PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State women’s basketball tips off the 2026-27 season at Cal, Monday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ACCNX with Dave Benz and Ashlee Jones on the call.
Coming off the heels of a difficult 9-25 season, Head Coach Kamie Ethridge has infused four new incoming student-athletes into the team’s core of eight returners for 2026-27. The four new Cougs include freshmen Aicha Bah, Gianella Espedale, and Reese Jordan, along with incoming sophomore transfer Elizaveta Filchagina.
The team returns its main contributors from last year, including seniors Alex Covill, Eleonora Villa and Kenzie Chatfield, along with junior Charlotte Abraham, and sophomores Malvina Haziri, Tanja Valancic and Malia Ruud. Tahara Magassa also returns after redshirting last season and will make her Cougar debut on the court in 2026-27.
WSU has also put together another difficult non-conference slate, currently featuring four teams either in the AP Preseason Top 25 or receiving votes.
SERIES HISTORY
This was the 14th meeting all-time between Washington State and Portland. Portland leads the all-time series, 12-2, with WSU’s last win coming on Dec. 7, 2022 at Portland. WSU has lost each of the last six meetings since then, including their most recent game in the 2026 WCC Tournament on Mar. 7, a 72-62 Portland victory.
NEXT UP
The Cougars next play Friday, November 6 at 7 p.m. in Eugene, Ore. to take on the Oregon Ducks.
PAC-12 PRESEASON SELECTIONS
Seniors Alex Covill and Eleonora Villa were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact list ahead of the 2026-27 season, while the team was picked to finish sixth in the league’s preseason poll.
TRENDS AND MILESTONES
- Eleonora Villa has 1,487 career points, ninth all-time in program history, 13 from moving up to eighth (1,500).
- Villa’s 560 points this season (career-best) is eighth-most in a single-season at WSU, 10 from seventh (570).
- Villa has 142 career made threes, ninth all-time at WSU and one away from eighth (143).
- Villa has also made 586 career field goals, seventh all-time at WSU and 20 away from sixth (606).
- Villa has 249 career rebounds, one shy of the 250 mark.
- At 3,501 career minutes played, Villa is seventh all-time at WSU, and 34 from sixth (3,535).
- Alex Covill has 152 career blocks, fifth all-time in program history and four blocks shy of fourth (156).
- Charlotte Abraham had 210 rebounds this season, 27 shy of top-10 all-time at WSU in a single-season (237).
SPLASHING THREES
WSU women’s basketball has recorded a made three-point field goal in 195 straight games, dating back to 2/2/2020 when they went 0-of-15 from deep against Stanford.
INTERNATIONAL FLARE
The 12-person 2026-27 roster represents nine different countries, including the United States, and consists of nine international players. Nine different countries represented on the roster ties for second-most among all NCAA DI WBB programs.
LISTEN TO THE COUGS
WSU WBB game broadcasts can be heard over the air on KQQQ (1150 AM and 102.1 FM in Pullman), with free streaming available through the WSU Cougars Gameday App, the Seattle Sports App, or online at wsucougars.com/listen.
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).