Washington State University sophomore Borislava Hristova grew up in Varna, Bulgaria watching her mother and father play basketball. She said the first time she stepped into the gym she fell in love with sport.
After ten years of play and representing Bulgaria in multiple European Championships, Hristova was rated the No. 1 overall international college recruit for her age by NetScouts Basketball International. She never thought she would end up with an offer to play in the states and earn a degree, but her parents urged her to try, and she doesn't regret her decision.
"Pullman feels like home because the people are so kind and they're different, but in a good way," Hristova said. "I've really enjoyed it."
The 6-0 forward thrived during her opening campaign, breaking seven records, the most by a freshman in program history.
"I know this university has had really good players in the past, so I'm proud of that," Hristova said.
She scored an impressive 490 points, made 200 field goals, averaged 16.3 ppg and recorded a .881 free throw percentage. Hristova broke a 26-year Cougar record after scoring at least 20 points nine times last season and was the second freshman in school history to reach the 30-point plateau in a single game.
During the first four games of the season she scored in double figures including a 23-point effort in the win over Nevada, earning her the nickname "Bobi buckets" by assistant coach Ashley Gill. Hristova said she didn't quite understand the nickname at first, but she grew to like it.
Hristova capped off the 2015-16 season with a selection to the All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Teams. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the week three times, and was the second player in WSU history to earn back-to-back honors following wins over Washington and USC last November.
Following up her memorable start, Hristova said her main goal for the upcoming season isn't to break more records. Instead she hopes to continue the team's momentum and make a mark in the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Women's basketball Tournament and earn a trip to the postseason.
This summer Hristova had the opportunity to represent her native country, Bulgaria, in the FIBA U20 European Championship. Excited to return to Pullman, she focused on fine-tuning her skills during offseason one-on-one practices. Moving forward, Hristova said she wants to focus on more than clinching wins during her sophomore season.
"I don't want to just focus on myself, but enjoy how the team is playing and bring joy to the fans," Hristova said.
After ten years of play and representing Bulgaria in multiple European Championships, Hristova was rated the No. 1 overall international college recruit for her age by NetScouts Basketball International. She never thought she would end up with an offer to play in the states and earn a degree, but her parents urged her to try, and she doesn't regret her decision.
"Pullman feels like home because the people are so kind and they're different, but in a good way," Hristova said. "I've really enjoyed it."
The 6-0 forward thrived during her opening campaign, breaking seven records, the most by a freshman in program history.
"I know this university has had really good players in the past, so I'm proud of that," Hristova said.
She scored an impressive 490 points, made 200 field goals, averaged 16.3 ppg and recorded a .881 free throw percentage. Hristova broke a 26-year Cougar record after scoring at least 20 points nine times last season and was the second freshman in school history to reach the 30-point plateau in a single game.
During the first four games of the season she scored in double figures including a 23-point effort in the win over Nevada, earning her the nickname "Bobi buckets" by assistant coach Ashley Gill. Hristova said she didn't quite understand the nickname at first, but she grew to like it.
Hristova capped off the 2015-16 season with a selection to the All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Freshman Teams. She was named Pac-12 Freshman of the week three times, and was the second player in WSU history to earn back-to-back honors following wins over Washington and USC last November.
Following up her memorable start, Hristova said her main goal for the upcoming season isn't to break more records. Instead she hopes to continue the team's momentum and make a mark in the 2017 Pac-12 Conference Women's basketball Tournament and earn a trip to the postseason.
This summer Hristova had the opportunity to represent her native country, Bulgaria, in the FIBA U20 European Championship. Excited to return to Pullman, she focused on fine-tuning her skills during offseason one-on-one practices. Moving forward, Hristova said she wants to focus on more than clinching wins during her sophomore season.
"I don't want to just focus on myself, but enjoy how the team is playing and bring joy to the fans," Hristova said.