PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State women’s basketball had two players named to the 2026-27 Pac-12 Preseason Impact List, senior center Alex Covill and senior guard Eleonora Villa, as announced by the conference Thursday afternoon.
Both Covill and Villa return for their fourth season with the Cougars, and look to take yet another step forward on the court as the program was also picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12 preseason poll.
Alex Covill – Sr., C, 6-6, Missoula, Mont.
Covill averaged 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks over 23.9 minutes per game and was named to the WCC All-Academic Team last season as a junior while shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. She recorded both her 500th career point and her 250th career rebound against Seattle U and finished the season ranked fourth in the WCC in total blocks despite missing 14 games due to injury.
Covill had her best game as a Coug at Seattle U on January 4, recording a career-high 26 points on 10 makes while grabbing a career-best 10 rebounds in the same contest for her first career double-double, and added a career-high seven blocks in that performance.
Eleonora Villa – Sr., G, 5-8, Lissone, Italy
Villa also had an incredible junior campaign last year, earning All-WCC Second Team, WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention and CSC Academic All-District honors. The Lissone, Italy native has already achieved some big-time milestones in a Cougar uniform, scoring her 1,000th career point against Stanford in November, and then played her 3,000th career minute at Saint Mary’s in January. Villa played in her 100th career game against Seattle U towards the end of last season and then finished averaging a career-high 16.5 points, 3.6 assists and 34.8 minutes per game.
On the year she totaled a career-high 560 points on the season, which was good for eighth-most points in a single season in WSU history. Villa shot 46.2 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three-point range while leading the WCC in minutes per game and field goal attempts. She also ranked second in the WCC in made field goals, and third in total points and points per game while scoring in double figures in 30 of her 34 games played.
Single-game tickets for the 2026 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).
Pac-12 WBB Preseason Impact List
Boise State - F Libby Hutton, G CJ Latta
Colorado State - G Kloe Froebe, G Camryn Runner
Fresno State - G Lola Donez, F Ashlyn Rean
Gonzaga - G Allie Turner, F Lauren Whittaker
Oregon State - G Kennedie Shuler, G Jenna Villa
San Diego State - G Natalia Martinez, F Bailey Barnhard
Texas State - G Saniya Burks, G Crystal Henderson
Utah State - G Aaliyah Gayles, G Lisa Thompson
Washington State - G Eleonora Villa, C Alex Covill
Pac-12 WBB Preseason Media Poll
1. Gonzaga
2. Oregon State
3. San Diego State
4. Colorado State
5. Boise State
6. Washington State
7. Fresno State
8. Texas State
9. Utah State