25_11_29 WSU WBB Malvina Haziri looks to pass against LSU

BYU Next Up in Women’s Basketball’s Challenging Non-Conference Slate

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WASHINGTON STATE (1-7, 0-0 WCC) at BYU (7-1, 0-0 Big 12)
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 // 1 p.m. PT
Salt Lake City, Utah // Delta Center
Watch | ESPN+
Listen | WSUCougars.com/Pullman Radio KQQQ, 1150 AM (Steve Grubbs pXp)
Live Stats | Statbroadcast


Washington State women's basketball is back on the mainland to conclude its long road trip against BYU on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. PT. The game will be played at the neutral site Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, and will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Spencer Linton and Kristen Kozlowski on the call.

NEXT UP
The Cougars return to Pullman after a long road stretch to host Eastern Washington on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. PT, and then Texas Tech on Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. PT. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
WSU hasn't started the season off as they had hoped, due to an injury bug that has been going around. Injury has kept starting center and leading shot blocker Alex Covill off the court for several games, and held starting guard and leading scorer Eleonora Villa to limited minutes in a couple of games while the team navigates a difficult non-conference schedule which has included No. 5 LSU, Stanford, Oregon, Missouri and UNLV. The Cougars returned six from its 2024-25 roster, including its leading scorer Eleonora Villa and its leading shot blocker Alex Covill, along with Charlotte Abraham, Marta Alsina, Jean Chiu, and last year's redshirt Keandra Koorits. Newcomers to this team include transfers Mackenzie Chatfield and Lauren Glazier (played at WSU 2022-23), along with incoming freshmen Malvina Haziri, Tahara Magassa, Malia Ruud, and Tanja Valancic.

RECORD BOOK CLIMBERS AND MILESTONE CHASERS
>> Eleonora Villa has 1,060 career points, 21st all-time in program history.
>> Villa has 111 career made threes, 22 away from joining the WSU all-time top-10 list.
>> Villa also has made 421 career field goals, 79 from 500.
>> At 2,576 career minutes played, Villa is 424 away from 3,000 and 747 from top-10 all-time at WSU.
>> Alex Covill has 118 career blocks, seventh all-time in program history.
>> Covill also has 198 career rebounds, 52 away from 250, and 337 career points, 163 from 500.

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 15th meeting all-time between WSU and BYU, and the second in as many years having met up last season in Pullman with BYU coming away victorious 72-57 on Dec. 13, 2024. Wazzu will be looking for its first win over BYU since knocking them off in Pullman, 67-50 on Nov. 9, 2019.

HOT START FOR THE FRESHMEN
Redshirt freshman Keandra Koorits scored 23 points in her WSU debut on Nov. 3, the most by a WSU freshman since Charlisse Leger-Walker (23 pts, 1/1/21). Koorits inaugural performance is also good for the fourth-most points in a freshman debut in program history, and the most since Lia Galdeira scored 33 at Minnesota in her debut on 11/10/12. Galdiera's 33 points stands as the most in program history both by a freshman, and in a debut.

True Freshman Malia Ruud has burst onto the scene early, averaging 9.3 points over 28.1 minutes per game, including an impressive game-high 11 points against Stanford (11/14) and a career-best 19 against Oregon (11/19). She is 31-68 from the field, shooting 45.6 percent with 33 rebounds, seven blocks and six steals this season.

RUUD A TOP SCORER AMONG FRESHMEN
True freshman forward Malia Ruud's .474 field goal percentage (27-of-57) is 24th in the nation among all true freshmen with 30 or more made field goals.

YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY
Freshman guard Malvina Haziri from Kosovo is the youngest active player in NCAA Division I basketball at 16 years old. She will turn 17 on Dec. 30, 2025.

PRESEASON POLL
The Cougs were picked to finish third by the WCC coaches and media this year, the second-best conference preseason pick in program history after being picked second ahead of last year's 2024-25 second-place prediction. Prior to that WSU was picked fifth in 2023-24 (Pac-12) and 1991-92 (Pac-10).

ETHRIDGE INKS EXTENSION
WSU Athletics announced on March 4 that Head Coach Kamie Ethridge has signed a one-year contract extension keeping her in Pullman through the 2030-31 season.

Single-game tickets for the 2025 women's basketball season are on sale now. Fans wishing to purchase tickets can click on the link HERE, visit wsucougars.com to order online, or call the WSU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-COUGS.

For all the latest WSU women's basketball news, photos and videos, like the team on Facebook (facebook.com/WSUCougarWBB), or follow on Twitter (@WSUCougarWBB) and Instagram (@wsucougarwbb).

 
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