Women's Basketball set for a Sunday exhibition against Westmont in Beasley

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State women's basketball team will play its one and only tune-up game in preparation for the 2022-23 season this Sunday, Oct. 30, as the Cougars will host Westmont for an exhibition contest. Tip-off against the Warriors is set for 2 p.m. PT.

WASHINGTON STATE (0-0, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. Westmont (0-0, 0-0 GSAC) | Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 | 2 p.m. | Beasley Coliseum
  Live Stats | WSUCougars.com
  Watch | No Live Stream
  Listen | No Radio Broadcast

STARTING FIVE
>> There will be a Halloween celebration in Beasley Coliseum this Sunday for the Washington State women's basketball game. All tickets to the game will be free and there will be trick-or-treating on the concourse.

>> Washington State is coming off a historic season that saw the Cougars go 19-11 and set several program records along the way. WSU's 19 wins in 2021-22 are the most in a single season at the NCAA level. The Cougs also won a program record 11 Pac-12 Conference games a season ago to finish second, giving Washington State its highest finishes in the league standings in program history. The Cougars capped off the 2021-22 season by earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight season, marking the first time WSU has played in March Madness in consecutive seasons.

>> The Cougars will be one of the most experienced teams in NCAA Division I this season, as Washington State returns four of its five starters from a season ago. The Cougars return 84% of their scoring from a year ago, led by junior Charlisse Leger-Walker whose 17.3 points per game career scoring average is the highest for a returning Pac-12 player that has played in 25-or-more career games.

>> WSU is entering its fifth year under the direction of head coach Kamie Ethridge. Washington State has seen its win total increase every season under Ethridge, as her 51 wins at WSU is the most by a Cougar women's basketball head coach through their first four seasons on the Palouse.

>> Sunday's contest will be the first time that Washington State and Westmont will play one another on the hardwood.

Game Coverage
Sunday's exhibition contest against Westmont will not be streamed. Fans can follow the action via live stats on WSUCougars.com.

Preseason Pac-12 Honors
Earlier this week, the Pac-12 Conference announced that junior Charlisse Leger-Walker and senior Bella Murekatete each earned preseason accolades from the league.  Leger-Walker was selected to the Preseason All-Pac-12 squad, while Murekatete picked up a Preseason All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection.

It is Leger-Walker's second career selection to the Preseason All-Pac-12 team, as the two-time All-Pac-12 honoree was selected to last season's preseason all-conference team. Meanwhile, it is Murekatete's first preseason league honor, as the 6-3 center from Rwanda is coming off a 2021-22 season that saw her earn the Pac-12 Conference's Most Improved Player of the Year Award.

Watch List Worthy
Junior Charlisse Leger-Walker and senior Bella Murekatete were once again selected for a pair of individual award watchlists from the Basketball Hall of Fame. For the second-straight season, Leger-Walker was selected for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list, which goes annually to the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I, and Murekatete was named to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list, which goes to the country's top center.

Last season, Leger-Walker earned a spot as a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, joining Borislava Hristova as the only two WSU players to be named a finalist for a Basketball Hall of Fame individual award.

Scouting the Warriors
Westmont comes into the Beasley Coliseum in the midst of a transition, as the school from Santa Barbara, California is moving from NAIA to NCAA Division II starting this season. The Warriors are coming off a 27-5 season a year ago that saw them advance to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA National Championship after winning the 2021 NAIA National Championship.

The Warriors are led by their All-American senior Stefanie Berberabe, who averaged a team-best 15.5 points per game last season. The guard shot 46.0 percent from the field and dished out a team-high 167 assists. Sophomore Laila Saenz also returns to the fold for Westmont after averaging 11.6 points per game during her freshman season a year ago.

Last season, Westmont averaged 71.8 points per game, while only giving up 49.9 points per contest. The Warriors limited teams to just a 34.2 percent performance from the floor, while Westmont held foes to a 24.8 percent success rate from behind the arc.

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