PULLMAN, Wash. (January 31, 2026) – Washington State women's basketball traded punches with Gonzaga for a full 40 minutes, pushing the Zags deep into the fourth quarter before coming up just short in an 81-75 battle Saturday night.

The Cougars (4-20, 3-8) shot a season-high 53.6 percent from the field and showed resilience throughout, answering every Gonzaga run and seizing control early in the final period behind crisp ball movement and timely shooting.

Eleonora Villa led all scorers with 22 points, going 10-of-13 on the night with three assists and three rebounds.

Charlotte Abraham finished with 16 points, two steals and four boards, while Mackenzie Chatfield tallied 10 points, six assists and three rebounds.

Tanja Valancic had a team-high six rebounds along with five assists, six points and two steals, and Malia Ruud totaled eight points, five assists, and four boards.

Washington State closed the third quarter with momentum, trimming the deficit to 54-52 on a late Marta Alsina layup off a Mackenzie Chatfield assist. That carryover showed immediately to open the fourth, as Chatfield finished inside to tie the game at 54-54, igniting a decisive stretch of Cougar basketball.

After Gonzaga briefly nudged back in front, Eleonora Villa answered with a pull-up jumper, and moments later Chatfield scored again in the paint to give WSU its first lead of the half at 58-56. The Cougars weren't done — a steal by Tanja Valancic led to a fast-break Alsina three, pushing Washington State ahead 61-56 with eight minutes to play.

Even as Gonzaga responded, the Cougars continued to answer. Villa attacked the rim for a layup to make it 63-61, and Charlotte Abraham drilled a clutch three-pointer at the 6-minute mark to reclaim the lead, 66-64, in a back-and-forth sequence that saw neither team blink.

Gonzaga's shooting ultimately proved the difference down the stretch, but Washington State stayed within striking distance. Abraham knocked down another three with 3:16 remaining to cut the margin to 73-70, and continued to battle at the free-throw line as the Cougars fought to extend the game.

Down the final minute, Villa finished at the rim twice — including a bucket at the horn — as Washington State competed through the final possession and closed the gap to the final six-point margin.


Notes

• Eleonora Villa's 22 points puts her at 1,354 career points, 12th in program history and 10 from 11th (1,364).
• Villa extends to 136 career made threes, 10th all-time at WSU.
• Villa made 10 field goals, totaling 534 for her career, 11th all-time at WSU, and three from 10th (537).
• Now at 3,172 career minutes played, Villa is 151 from top-10 all-time at WSU (3,323).
• Alex Covill remains at 139 career blocks, sixth all-time in program history and eight from moving up to fifth.
• Covill has 234 career rebounds, 16 away from 250, and 436 career points, 64 from 500.
• Charlotte Abraham's 16 points puts her at 423 career points, 77 away from 500.
• Abraham's four rebounds put her at 153 for the season, 84 away from top-10 all-time at WSU in a single-season (237).
• Abraham also now has 240 career rebounds, 10 from 250.
• Malia Ruud and Tanja Valancic both matched career-highs with five assists.
• Valancic's two made threes was also a career-high mark.
• The team shot a season-high 53.6 percent from the field.

Up Next
The Cougars are in Southern California next week, beginning in San Diego to take on the Toreros on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. and then at Pepperdine on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Single-game tickets for the 2025-26 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).