Sun Devil women's basketball signs 2 student-athletes to letters of intent

Arizona State University head women's basketball coach Charli Turner Thorne today announced that Breanna Burton and Quinn Dornstauder have signed letters of intent to study and play basketball at Arizona State.

"We are extremely excited to welcome a smooth, poised, point guard in Breanna Burton and an incredibly versatile and skilled center in Quinn Dornstauder," Turner Thorne said. "Breanna and Quinn are both from outstanding families and are women who have demonstrated impeccable character throughout their lives. They will be fantastic additions to our Sun Devil family."

Burton will be transferring to ASU from Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas. A 5-7 guard, Burton averaged 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.4 assists during her two-year junior college career. This past season Burton earned All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference recognition following a campaign in which she averaged 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.7 assists. She scored in double figures 17 times in 2012-13, including five games with 20 or more points. Originally from Los Angeles, Calif., Burton earned city section first-team honors after averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior at Dorsey High School. According to Turner Thorne, Burton's game has some parallels to that of former Sun Devil great and current Indiana Fever guard Briann January.

"Breanna has similar qualities to Briann in that she has a very consistent pull-up and three-point shot to go with a lightning-quick first step on defense," Turner Thorne said. "She grew up on the courts of Los Angeles where she played with and against top competitors her entire basketball career. She has demonstrated that tough, determined mindset and leadership we need in a veteran guard and she'll be ready to help our team compete against the nation's best teams."

A 6-3 center from Saskatchewan, Canada, Dornstauder was a member of the Canadian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 U17 World Championships in Amsterdam. Most recently, Dornstauder helped lead her LeBoldus high school team to a 5A title as she scored 25 points in the championship game to help LeBoldus upset Holy Cross, which came into the contest on an 84-game winning streak. In December, Dornstauder played a central role in LeBoldus winning the Mike Dea Classic Senior Girls Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive season after posting 32 points and 19 rebounds in the championship game to earn tournament MVP honors. Dornstauder, who has also lived in France, finished fourth in rebounding at last year's U17 World Championships. An exceptional performer in the classroom. Dornstauder is a candidate for ASU's Barrett Honors College.

"Quinn is absolutely a diamond in the rough," Turner Thorne said. "We are thrilled to have found such a talented and skilled post player who not only gives us a tremendous defensive presence in the paint, but also has the versatility to play inside or outside. We are very impressed with Quinn's talents, exceptional focus and work ethic on and off the court. We are confident she will have a great impact on our program."

Burton and Dornstauder will be two of four new players on ASU's roster in 2013-14. They will be joined by incoming freshman Sophie Brunner and Kelsey Moos, who signed with ASU last fall. Next year's Sun Devil squad will also be boosted by the return of senior guard Deja Mann (redshirted in 2012-13 due to injury) and the addition of Katie Hempen (redshirted in 2012-13 due to NCAA transfer rules). Mann is ASU's active career leader in points, assists and 3-pointers while Hempen, who transferred to ASU from SIUE last May, was the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2012.