WASHINGTON STATE (18-12, 13-6 WCC) AT PEPPERDINE (8-19, 3-15 WCC)
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025 // 1 p.m. PT
Malibu, Calif. // Firestone Fieldhouse
Watch | ESPN+
Listen | Pullman Radio KQQQ, 1150 AM (Steve Grubbs pXp)
Live Stats | Statbroadcast


Washington State women's basketball has reached the end of their inaugural season in the WCC, playing its season finale at Pepperdine on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

NEXT UP
The Cougs have locked themselves in as a 3-seed for the WCC Tournament, and with a bye on Saturday, will have 10 days in between games before appearing in the WCC Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday, March 9.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
One of the top-blocking teams in the nation, WSU is 18-12 this season and 13-6 in WCC play. Through the strong 11-game non-conference schedule, the Cougs tallied wins over Eastern Washington, Idaho, Saint Martin's, Norfolk State and Virginia. The Cougars have been impressive defensively and elite in blocking as the team ranks second in the nation with a program record 187 total blocks and third with 6.2 blocks per game. Offensively, the Cougs are shooting .426 from the field and .320 from deep while averaging 68.1 points per game.

RECORD BOOK CLIMBERS AND MILESTONE CHASERS
>> Tara Wallack has 1,248 career points, ranking 14th in program history.
>> Wallack ranks tied for second all-time at WSU with 158 career blocks.
>> Wallack has played 3,839 career minutes, third all-time at WSU.
>> Wallack is also 121 minutes away from matching the most in program history.
>> Wallack started her 100th-straight game on Saturday, having started every game for the Cougs dating back to the team's 2022-23 season opener.
>> Wallack has 643 career rebounds, 10th all-time at WSU.
>> Alex Covill has 105 career blocks, eighth all-time in program history.
>> Head Coach Kamie Ethridge has 196 career wins as a head coach, four away from 200.
>> The team has 187 blocks this season, breaking the team's previous record of 186 (set in 2023-24).

SERIES HISTORY
This will be the fifth-ever meeting between Washington State and Pepperdine, and their first game in Malibu since their first meeting on Dec. 17, 1983 when the Waves earned their first and only win over the Cougars. WSU has won each of the last three meetings, all having been played in Pullman, and leads the all-time series, 3-1.

STACKING BLOCKS
WSU has been one of the top blocking teams in the nation, ranking second in all of NCAA DI with 187 total blocks behind only Southern California (195), and ranking third in blocks per game (6.2) behind Southern California (7.2) and Kentucky (6.9). The team's 187 blocks lead the WCC by a margin of 59 blocks over Portland (128), and WSU's 6.2 blocks per game is 1.8 blocks ahead of the second-highest number of 4.4 per game, also held by Portland.

PASS IT ON
Junior point guard Astera Tuhina has 110 assists this season, ranking fifth in the WCC. She has recorded 100+ assists in back-to-back seasons, finishing last year with an even 100.

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES
WSU has six players this season earning minutes for the first time in a Cougar uniform as junior transfer Jean Chiu, redshirt freshman Candace Kpetikou, and true freshmen Charlotte Abraham, Marta Alsina, Alice Dart and Dayana Mendes have all made an impact already in 2024-25. Of these new faces, Mendes and Abraham have accrued the most minutes thus far, averaging 17.4 and 16.8 minutes, respectively. Mendes is averaging 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting at a 42.8 percent clip from the floor, and has recorded three double-doubles this season. Abraham is shooting 39.2 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from deep. Kpetikou has seen an increase of playing time as the season has gone on and recorded her first career double-double against Saint Martin's. She is shooting 43.1 percent from the floor in 11.6 minutes per game. Alsina is a plus defender with 19 steals and 12 blocks at 11.3 minutes per game, and has played in every game for the Cougs this season, tied with three other freshmen for the lead among all freshmen in the nation with 30 games played. Dart is averaging 1.4 points, shooting 45.0 percent from the field over 5.0 minutes per game, and Chiu is averaging 0.9 points over 6.8 minutes per game.

PRESEASON POLL
The Cougs were picked to finish second by the WCC coaches and media this year, the best conference preseason pick in program history after being picked fifth ahead of the 2023-24 (Pac-12) and 1991-92 (Pac-10) seasons.

ETHRIDGE INKS EXTENSION
WSU Director of Athletics Anne McCoy announced this past April that Ethridge has signed a one-year contract extension keeping her in Pullman through the 2029-30 season. "Since her arrival in 2018, Kamie has solidified Washington State women's basketball as a destination where student-athletes can receive a world-class education while competing at the highest levels," said McCoy. "Her leadership has resulted in historic seasons for WSU, including this most recent campaign when WSU reached the postseason for the fourth-consecutive year, marking another program first. We are thrilled Kamie shares the same love and passion for Washington State that so many of us do and excited she will be leading our program for many years to come." Coach Ethridge has continued to raise the bar every season she has been on the Palouse. The Hall of Famer has brought her winning ways to Pullman, quickly elevating the WSU women's basketball program into the upper echelon of the college women's basketball landscape. Ethridge has guided Washington State to four straight postseason tournament appearances, and its first back-to-back 20-win seasons.

Fans wishing to purchase tickets for the 2024-25 women's basketball season 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).