Child’s Play? Coach Makes It Seem So

Charli Turner Thorne swore she would not go through this again.

The Arizona State University women’s basketball coach is the mother of two sons, and she and husband Will had not ruled out adding to their family.

But both boys -- Conor, 4, and Liam, 2 -- were born during the Sun Devils’ basketball season. And Turner Thorne was not planning another such occurrence.

Ah, but ... Arizona State is traveling east today to play No. 1 Connecticut on Thursday, and Holy Cross on Saturday. Turner Thorne will be pacing the sidelines as usual.

She is also more than eight months’ pregnant with her third son, with a due date of Jan. 7.

“Imagine my surprise,” said Turner Thorne, about learning of the pregnancy. “The baby is a huge blessing, and we are all excited. But the timing is awful.”

Still, she was determined to make the eastern trip, if at all possible. Connecticut is top-ranked, and there isn’t a coach alive who doesn’t dream about toppling a No. 1 team.

Besides, Turner Thorne has some experience when coaching and childbirth collide.

Conor was born Feb. 9, 1999. Bracketing his arrival, Turner Thorne coached a pair of overtime games, Feb. 6 against Washington, and Feb. 13 against Arizona.

Liam was born on March 11, 2001. On March 10 -- Turner Thorne’s birthday -- Turner Thorne was coaching Arizona State against Stanford for the Pac-10 championship. Stanford won by two, and finished in a three-way tie with ASU and Washington.

March 11 was also the day the NCAA announced the women’s tournament field. The team was at the Turner Thorne home, watching the selection show, while Turner Thorne was at the hospital in labor. Conor was born 44 minutes after Arizona State had learned it would play Louisiana State.

Turner Thorne missed only one practice after Conor’s birth and accompanied the team to Lafayette, Ind., for the tournament game.

Turner Thorne’s physician, Eleanor Stanley, has cleared her to travel, and will be with her and the team for the Connecticut and Holy Cross games. Turner Thorne, who has ASU off to a 5-2 start, said she had watched tape of the recent USC-Connecticut game. The Trojans nearly beat the two-time NCAA champions, building a 15-point first-half lead, before losing, 62-59.

That’s the closest any team has come to knocking off 6-0 Connecticut.

“USC rebounded really well that game,” Turner Thorne said. “[The Trojans] didn’t give them second shots. And USC plays good, aggressive defense. UConn looked small against them.

“I wish we weren’t the first team to play them since that game because I’m sure their coaching staff is going to correct a lot of things. I doubt they were super happy with their defense and rebounding. Plus, they’re all finished with their finals. Our kids will be taking exams up to the flight.”

*

The relatively strong early play of Pac-10 contenders Stanford, Arizona and Washington has been expected.

But it’s Oregon -- 7-1, ranked 22nd and off to its best start since the 1996-97 season -- that has everyone’s attention.

The Ducks flew into the top 25 by ambushing then-ninth-ranked LSU on Nov. 16. Some expected Oregon to fade after losing its best player, Catherine Kraayeveld, to a season-ending knee injury on Dec. 2. But the Ducks have stumbled only against Portland, and have solid nonconference victories over Kansas, North Carolina State and Gonzaga.

“Since the end of last year, our focus has been on rebounding and defense,” said Ducks’ Coach Bev Smith.

“That has helped us feel good about ourselves and stay in games. Plus, this team is a close-knit group, which wasn’t always the case last year.”

Smith said playing the next four games on the road, including the conference opener at California and a follow-up at Stanford, will tell her a lot more about where her team stands.

“If we’re going to be good, we have to win on the road,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean she and the Ducks can’t feel good about their play.

“If you had told me before the season started that we would be where we are now,” Smith said, “I’d have asked you what you were drinking.”