Jade Loville recognized coming to Arizona State would propel her game to extraordinary heights.

“I knew (the coaches at ASU) were going to develop me on the court, off the court,” Loville said. “I really wanted to develop my game and I trusted the coaches that when I came in, that’s what they were going to do. And I think so far that’s definitely been something that has helped me a lot on the court and we’re continuing to progress and I trust the coaches more than anything. So just getting in with them and having them behind me is great. And it’s definitely something that I came here for.”

The senior guard, who leads the Sun Devils with 16.5 points per game and has scored over 30 points in a game twice this season, has improved tremendously since transferring to ASU from Boise State in the offseason.

In her time at Boise State, Loville showed she was a legitimate scoring threat. Last season, in her break- out campaign, she averaged 17.1 PPG and she set the Broncos’ single-game scoring record with 40 points on Feb. 10, 2021 against UNLV.

However, what Loville did not show in Boise was her ability to shoot the 3-pointer. She shot 28.3 percent as a freshman in 2018-19, 17.1 percent in 2019-20 and just 13.2 percent in 2020-21. This season, her 3-point percentage has jumped to a whopping 43.9 percent, good for No. 3 in the Pac-12 as of Feb. 7.

Loville’s head coach, Charli Turner Thorne, discussed what her star player has done to improve from behind the 3-point line since coming to Tempe.

“Just worked on it,” Turner Thorne stated. “She didn’t shoot it at Boise. And she’s brought her release down a little bit because she’s up here as a jump shooter. So she’s learned to start a little bit lower.”

Loville was good in non-conference play but she has been exceptional in conference play. In the five conference games she has appeared in, she is averaging 19.2 PPG. She was terrific this past weekend in upsets of Oregon State and then-No. 19 Oregon. In the Oregon State game, she powered ASU to the victory with 33 points. Against Oregon, she shrugged off a poor shooting game and still led the team in points. Despite shooting 4-13, her ability to get to the free-throw line allowed her to score a much-needed 16 points.

Turner Thorne talked about what Loville has brought to the team in general.

“She’s just a player that’s used to getting buckets,” Turner Thorne said. “And has a really aggressive scoring mentality which we love. … The thing you really, really appreciate about Jade Loville is she can just elevate and hit tough shots. And to be a great team, you got to have a few players that can flat out just hit tough shots.”

Bond with dad a reason for Loville’s success this season

The coaching staff was not the only reason Loville transferred to ASU. She spent the first six years of her life in the Copper State and her father, Derek Loville, a former NFL running back, still lives in the Phoenix area.

Jade Loville’s close relationship with her father played a major role in her wanting to come back to Arizona.

“My dad’s been my mentor as far as sports and everything so just having him right there in the backyard is awesome,” Loville explained.

While Derek Loville was able to attend some of Jade Loville’s games at Boise State, she said he will be able to be in attendance for every home game this season.

“He’s just as excited as I am for the games so he comes in his Jade shirt and he’s right behind the bench every time,” Loville said. “So it’s awesome. It’s a blessing.”

Turner Thorne discussed how the relationship between Jade Loville and Derek Loville helped in the recruiting process.

“It did not hurt in the recruiting process that dad was living in Phoenix,” Turner Thorne stated. “And her mom works for the airlines. And her mom used to live in Phoenix. So all that kind of I think played into probably her decision.”

Loville has been solid on the road this season but she has been great at home. Of her five games with at least 20 points this season, four have been at home. She attributed that to having her dad and other family members in the stands.

“I got my dad in the stands every single game,” Loville remarked. “That’s a blessing. Really, it’s comforting knowing that I’m home. Got my girls with me where it’s our court. Charli always says defend our home, defend our house. But having my parents in the stands … having my family in the stands, it fuels a fire in me.”