PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State women's basketball will appear on the Pac-12 Networks 14 times in its upcoming 2015-16 season, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott announced Monday. The commissioner announced the Cougars' Pac-12 schedule along with television schedule for the upcoming year.
“We are excited about the upcoming season,” WSU Head Coach June Daugherty said. “It's great to see the growth of this conference and the Pac-12 Network. We look forward to hosting several talented teams in Pullman and are looking forward to a great Cougar basketball season!”
WSU's first televised game will come against regional rival Gonzaga, Dec. 8. The two teams have traded wins the past four years, with WSU most recently knocking off Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., 59-58, Dec. 9, 2014.
Washington State will open conference play, Tuesday, Dec. 29, against Washington. The Cougars will host the Huskies at Beasley Coliseum. In total, Washington State will welcome four teams that played postseason basketball in 2014-15. Three opponents qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including Washington, Arizona State, and last year's regular-season conference champions, Oregon State, along with last year's WNIT champions, UCLA.
The Cougars will ring in the new year with their first conference road trip of the season. WSU will face Utah, Saturday, Jan. 2, followed by a Monday night showdown with Colorado, Jan. 4. Both games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
WSU returns to Pullman for a four-game homestand starting Friday, Jan. 8, when Arizona will try to avenge a conference season-opening loss from last year. Arizona State and the Pac-12 Networks come to town, Sunday, Jan. 10. The Cougars will welcome USC and UCLA the following weekend in a pair of televised matchups. The Cougars and Trojans will tangle first, Friday, Jan. 15, with the weekend's action concluding against the Bruins, Sunday, Jan. 17.
The Cougars will benefit from having a full week to prepare for a second matchup with Washington in Seattle, Sunday, Jan. 24. The Cougars notched their first three-game winning streak in the all-time series against UW last season, when they won in Seattle 83-72.
Washington State will continue its three-game road swing at Stanford and California, Jan. 29 and Jan. 31, respectively. Both games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
WSU returns to Beasley to open the month of February with games against Oregon and Oregon State. The Ducks and Cougars will square off Friday, Feb. 5. The game will be the Cougars' seven-straight televised match.
WSU plays the reigning Pac-12-Champion Beavers on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 7.
The Cougars will play the role of road warrior, Feb. 12-21, with back-to-back weekend matchups in southern California and Arizona. Friday, Feb. 12, WSU faces UCLA for the second time on the season. Sunday, Feb. 14, USC and WSU will meet once again for a Valentine's Day matchup on the Pac-12 Networks.
The road trip continues, Friday, Feb. 19, at Arizona State, before the Cougars make a short trip to Tucson to take on Arizona, Sunday, Feb. 21.
Regular-season Pac-12 play concludes back at Beasley Coliseum when Colorado and Utah visit the Palouse. The Buffaloes come to town Thursday, Feb. 25, and the Cougars and Utes will meet on Senior Day, Saturday, Feb. 27 in a televised matchup.
The 2016 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Tournament will be hosted March 3-6 at KeyArena in Seattle. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.
For a complete schedule and information on tickets, fans can visit www.wsucougars.com.