Are the Huskies finally back on the road to recovery?
What happened last year?
Looking at the record, it would be easy to say that Washington had a terrible year last season and they’re still a long way from recovery. That would be partially true, but it would also ignore how the team performed at the end of the 2019 season.
During the Pac-12 regular season, the only team the Huskies beat was Colorado. They did that twice, managing a 2-15 record after their home game against ASU was canceled.
Things looked a little better at the end of the season. They lost to Cal by just six points. Then, they got to Vegas for the Pac-12 Tournament.
In the first round, No. 11 seed Washington beat Utah by 10. But Utah reported injuries, leaving questions in the air. The Huskies answered those questions in the next game, beating No. 3 seeds (and 11th-ranked) Oregon State 68-67 to advance to the conference semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, Washington lost to Stanford by 11 points. The Cardinal had beaten the Huskies by 21 points a week prior and by 37 early in the season. It marked the end of the Huskies’ season, but it was a reason to hope.
Key losses
The losses absorbed by the Huskies weren’t debilitating. The biggest impact will be on rebounding simply because the team relied on rebounding by committee last year; no one averaged more than 4.3 boards.
Hannah Johnson was fifth on the team in both scoring and rebounding, accounting for 4.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg. Jenna Moser started all 32 games for Washington, accounting for 4.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, and 1.4 steals per game.
Key returners
Need to find the leader of a stat on last year’s team? It’s probably safe to say that it was guard Amber Melgoza. Whether the stat was good or bad, Melgoza was usually the one out there making things happen for her team.
Melgoza was the only Husky to average double-figure scoring last season. Fortunately for Washington, she and her 18.1 ppg are back. She carried the team on the boards with a team-high 4.3 rpg. Melgoza also led the Huskies in assists last season with 2.8 per game, but will need to cut down on the 2.9 turnovers she committed on the average night.
Washington also gets junior Missy Peterson and sophomore Darcy Rees back. Peterson was the second-leading scorer with 9.4 ppg last season. Rees was the second-leading rebounder with 4.1 rpg.
Key additions
Washington needed to add players who can help immediately and players who can help them in the future. Coach Jody Wynn and her staff did just that.
The young talent provides considerable inside help. The Huskies added two players ranked as the No. 19 post players: Ali Bamberger and Jaquaya Miller.
Immediate help comes in the form of junior college transfer Rita Pleskevich. Pleskevich was one of the top guards in NJCAA basketball last season. She also has international experience on the Russian Junior National Team, including as part of the team that knocked the U.S. off and took home the gold medal at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup.
Outlook for 2019-20
Washington was on the top of the world in 2017. Then came the loss of star Kelsey Plum and coach Mike Neighbors. Wynn is still trying to right the ship in Seattle as she begins her third season as the Huskies’ head coach.
Washington hopes to build on the success they had in the Pac-12 Tournament, but it’s unlikely that they’ll advance too far up the conference ladder. Major improvements require major new pieces, and the Huskies didn’t make up the ground in recruiting that they need if they are going to move towards the top half of the league. Their projected finish is better this year than last, and the coaches see them jumping over one team they finished behind last season. Their biggest hope is holding off that team, which happens to reside on the other side of the state…