Washington State Wraps Up East Coast Swing with Friday Matchup at Penn
The Washington State women’s basketball team will close out its East Coast road trip with an early tip-off against Penn on Friday, Dec. 19.
The Cougs and the Quakers are set to square off at The Palestra in Philadelphia at 8 a.m. PT, with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
What’s Next for WSU?
After Friday’s game, Washington State will head home for a short holiday break before diving into West Coast Conference play. The Cougars open their WCC schedule on Sunday, Dec. 28, hosting Pepperdine at noon PT.
They’ll then welcome LMU to Pullman on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. PT.
Both games will be available on ESPN+.
A Tough Start, But Not Without Context
Let’s be clear: it’s been a rough start to the season for Washington State. At 1-11, the record doesn’t paint a flattering picture-but dig a little deeper, and there’s more to the story.
Injuries have hit this team hard. Starting center and top shot blocker Alex Covill has been sidelined since the second game of the season.
Transfer forward Lauren Glazier missed time, and leading scorer Eleonora Villa has been limited in multiple games. That’s a lot of firepower missing from the court.
And then there’s the schedule. WSU didn’t exactly ease into the season.
Their non-conference slate featured matchups against national powerhouse LSU (ranked No. 5), as well as tough opponents like Stanford, Texas Tech, Oregon, Missouri, BYU, UNLV, and Seton Hall. That’s a gauntlet for any team, let alone one dealing with health setbacks.
Despite the challenges, the Cougars return a solid core from last season, including Villa and Covill, plus Charlotte Abraham, Marta Alsina, Jean Chiu, and redshirt sophomore Keandra Koorits. They’ve also added transfers Mackenzie Chatfield and Glazier (who previously played at WSU in 2022-23), along with a promising freshman class featuring Malvina Haziri, Malia Ruud, Tanja Valancic, and redshirt Tahara Magassa.
Tracking the Milestones
Even in a tough season, there are bright spots-and Eleonora Villa is one of them. The junior guard continues to climb the WSU record books:
- 1,129 career points, good for 19th all-time in program history. She’s just 10 points away from moving up to 18th.
- 116 career three-pointers, only 17 shy of cracking the program’s all-time top-10.
- 446 career field goals, just 54 away from the 500 mark.
- 2,721 career minutes played, needing 279 more to reach 3,000 and 602 to break into the top-10 in program history.
Meanwhile, Alex Covill has 118 career blocks, ranking seventh all-time at WSU. She’s also closing in on two more milestones-just 52 rebounds away from 250 and 163 points away from 500.
Freshmen Making Noise
Redshirt freshman Keandra Koorits made a splash in her WSU debut, dropping 23 points on Nov. 3.
That’s the most by a WSU freshman since Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 23 in her debut back in 2021-and the fourth-highest freshman debut scoring total in program history. Only Lia Galdeira’s 33-point debut in 2012 tops that mark.
True freshman Malia Ruud has also been a standout early in the season. She’s averaging 9.9 points in 27.5 minutes per game, and she’s already turned in some big performances-11 points against Stanford and a career-best 19 against Oregon. She’s shooting 45.3% from the field (48-of-106), and she’s added 48 rebounds, 10 blocks, and nine steals to her stat line.
Her efficiency hasn’t gone unnoticed: Ruud ranks 13th nationally among all freshmen in field goal percentage (minimum 48 made field goals), and 11th among true freshmen.
Meet the Youngest Player in D-I
Freshman guard Malvina Haziri is making history in more ways than one. The Kosovo native is the youngest active player in NCAA Division I women’s basketball-just 16 years old.
She’ll turn 17 on Dec. 30.
First-Ever Matchup with Penn
Friday’s game marks the first time Washington State and Penn have ever met on the women’s basketball court. It’s a fresh chapter in both programs’ histories, and a chance for WSU to build momentum heading into conference play.
Preseason Expectations
Despite the early-season struggles, expectations were high for this group heading into the year. WSU was picked to finish third in the WCC preseason poll by coaches and media-a mark that represents the second-highest preseason projection in program history.
Last season, they were picked second. Before that?
You’d have to go back to 1991-92 to find a higher pick in the Pac-10 or Pac-12.
Coach Ethridge Locked In Through 2031
In a sign of long-term confidence, WSU extended Head Coach Kamie Ethridge’s contract back in March. The deal keeps her in Pullman through the 2030-31 season, giving the program a steady hand to guide its future.
Washington State may be limping into the final game of its non-conference schedule, but there’s still plenty of reason for optimism. Between veteran leadership, emerging young talent, and the return of key players from injury, the Cougars have the pieces to turn things around once WCC play begins. Friday’s matchup at Penn is another opportunity for this team to grow-and maybe, to surprise.