PHOENIX — Longtime Arizona State women’s basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne announced that she is retiring after 25 years in Tempe.
Turner Thorne was head coach at NAU from 1993-1996 before being hired at ASU. She led the Sun Devils to the PAC-10 Tournament Championship in 2001 and she’s been named conference Coach of the Year twice during her tenure.
ASU made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament under her watch, making it to the Elite 8 in 2009.
During her announcement, Turner Thorne alluded to pursuing broadcasting or teaching at ASU in her future. Though her time as ASU’s winningest basketball coach is coming to an end, she plans on staying involved in the community in the Valley.
What’s next for the legendary ASU coach? Enjoying some time with her parents and family after dedicating the last 33 years of coaching at a high level.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.
Sports
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12 News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!