and relationships, the third of which was the most important to Washenitz.
“I am huge on relationships,” Washenitz said. “So just seeing that impact and like the want from this coaching staff was huge.”
Coaching was a big selling point for Washenitz, too.
That’s why when Washenitz started to develop a relationship with Arizona State Coach Molly Miller, her transfer destination became clear: She was headed for the sunny skies of Tempe, Arizona.
For coach Miller, the decision to recruit Washenitz was an easy one.
“You can see her tenaciousness,” Miller said. “You can see her motor, feel her bounciness, and I said she will fit in perfectly. I do not even need to see how many shots she has made or anything like that, I know she will impact this team just by those intangibles that are important.”
Washenitz said that in just a few months, the Sun Devils’ coaching staff has helped her develop more than she ever has in college.
They’ve also helped her adjust to a new environment after spending most of her life on the East Coast.
Miller shares the cross-country moving experience, as she trekked from Missouri to the Desert to lead Grand Canyon University for six years before landing at ASU. She, alongside the rest of the team, has helped Washenitz feel right at home.
“She is a big-time family person,” Miller said. “So I know being across the country could be hard at times, but the head she has on her shoulders, she is so mature, and she knows how to handle this. … She has got the best mentality. It does not matter if it is East Coast or West Coast, she will make the best out of every situation.”
Washenitz has already delivered some prime-time moments, most recently with the ‘Hail Marley,’ on Nov. 22 against UNLV at home to extend the Sun Devils’ record to 5-0. The shot drew national attention, as it was named No. 1 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays and led to the creation of T-shirts commemorating the play.
Even though she’s is across the country, over 2,000 miles away from her hometown, Washenitz feels like she, along with her little dog, is right where she belongs.
“I am so fortunate to call ASU my home,” Washenitz said.
Leave a Reply