PULLMAN, Wash. – In her first official signing day as head coach of Washington State women's basketball, Kamie Ethridge made the most of her time on the recruiting trail by announcing the signings of three players to NCAA National Letters of Intent. Putting on the Crimson and Gray in 2019 for the Cougars are: Leah Mafua (Wellington, New Zealand), Bella Murekatete (Ngoma Huye, Rwanda), and Grace Sarver (Seattle, Wash.).
"It is with great excitement that I get to announce our first signing class at Washington State," said Ethridge. "My staff and I wanted to sign versatile, talented, positive energy and high-IQ players. We did that with the signing of Grace, Bella and Leah. We filled some needs in our program by signing a big strong athletic post in Bella, a versatile (positionless) guard in Leah and a long attacking point guard in Grace. Our fans will notice their talent, size and potential but more importantly they exhibit the characteristics we want in our program. Some of those characteristics are toughness, passion, grit and selflessness. This signing class chose Washington State because they believe in this coaching staff and team, felt 'at home' on this WSU campus and love the die-hard Coug community in Pullman. These three players will make a big impact on our program over the years to come!"
Leah Mafua | 5-10 | Guard/Forward
Coming to Pullman from New Zealand, Mafua brings with her a wealth of international basketball experience having played for her home country in tournaments around the world. Most recently, Mafua played in the 2018 FIBA U18 Asian Championships, facing off against the likes of current Coug, Ula Motuga and Australia, as well as the rest of the best the Asian contingent had to offer. In five games, Mafua average 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals per game in just over 21 minutes per game. Facing off against Motuga in the first knockout round, Mafua put up 13 points as New Zealand fell just short of the semifinals. On the high school level, Mafua led Hutt Valley to the Wellington title last season while finishing as the national runner-up. In the finals, she came up with 22 points and earned a spot on the tournament team at Nationals.
Ethridge on Mafua – "Leah is a strong, tough and versatile 1-4 talent. She has the ability to shoot the three but, also has the size, strength, ball handling skills and passing abilities to make plays at the rim. She will be able to play and guard multiple positions.You will see in Leah determination, loyalty and a commitment to impacting her team and program."
Bella Murekatete | 6-5 | Center
An intimidating presence in the paint, Murekatete has spent the last three years playing high school basketball at Genesis Prep Academy in Post Falls, Idaho. While still learning the game, Murekatete has established herself as one of the most athletic and skilled centers in the country and on the international scene. As a junior, Murekatete led the Jags to a runner-up finish at the DII state championship while averaging 28.7 points at the state tournament including a 25 point, 30 rebound, seven block effort in the finals. For the season, Murekatete averaged 20.6 points and 18.6 rebounds per game en route to first team all-state honors. On the international level, Murekatete led Rwanda's U-18 women basketball team to a fourth place finish at the FIBA U18 Women's African Championships. The big center was dominant, earning a spot on the All-Star Five team at the end of the tournament as the tournament's best rebounder. In all, Murekatete averaged 16.8 points and 13.7 rebounds in six games for Rwanda. She first made her debut for Rwanda at 15 when she averaged 14 rebounds per game at the FIBA U16 Women's African Championships.
Ethridge on Murekatete – "With the graduation of Maria Kostourkova, we knew we needed to sign a BIG. We identified Bella early and saw a real talent. Bella has size, athleticism, length, good hands and a world of potential. Bella also brings a playful and fun spirit to the team along with a bit of a 'mean streak' (which all great post players have). Our system is at its best when we have a dominant back to the basket post player. We envision Bella to fill that role."
Grace Sarver | 5-8 | Guard
Coming across the state from Seattle, Sarver will enter WSU after graduating from West Seattle HS next spring. The lockdown defender has picked up three-straight Seattle Times First Team awards as well as an AP All-State honorable mention award prior to heading into her senior season where she looks to lead her team to its first state title. As a junior, Sarver led the Wildcats to a third-place finish in the Washington State Championships, the best finish in West Seattle history. In addition, the Wildcats grabbed their third-straight District championship with Sarver, a three-time All-Metro League honoree, in the lineup. In addition to her skills on the basketball court, Sarver played one year of soccer, ran two years of track, and just finished her third year of volleyball.
Ethridge on Sarver – "A priority of our program is to recruit the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. I am thrilled to introduce Grace as our first recruit from the state of Washington. Grace is a 'ball of energy'. She plays and competes so hard that it rubs off on her teammates. She is a player (and teammate) that will push herself (and others) to be their very best. Her skill set (mainly her attacking style) will fit perfectly with our spread offense."
