Washington State University Athletics
Thursday, March 5
Las Vegas, Nev.
12:00 PM
Washington State University
vs
Seattle University
Photo by: Dean Hare/WSU Photo Services
Cougs Open WCC Tournament Against Seattle U Thursday
March 04, 2026 | Women's Basketball
WASHINGTON STATE (7-24, 5-12 WCC) vs. Seattle U (5-24, 1-17 WCC)
Thursday, Mar. 5, 2026 // 12 p.m. PT
Las Vegas, Nev. // Orleans Arena
Watch | ESPN+
Listen | WSUCougars.com/Pullman Radio KQQQ, 1150 AM (Steve Grubbs pXp)
Live Stats | Statbroadcast
Washington State women's basketball will play the opening game of the 2026 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship as the 9-seed at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., going up against 12-seed Seattle U Thursday, March 5 at 12 p.m. noon. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ann Schatz and Jennifer Mountain on the call.
NEXT UP
With a win, the Cougars will advance to the second round of the WCC Tournament to play 8-seed Pacific on Friday, March 6 at 12 p.m. noon. With a loss, WSU would be eliminated from the bracket.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
After starting the year 1-12 through one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation, WSU battled through the WCC portion of its schedule, and finished strong with a pair of wins to end the season entering the conference tournament.
The team's difficult 13-game non-conference schedule included No. 5 LSU, (RV) Stanford, (RV) Texas Tech, Oregon, Missouri, BYU, Seton Hall, Miami (OH), UNLV and Idaho. As of March 3, all 10 of these teams that WSU faced are top 100 in the NET Rankings. Four are top 50, with LSU at number five, Oregon at 26 and Texas Tech at 31.
RECORD BOOK CLIMBERS AND MILESTONE CHASERS
>> Eleonora Villa has 1,414 career points, 11th all-time in program history, 71 from moving up to 10th (1,485).
>> Villa's 487 points this season (career-best) is 12 shy of reaching top-10 single-season all time at WSU (499).
>> Villa has 136 career made threes, 10th all-time at WSU and five away from 9th (141).
>> Villa has also made 557 career field goals, ninth all-time at WSU and 19 away from tying for seventh (576).
>> Villa has 243 career rebounds, seven shy of the 250 mark.
>> At 3,368 career minutes played, Villa is ninth all-time at WSU, and 27 from eighth (3,395).
>> Alex Covill has 146 career blocks, sixth all-time in program history and one block shy of fifth (147).
>> Charlotte Abraham has 487 career points, 13 away from 500.
>> Abraham has 191 rebounds this season, 46 away from top-10 all-time at WSU in a single-season (237).
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 15th meeting all-time between Washington State and Seattle U, dating back to their first meeting in 1978. WSU leads the all-time series 12-2, and has won each of the last nine meetings. The two program have only met in a neutral setting once before, exactly 47 years ago to the day in which the Cougars won 74-60 in Bozeman, Mont. at the NCWSA Region IX Tournament on March 5, 1979.
ELEONORA È ECCELLENTE!
Eleonora Villa has taken another step forward in her game this year, becoming one of the more dominant players in the nation. Among national ranks, the junior guard is 42nd in field goal attempts (428), 41st in made field goals (196), 69th in total points scored (500) and 107th in points per game (16.1). In the WCC she ranks first in field goal attempts, second in made field goals, and third in both total points and points per game.
HOW RUUD
True Freshman Malia Ruud burst onto the scene to begin her career, averaging 8.5 points over 24.0 minutes per game, including an impressive game-high 11 points against Stanford (11/14) and a career-best 19 against Oregon (11/19) and at San Diego (2/5). She is 108-of-240 from the field, shooting 45.0 percent with 113 rebounds, 12 blocks and 19 steals this season.
Entering Wednesday, Ruud's .450 field goal percentage (108-240) is 29th in the nation among all true freshmen with 108 or more made field goals.
20-20 VISION
The Cougars had 3 different players score 20+ points in their game vs. Santa Clara on Jan. 10, the first such game in program history since at least the 1999-2000 season.
On the same note of 20-point games, WSU has had four different players record 20-point games this season:
Eleonora Villa (10 times)
Charlotte Abraham (2)
Alex Covill (2)
Keandra Koorits (1)
ROTATING ROTATIONS
Due to injury and youth this season, the Cougars have had 8 different starters this season, and seven unique starting lineups this season.
HOT START FOR KOORITS
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.
YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY
Freshman guard Malvina Haziri from Kosovo is the youngest active player in NCAA Division I basketball. After beginning her freshman season at the young age of 16 years old, she turned 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, 2025 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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Thursday, Mar. 5, 2026 // 12 p.m. PT
Las Vegas, Nev. // Orleans Arena
Watch | ESPN+
Listen | WSUCougars.com/Pullman Radio KQQQ, 1150 AM (Steve Grubbs pXp)
Live Stats | Statbroadcast
Washington State women's basketball will play the opening game of the 2026 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship as the 9-seed at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., going up against 12-seed Seattle U Thursday, March 5 at 12 p.m. noon. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Ann Schatz and Jennifer Mountain on the call.
NEXT UP
With a win, the Cougars will advance to the second round of the WCC Tournament to play 8-seed Pacific on Friday, March 6 at 12 p.m. noon. With a loss, WSU would be eliminated from the bracket.
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE
After starting the year 1-12 through one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation, WSU battled through the WCC portion of its schedule, and finished strong with a pair of wins to end the season entering the conference tournament.
The team's difficult 13-game non-conference schedule included No. 5 LSU, (RV) Stanford, (RV) Texas Tech, Oregon, Missouri, BYU, Seton Hall, Miami (OH), UNLV and Idaho. As of March 3, all 10 of these teams that WSU faced are top 100 in the NET Rankings. Four are top 50, with LSU at number five, Oregon at 26 and Texas Tech at 31.
RECORD BOOK CLIMBERS AND MILESTONE CHASERS
>> Eleonora Villa has 1,414 career points, 11th all-time in program history, 71 from moving up to 10th (1,485).
>> Villa's 487 points this season (career-best) is 12 shy of reaching top-10 single-season all time at WSU (499).
>> Villa has 136 career made threes, 10th all-time at WSU and five away from 9th (141).
>> Villa has also made 557 career field goals, ninth all-time at WSU and 19 away from tying for seventh (576).
>> Villa has 243 career rebounds, seven shy of the 250 mark.
>> At 3,368 career minutes played, Villa is ninth all-time at WSU, and 27 from eighth (3,395).
>> Alex Covill has 146 career blocks, sixth all-time in program history and one block shy of fifth (147).
>> Charlotte Abraham has 487 career points, 13 away from 500.
>> Abraham has 191 rebounds this season, 46 away from top-10 all-time at WSU in a single-season (237).
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 15th meeting all-time between Washington State and Seattle U, dating back to their first meeting in 1978. WSU leads the all-time series 12-2, and has won each of the last nine meetings. The two program have only met in a neutral setting once before, exactly 47 years ago to the day in which the Cougars won 74-60 in Bozeman, Mont. at the NCWSA Region IX Tournament on March 5, 1979.
ELEONORA È ECCELLENTE!
Eleonora Villa has taken another step forward in her game this year, becoming one of the more dominant players in the nation. Among national ranks, the junior guard is 42nd in field goal attempts (428), 41st in made field goals (196), 69th in total points scored (500) and 107th in points per game (16.1). In the WCC she ranks first in field goal attempts, second in made field goals, and third in both total points and points per game.
HOW RUUD
True Freshman Malia Ruud burst onto the scene to begin her career, averaging 8.5 points over 24.0 minutes per game, including an impressive game-high 11 points against Stanford (11/14) and a career-best 19 against Oregon (11/19) and at San Diego (2/5). She is 108-of-240 from the field, shooting 45.0 percent with 113 rebounds, 12 blocks and 19 steals this season.
Entering Wednesday, Ruud's .450 field goal percentage (108-240) is 29th in the nation among all true freshmen with 108 or more made field goals.
20-20 VISION
The Cougars had 3 different players score 20+ points in their game vs. Santa Clara on Jan. 10, the first such game in program history since at least the 1999-2000 season.
On the same note of 20-point games, WSU has had four different players record 20-point games this season:
Eleonora Villa (10 times)
Charlotte Abraham (2)
Alex Covill (2)
Keandra Koorits (1)
ROTATING ROTATIONS
Due to injury and youth this season, the Cougars have had 8 different starters this season, and seven unique starting lineups this season.
HOT START FOR KOORITS
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.
YOUNGEST IN THE FAMILY
Freshman guard Malvina Haziri from Kosovo is the youngest active player in NCAA Division I basketball. After beginning her freshman season at the young age of 16 years old, she turned 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, 2025 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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