PULLMAN — The Washington State women’s basketball team has yet to play in the West Coast Conference. Judging by what the WCC coaches anticipate, the Cougars will challenge for the conference championship. Had the Pac-12 not blown up, WSU no doubt would have been projected to finish higher than tied for eighth as it did a year ago.
Last year, the Pac-12 was arguably the best women’s conference in the nation. A couple of those teams will make immediate impacts in new conferences. The Cougars would have finished higher last year had they not suffered such a jarring injury when they lost Charlisse Leger-Walker for the final nine games.
Finding a way to navigate through that injury actually gave WSU a head start on the 2024-25 season. The Cougars return three starters in 6-foot-2 senior guard/wing Tara Wallack, 5-9 junior guard Astera Tuhina and 5-9 sophomore guard Eleonora Villa. “If all you have back is those three players, you’re in a good spot,” said WSU coach Kamie Ethridge, who begins her seventh season in Pullman.
A year after winning the Pac-12 tournament, WSU advanced to the first WBIT semifinals last year, where it lost to Illinois and ended the year 21-15. The Cougars could earn a berth to the postseason for a fifth straight season. Sophomore 6-1 guard Jenna Villa (no relation to Eleonora) has earned a starting job.
The final starting spot could go to any one of five players. Ethridge brought in five freshmen to go with a redshirt freshman and a transfer. Re.