SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Conference released its 2022-23 Pac-12 Women's Basketball Coaches and Media Preseason Polls Tuesday, October 25, and the Washington State women's basketball team was selected to finish seventh in both polls.
A year after winning a program-record 11 Pac-12 games and finishing in a tie for second place in league standings, the Cougars were selected as the seventh-best team in the conference by the preseason prognosticators. The Cougars picked up 60 points in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll and 170 points in the Pac-12 Preseason Media Poll.
The Cougars, who enter year five under Head Coach Kamie Ethridge, return four starters from last season's record-setting squad. Washington State went 19-11 a season ago en route to a second-consecutive NCAA Tournament berth. Wazzu went 11-6 in the Pac-12 last season to finish in a tie for second with Oregon in the conference standings. The 19 wins are the most in a single season by a WSU women's basketball team in the NCAA Era, while the 11 Pac-12 victories are a program-best.
Washington State will be looking to make its third-straight bid into the NCAA Tournament this season. The Cougars return four of their five starters from last season's NCAA Tournament squad. All-American guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who has scored the most points in the Pac-12 Conference over the last two seasons, once again leads the way for WSU. Earlier this week, the junior from Waikato, New Zealand was named Preseason All-Pac-12 by the media. Also returning for the Cougars is senior Bella Murekatete, who was named the Pac-12's Co-Most Improved Player of the Year last season. Murekatete also earned preseason all-conference accolades from the media, as she earned an honorable mention selection to the Preseason All-Pac-12 squad.
WSU will get the 2022-23 season off to an unofficial start this Sunday, October 30, when the Cougars host Westmont (Calif.) for an exhibition contest at Beasley Coliseum. Tip-off against the Warriors is set for 2 p.m. PT. Washington State kicks off the 2022-23 season on November 7 at home, when Loyola Marymount makes a visit to Beasley. The season opener is set to tip off at 12 p.m. PT.
Tickets for the 2022-23 season are on sale now. Fans can get their season and single-game ticket by clicking the link here.
For more information on the Washington State women's basketball team, follow @WSUCougarWBB On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Stanford (11) - 121
2. Oregon - 101
3. Arizona - 100
4. UCLA - 91
5. Utah (1) - 84
6. Oregon State - 62
7. Washington State - 61
8. Colorado - 55
9. USC - 50
10. Washington - 28
11. California - 21
12. Arizona State - 18
Preseason Media Poll
1. Stanford (28) - 336
2. Arizona - 291
3. Oregon - 275
4. UCLA - 237
5. Utah - 226
6. Oregon State - 181
7. Washington State - 170
8. Colorado - 145
9. USC - 105
10. Washington - 78
11. California - 71
12. Arizona State - 69
