Washington State’s season opener ended in an 80-58 loss to California on Monday, but the final margin doesn’t tell the whole story. Kamie Ethridge’s team spent much of the night hanging around, staying in the fight for roughly the first 25 to 30 minutes before Cal’s edge eventually showed through.
That was always going to be a tough ask for a Cougar team that won nine games last season against a Golden Bears squad that won 21, returned an All-ACC player and brought back two more starters. Still, Ethridge has never shied away from putting her team in demanding non-conference spots right away, and this one fit that mold.
There were real positives to pull from the loss, starting with Eleonora Villa. She looked every bit like WSU’s go-to scorer again, finishing with 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting and adding seven assists while dealing with Cal’s size inside. She remains the centerpiece of the offense and appears set up for another strong year after improving each season in Pullman.
Malia Ruud also gave the Cougars something to build on. The 6-2 sophomore from Pasco, who averaged 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds per game a year ago, opened her sophomore season with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. That’s the kind of jump Ethridge has seen before from her players, and Ruud looks ready for that kind of rise.
WSU also got a useful outing from Elizaveta Filchagina, who scored seven points, knocked down two threes, and added four assists and three rebounds after previously playing sparingly at SMU. Freshman Aicha Bah and sophomore Malvina Haziri also gave the Cougars solid minutes.
But the problems were just as clear. Villa scored 20, and the rest of the starting five combined for only six points while shooting 3-of-21 from the floor. That kind of production won’t hold up.
Mackenzie Chatfield and Charlotte Abraham were held scoreless, though Chatfield at least took two three-point attempts after a freak injury affected her shot last season. Abraham still managed to chip in six rebounds. Alex Covill had four points on 2-of-9 shooting and only two rebounds, while Tanja Valancic finished with two points, four rebounds and no assists.
Everyone saw the floor except guard Gianella Espedale, and Tahara Magassa and Reese Jordan each played only a couple of minutes, leaving WSU with what appears to be a nine-player rotation.
One area that did go better was ball security. The Cougars finished with nine turnovers, a notable improvement from last season’s issues. Their turnover rate of 12 percent was their lowest in a single game since January of 2025, when they beat Oregon State.
WSU now turns to Friday’s game at Oregon, set for 7 p.m. on Big 10 Plus.
In Other News...
Washington State Needs Ashton Tripp More Than Ever Right Now
As Washington State tries to steady an offense that has been forced into a series of changes, Ashton Tripp has become one of the most important constants on the roster. The redshirt junior has emerged as the leader of the offensive line and has been the Cougars most effective pass blocker at left tackle, a valuable trait for a unit that has still allowed 31 quarterback sacks and has struggled to create much push in the run game, especially in conference play.
Tripps value goes beyond what shows up on game day, because he has been around long enough to understand how much the program has changed around him. He is a co-captain, a model player in the eyes of the current offensive line coach, and one of the few pieces the Cougars can lean on while they sort through new play-calling and quarterback adjustments. For a line that needs stability, Tripp has become the player Washington State can least afford to lose right now. [Read more 🡒]