WSU takes on No. 2 Stanford at home

Feb 3, 2023 - 11:00 PM

Good afternoon, Coug fans!

Tonight your Washington State Women’s Basketball team takes on No. 2 Stanford at home! It’ll be an exciting game. The game begins at 7pm PT on Pac 12 Bay Area!

Stanford is currently 21-2, 9-1 in Pac 12 play. Their only conference loss this season comes from USC, who held Stanford to 55-46.

They lost to South Carolina in overtime on November 20th. South Carolina is currently No. 1, and the game against Stanford was a real nail biter. Stanford could have finished strong with the exception of Haley Jones not being able to get the ball in bounds, followed by a technical with 3.4 seconds left.

Oregon State fell to Stanford by 3 points, in fact- the game was tied with a little over a minute left, but Haley Jones nailed 3 out of 4 free throws to take the lead. More on her a little later!

After a perfect road trip, WSU looks to make a splash tonight. The Cougs celebrated Kamie Ethridge’s ESPN Coach of the Week win, and tonight would be the first win against Stanford at Beasley.

Some notable players on Stanford’s squad include Cameron Brink, who leads in points (14.6), rebounds (9.9), and blocks (3.8). Her blocks are marginally higher than the rest of the team by 3 whole blocks, and she averages 2.3 turnovers. Haley Jones trails Brink in points with 13.4, 9.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. She also leads in steals, averaging 0.9. Jones was a player who had a key role in games mentioned above, and will be a good player to keep an eye on.

WSU is also going to want to prioritize containing Hannah Jump, who fits her last name well. She’s an excellent shooter, and drives well. They’ll want to keep her away from any easy shot or finding her transitions.

Talana Lepolo leads Stanford in assists (4), and puts up an average of 5.2 points per game.

In terms of Coug news, Charlisse Leger-Walker is a midseason finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award- an honor she had last season as well! It was also announced that Bella Murekatete is a top-10 finalist for the Lisa Leslie award!

This could be a huge win for Washington State. They’ll want to keep their mid-range shooters sharp, and stay higher on the floor. WSU has a good handle on pacing, but Stanford has an ability to really push tempo up in transition, so the Cougs will need to keep slow and play their game.

Go Cougs!