Women's Basketball Opens 2022 with the National Champs

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team rings in the new year by hosting the defending national champions, as the Cougars take on No. 2/3-ranked Stanford this Sunday, Jan. 2. Tip-off from Beasley Coliseum is set for 12 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network.

WASHINGTON STATE (9-3, 1-0 Pac-12) vs. No. 2/3 Stanford (8-3, 0-0 Pac-12) | Sunday, Jan. 2 | 12 p.m. | Beasley Coliseum
  Live Stats | Stat Broadcast
  Watch | Pac-12 Network (Greg Heister and Angela Taylor)
  Listen | WSU IMG Radio Network (Steve Grubbs)
  Game Notes | Click Here

STARTING FIVE
>> Washington State comes into Sunday's matchup against the Cardinal fresh-off a 69-42 win over California on Friday. The Cougar's defense was on fire on a cold night in Pullman, as the 42 points were the fewest points scored against WSU in a Pac-12 contest since Dec. 21, 2006. It is also the fewest points Washington State allowed in the Kamie Ethridge era.

>> The Cougars enter play in first place in the Pac-12 Conference at 1-0 after opening league play with a 27-point win over Cal on Friday. Washington State is the only team in the Pac-12 to play two conference games this weekend, as the rest of the league had to postponed games due to COVID-19 protocols.

>> Sunday will be the 70th all-time meeting between WSU and Stanford. The Cougs will be seeking their first win over the Cardinal, as Stanford has won all 69 meetings between the two schools.

>> WSU will be looking to extend its home winning streak to eight games this Sunday. WSU's current seven-game winning streak at home marks the program's longest winning streak in Beasley Coliseum. Dating back to last season, the Cougars have won three-straight Pac-12 games at home coming into Sunday. It is the first time since the 2013-14 season that WSU has won three-consecutive league games at home.

>> Redshirt fifth-year senior Krystal Leger-Walker has handed out an assist in 77-straight games. The streak began back on Jan. 27, 2018, when Leger-Walker was at Northern Colorado. She heads into Sunday second in the Pac-12 in total assists with 56.

Locking Down Opponents
Washington State's defense has been one of the best in the country all season, as they head into Sunday's matchup ranked 45th in the NCAA in scoring defense at 55.9 points per game. WSU has held teams under 64 points in all but two games this season. In Friday's win over California, the Cougars allowed just 42 points to the Golden Bears. It was the fewest points scored against WSU since Nov. 18, 2016, when Washington State held San Francisco 35 points.

Leger-Walker's Scoring Streak
Sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker extended her double-digit scoring streak to seven games with a 22-point performance against California this past Friday. It is Leger-Walker's 18th career game with 20-or-more points. The guard has scored double-digit points in 33 of her 36 career games played.

Moving Up the NET
Washington State moved up 11 spots in the NET to No. 63 after Friday's win over California.

Sister, Sister
The Leger-Walker sisters have been one of the more dynamic backcourt duos in the Pac-12 this season. Sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker heads into Sunday second in the Pac-12 in points scored with 211 points through 12 games, while redshirt fifth-year senior Krystal Leger-Walker is second in the Pac in assists with 56.

First to 100
Junior Bella Murekatete heads into Sunday's matchup against the Cardinal leading the Pac-12 in total rebounds with an even 100 caroms. She has pulled down double-digit boards in four games this season.

Scouting the Cardinal
Stanford comes into Pullman ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 3 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. The Cardinal will be playing their first game in 12 days, as Stanford is coming off a 65-61 loss at No. 1-ranked South Carolina back on Dec. 21. Overall, the Cardinal stand at 8-3 on the year, while Sunday's game will serve as their Pac-12 season opener.

The defending national champions once again feature a balance scoring attack, as five players average 8.5-or-more points per game. Sophomore Cameron Brink leads Stanford in scoring at 13.2 points per game, while she is just shy of the team lead in rebounds, averaging 7.4 caroms per contest. Junior Haley Jones is behind Brink at 11.2 points per game, while she paces the Cardinal with 7.5 rebounds per contest. Senior Lexie Hull rounds out the trio of double-digit scorers for Stanford, averaging 10.5 points a game.

As a team, Stanford averages 72.1 points per game. The Cardinal shoot 44.6 percent from the field, while hitting 32.4 percent of their shots from behind the arc. Teams are putting up 57.9 points per contest against Stanford, while the Cardinal are holding teams to 33.8 percent from the field.

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