FORT COLLINS, Colo. - After a long hard fought season in the nation's top rated conference, the Washington State women's basketball team has earned a spot in the postseason as the Pac-12's automatic qualifier for the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). In the 20th edition of the WNIT the Cougs drew BYU out of the WCC in the first round of play. The two teams will square off in Provo, Utah Thursday, March 16 at the Marriot Center.
 
On Tuesday, March 14, all the game times for first-round matchups will be announced. First-round games will be held March 15-17; the second round runs March 18-21. Round 3 is slated for March 22-24; Round 4 is March 25-27, and the WNIT semifinals are set for March 29-30.

The Cougars earned the conference's automatic bid into the postseason tournament thanks to their seventh place finish in the standings. The Pac-12 awards its automatic bid to the WNIT to the first team in the standings that did not make the NCAA Tournament. With the Pac-12 earning a record seven bids to the Big Dance, the Cougars became the conference's first team out making them the first team into the WNIT. The bid into the WNIT marks the third time in the last four seasons the Cougars advanced to the postseason tournament.

In addition to the Cougars, the Pac-12 sent two more teams to the WNIT with Utah and Colorado each earning at large bids alongside of WSU.

Overall, WSU finished the regular season 12-19 while posting a 6-12 record in Pac-12 play despite an injury riddled campaign. The Cougars faced off against 11 ranked teams on the season including five top-10 teams. Additionally, the Cougs took on 11 teams that earned spots in the NCAA Tournament as well as six top-4 seeds.

BYU earned the West Coast Conference's automatic bid to the WNIT after finishing as the runner-up to NCAA Tournament bound Gonzaga. BYU finished the regular season 20-11. Overall on the year, WSU has been well acquainted with the WCC having gone 4-1 against the conference prior to Pac-12 play.