Transfer Tapley thriving with Sun Devils

Ja’Tavia Tapley was down in the dumps and in need of some encouragement when she arrived on campus at ASU.

The graduate-transfer forward was “discouraged” after she left USC but after some positive words from the Sun Devil coaching staff, Tapley is off to a roaring start for a 7-2 ASU team.

Tapley decided to transfer from Southern California at the end of her junior year. The No. 39 overall recruit in the 2016 class out of University Christian high school in Jacksonville, Florida had not seen her career at USC work out the way it should have for a recruit of her caliber.

Tapley averaged just 4.5 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game in her career with the Trojans and never consistently started at USC until her junior year, when she started 26 of her 30 games played but played just 23.4 minutes per game.

Despite the slightly increased role, she still did not feel as though USC was the place for her anymore and wanted to move on to a school where she felt more comfortable.

Tapley said her transfer process was about “focusing on moving forward and growing” both in basketball and in her personal life.

“I just wanted to do that more and I didn’t think I could do that (at USC) anymore and (ASU) was a great place,” Tapley explained. “When I came on my visit I felt home. I felt welcomed. I felt like I could really grow here on and off the court.”

Tapley said the “family” atmosphere of ASU really drew her to the team and the school, especially with her family being on the east coast.

“I felt like they did a great job making me feel welcome so it was easier to pick here because I felt that a lot,” Tapley said.

However, Tapley did not have her confidence when she arrived at ASU. She needed some encouragement and it came from the ASU coaching staff, a big part in her decision to become a Sun Devil.

“I really like how straight forward Charli (Turner Thorne) was in telling me what she needed and what she wanted from me and how she knew I could help the program…,” Tapley said.

Tapley said she her coaches guided her in regaining her confidence by teaching her a stronger work ethic. She said the staff told her the sky is the limit if she increased her work ethic. She said she took it to heart and continues to work hard and put in extra time in the gym.

Her work has translated to her major success this season and becoming the catalyst for the Sun Devils offensively.

In her nine games played (seven starts), Tapley is averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game, a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game and is tied with freshman Eboni Walker for the team lead in blocks with five.

While Tapley said it was the coaches who helped her regain her confidence and aided her great start to the season, Turner Thorne gave Tapley some credit.

“I don’t think it’s us,” Turner Thorne said. “I think it’s her. I think we helped her with her work habits and I think we helped…teach her what it takes to be great and to win and she has bought in 100 percent and she’s put the time and the energy in and therefore she’s getting the results…”

Tapley has stepped up into a bigger role than expected in part due to a nagging foot injury senior forward Jamie Ruden has dealt with, limiting her to just two games this season. Tapley has had to step up into a leadership role despite it being her first year with the program.

Tapley said Turner Thorne made it clear to her she was going to be a leader on the team just as the other seniors are and she has embraced her role both as a vocal leader and a leader by example.

“Definitely a vocal leader,” Tapley stated. “And lead by example and in the game making sure the ones behind me see what I’m doing and making sure I’m doing it right. And keeping everybody hype during the game. Keeping everybody poised when we need to be poised.”

Walker said having Tapley as her teammate has been helpful to her growth during her freshman year.

“I just feel like she really pushes me and then I know like her being in my same position like she shows me like the right way to do it at this level…me coming from high school and her already being here for four years,” Walker explained. “She…gives me the little insights on what makes you successful in the…Pac-12. And I feel like we…feed off each other because we both have that …speed and athleticism…I really look up to her when she does certain things and she helps me be better every day.”

Tapley said she is starting to identify with her basketball role model, Brooklyn Nets’ forward Kevin Durant.

“His game and how he came from the bottom,” Tapley said. He was not taken seriously at all just because of his size and how thin he was and things like that but he continued to just work his butt off and show everybody wrong and I feel like I’m coming into that and I’m continuing to do that especially for my senior year and making…a statement for sure.”

Tapley said her team goal this season is to go to the NCAA tournament and her individual goal is to get better every game and keep increasing her statistics each time she steps on the floor.

After her single season in Tempe is done, she said she wants to play professionally either in the United States or overseas.

“She’s just hungry.” Turner Thorne stated. “She’s hungry to win, she’s hungry I think to continue to play basketball after college and those things are wonderful from a coaches perspective because she’s super talented and just really continuing to get better every day.”