Karina Alofaituli asked out of her National Letter of intent with Arizona State after Coach Charli Turner-Thorne said she would take a year off. But ASU denied the Newbury Park, CA forward, so she will have to sit out a year beginning this fall, as she attends USC.
It’s ironic, because a few years ago when Kali Bennett opted to be a Sun Devil after Washington coach June Daugherty was fired, the Huskies declined to release her from her LOI. It seems hypocritical to me that ASU is now doing the same thing.
More importantly, this practice is unethical. If a young person has signed with a school, they are doing so mostly because of the coach. If that coach is let go or allowed to take a leave by the school, then the school should release that athlete from her LOI. Not doing so is greedy, and lacks integrity.
I have not rooted for the UW since the Bennett incident. I’m going to add ASU to my list now. Any school that chooses to punish young people for the decisions of the school doesn’t deserve any support.