Opening Tip
• Washington begins its longest road trip of the season this week starting in Louisiana where the Huskies face on Tulane University for the first time in program history on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (4:00 p.m. Central) at Fogelman Arena. The game will be live-streamed through the Tulane website (link on gohuskies.com). Fans can also listen to Gary Hill Jr. call the game on KKNW 1150 AM, the TuneIn App, or online at GoHuskies.com
 
• UW opened the 2018-19 season with a pair of victories for the third time in the last four years thanks to an 81-59 win over Northern Arizona on Sunday. The Huskies are looking to record its first three-game winning streak of the Wynn-era with a victory over the Green Wave on Sunday.
 
• Junior Amber Melgoza recorded her first career double-double with a 20-point, 10-rebound effort against Northern Arizona. She narrowly missed the third triple-double in program history, recording a career-high eight assists.
 
Scouting the Green Wave
Tulane comes into the game having won its first two games of the season, beating Texas Southern 62-56, then pulling off a stunning 56-54 victory at LSU on Thursday night.
 
The Green Wave have shot well this season, hitting 47.5 percent from the field, but have scored just 59 points per game through the first two contests. Tulane committed 31 turnovers in its first game against Texas Southern, but shot so well (58.5 percent in the game including 77.8 percent in the second half) to win by six. Tulane cut down on the turnovers against LSU (just 11) and didn't shoot quite as well (39.7 percent), but still recorded the road victory.
 
Last season, the Green Wave finished 14-17 overall and placed ninth in the American Athletic Conference with a 5-11 record.  Tulane graduated its leading scorer in Kolby Morgan, who averaged 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. This year, Krystal Freeman is leading the way, averaging 13 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while Kayla Manuirirangi is adding 11.5 points per game.
 
Thursday's victory over LSU was also the 700th in program history. Long-time head coach Lisa Stockton has been at the helm of 495 of those wins as she enters her 26th year coaching at Tulane.
 
All-Time Series Record
This is the first meeting between the two schools all time. The Huskies are 8-4 all-time against teams in the AAC, holding a 5-0 record against Houston and going 0-3 against UConn with single games against Central Florida, South Florida, SMU and Cincinnati mixed in. The last meeting against an AAC team came in 2013 when the Huskies beat Houston 66-55 in the Lone Star State.
 
Up Next
Washington continues its longest road-trip of the season, remaining in the south until after Thanksgiving to take part in the star-studded Gulf Coast Showcase Nov. 23-25, in Fort Myers, Fla. The Huskies open the tournament against No. 21 Duke on Nov. 23, then face either Ball State or Fordham on Nov. 24. Other teams in the classic include No. 11 Texas and No. 16 Missouri along with Michigan, which is receiving votes.
 
Magical Melgoza
Washington junior Amber Melgoza has picked up right where she left off last year, averaging 19 points through the first two games of the season. She recorded her first career double-double against Northern Arizona on Sunday, recording 20 points and 10 rebounds in the game. She just missed being the third player in program history to record a triple-double, recording eight assists in the contest. Her assist total was a career-high.
 
Melgoza is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign where she earned All-Pac-12 honors after finishing second in the conference in scoring at 19.0 points per game. But she did her real damage in Pac-12 play, leading the conference with 20.6 ppg in Pac-12 games. She finished the season with 570 points–11th most in program history and just five points shy of the Top 10. In addition, Melgoza closed out the season with 120 points over her final four games including pouring in 40 against Stanford–the most by a Pac-12 player on the season–to become one of just three players  in program history to score 40 or more points in a game (Kelsey Plum 6x, Giuliana Mendiola).
 
Melgoza on Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List
Amber Melgoza was one of 20 players from across the country to be named to the 2019 Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association on Oct. 23. The winner will be revealed on ESPN during the 2019 Women's Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
 
Johnson Double-Double
Hannah Johnson opened the 2018-19 campaign with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, hitting 7-of-15 form the field with three offensive rebounds, two assists and a steal. The double-double was the fifth of her career. Johnson followed that up with 12 points and six rebounds on 5-of-8 shooting, adding six rebounds and a steal.
 
Strength of Schedule
The Huskies once again are not shying away from playing tough teams in the 2018-19 season as UW plays a total of 12 games against seven teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 or receiving votes. The Pac-12 conference is the main reason the Huskies' schedule is so tough as the conference boasts five teams in the AP top 25 including three in the top 10 (#3 Oregon, #7 Stanford, #8 Oregon State, #23 Arizona State and #24 California with UCLA receiving votes). Besides their Pac-12 foes, the Huskies are slated to face #4 Mississippi State and #21 Duke over the course of the season.
 
Last season, the Huskies played the 35th most difficult overall schedule among the 349 NCAA DI WBB programs with UW's opponents posting an overall winning percentage of .595. Eleven of the Huskies' 22 opponents in 2017-18 reached the NCAA Tournament with UW recording wins against two: Seattle U and Creighton.
 
Freshmen Power!
The Huskies trio of freshman saw quite a bit of action in Washington's first two games of the season. Against Cal State Fullerton, forward Haley Van Dyke poured in 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, the most points in a freshman debut since Mai-Loni Henson had 12 in her debut two years ago. In Sunday's game against Northern Arizona, guard T.T. Watkins scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting, adding a team-best three steals. Darcy Rees picked up 14 minutes in each game, scoring six points though two games.
 
Home, Non-Conference Success
The Huskies have an impressive record in home, non-conference games. After wins in its first two games this season, Washington is 16-1 in non-conference home games since the start of the 2016-17 season, having won six-straight. Going back a bit further, the Huskies are 32-3 in such games since the 2013-14 season.
 
Huskies in the Rankings
While still early in the season, Washington ranks among the Pac-12 leaders in a number of categories. The Huskies lead the conference in free throw percentage, missing just five this season in 33 attempts for a 84.8% mark. UW is also third in 3-pt defense (24.5%), fourth in scoring offense (82.0 ppg) and fifth in field goal percentage (45.7%).
 
Washington finished last season ranked among the top teams in the conference in a number of categories. Key among them was turnovers forced where the Huskies' high-pressure defense led the Pac-12 by forcing 17.9 turnovers per game. Washington was fourth in the conference in turnover margin at +3.07. The Huskies also finished second in the conference and 29th in the country in three-point field goals made per game with 8.5 and second in the Pac-12 in three-pointers made at 254.
 
Home Bodies
After spending a bulk of the 2017-18 pre-conference schedule on the road, the Huskies will spend the majority of the non-conference slate at home. Washington plays seven of its 12 non-conference games at home this year with one LONG road trip breaking up two home stands. The Huskies first road game comes in two weeks at Tulane followed by a tournament in Florida after Thanksgiving. Washington then returns to the Evergreen State for its closest possible road game, battling cross-town rival Seattle U on Nov. 30. The Huskies don't play another road game after that until heading to Oregon to open its Pac-12 road slate on Jan. 4.
 
2017-18 Recap
Washington's first season under new head coach Jody Wynn proved to be a tough one with the Huskies' new coach inheriting a team with just five returning players and one who had started a college game. Despite the inexperience and the fact that no Husky on the active roster stood taller than 6-1, Washington proved to be a gritty, gutty team which gave many of its opponents as much as they could handle. The Huskies finished the 2017-18 season with a 7-23 overall record.
 
One Bad Quarter
The story of the 2017-18 Washington season may have been "One Bad Quarter." The Huskies were plagued by one bad quarter in 10 of their 15 Pac-12 losses; a quarter which turned a close game into a big loss. In those bad quarters (which quarter differs in each game), UW was outscored by an average of 16.0 points. However, in the other three quarters of those games, the Huskies outscored their opponents by an average of 3.6 points.
 
Medical Retirements
Jody Wynn announced a pair of roster changes heading into the 2018-19 season, as Deja Strother and Natalie Romeo will be medically retired, ending their UW careers. Strother, a redshirt-junior center, suffered a leg injury prior to the start of the 2017-18 season. Despite rehabbing over the last season, she has not been able to return from the injury. Romeo, a senior guard, has battled an undisclosed medical issue which kept her off the court last season. She attempted to make a comeback this season, joining the team for summer workouts, but the condition kept her from returning.
 
Wynn Adds Talented Trio on Signing Day
UW coach Jody Wynn announced the signing of a talented trio to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period: JaQuaya Miller (Renton, WA/Kentridge HS), Ali Bamberger (Concord, CA/Carondelet HS), and Nia Lowery (Sacramento, CA/McClatchy HS).
 
Miller is a local product and one of the top post recruits in the country. The 6-3 post from Renton is a 4.5-star rated recruit by Prospects Nation, ranked No. 41 overall in the 2019 class, the sixth-best post in the country and the top overall prospect out of Washington state.
Bamberger, a 6-3 post, is ranked as the No. 8 player out of California (No. 2 post player) and No. 81 overall in the Class of 2019 by Prospects Nation heading into her final season at Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif.
 
Lowery, a 5-11 wing from Sacramento, is rated as a four-star recruit by Prospects Nation as she closes out her prep career this year at McClatchy High School. As a senior, she helped guide the Lions to a 23-7 overall record, a Nor Cal Division I Title, an appearance in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game and berth in the CIF state tournament.
 
Radio Show
Washington Women's Basketball Head Coach Jody Wynn joins Elise Woodward for the UW Coaches Show throughout the season at Chinook's at Fisherman's Terminal. The show is carried live on KOMO AM 1000 in Seattle at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates: Dec. 3, Dec. 10, Dec. 17, Jan. 2, Jan. 8, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25, March 4 and March 11. The show can be streamed online at gohuskies.com or by using the TuneIn Mobile App.
 
Moser's Incredible Journey Continues
Senior Jenna Moser announced last spring that she would return to the team for the 2018-19 season, using her fourth year of eligibility while pursuing a master's degree in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration. (She is in the same program as fellow senior Hannah Johnson.) Moser started as a practice player, not earning a roster spot until her second year at UW. Over the next two seasons she appeared in just 14 games, playing 30 total minutes and scoring four points. But last season, she was awarded a scholarship and has provided leadership to the young team. She started all 30 games and averaging 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 2.6 assists per game.
 
For Openers...
Washington improved to 27-17 all-time in season-openers, winning three of their last four including its 83-74 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Thursday. The Huskies also improved to 34-11 in home openers having won four of its last five. The victory over Cal State Fullerton also marked the earliest home opener for the Huskies in program history and matched the earliest season-opener. Prior to Thursday, the earliest counting game Washington played was on Nov. 8, 2013, a 91-81 loss to St. Mary's.
 
Everybody Starts, Everybody Plays
During the previous season, all 10 of UW's active players at the beginning of the season made at least one start and each averaged at least 14 minutes per game. Jenna Moser was the lone Husky to start all 30 games with Amber Melgoza making 25 starts, Hannah Johnson starting 24 games and Mai-Loni Henson starting 23. Moser also lead the team in minutes played, averaging 30.9 mpg with Melgoza playing 27.5, Henson playing 26.5 and Johnson checking in at 24.3 minutes. The Huskies used 15 different lineup combinations in 30 games last season.
 
Huskies in USA Basketball
Five former UW athletes have competed internationally for USA Basketball. Karen Deden, who was named to the 1995 USA Pan American Games Team, but was denied a shot at a medal after the women's basketball competition was canceled due to too few team entries, played on the 1989 USA Junior World Cup (U19) Team that placed seventh and the 1988 USA Junior World Cup Qualifying Team that won gold. Loree Payne won gold on the 2000 USA R. William Jones Cup Team and competed in an exhibition game as a member of the 2000 USA Select Team against the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team; Jamie Redd was a member of the 1998 USA Select Team that posted a 7-1 slate against international teams in exhibition games; while Rhonda Smith won a silver medal at the 1997 Tournament of the Americas and a bronze medal at the 1993 R. William Jones Cup. Most recently, Kelsey Plum earned gold medals at the 2018 FIBA World Cup and at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Cup, silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games and participated in the 2017 USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Santa Barbara, California.