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2019-20 Pac-12 preview: Oregon atop a deep conference

By Kim Doss

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 05: Oregon head coach Kelly Graves talks with Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) before the 2019 NCAA Women's Division I Championship Final Four game between the Oregon Ducks and the Baylor Bears on April 05, 2019 at Amelie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 05: Oregon head coach Kelly Graves talks with Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) before the 2019 NCAA Women's Division I Championship Final Four game between the Oregon Ducks and the Baylor Bears on April 05, 2019 at Amelie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Mary Holt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 3: Washington State’s Borislava Hristova (45) attempts a free throw against USC during the second half at the PAC-12 Women’s Tournament in Seattle, WA. USC defeated Washington State by a final score of 77-73. (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire) (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – MARCH 3: Washington State’s Borislava Hristova (45) attempts a free throw against USC during the second half at the PAC-12 Women’s Tournament in Seattle, WA. USC defeated Washington State by a final score of 77-73. (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire) (Photo by Christopher Mast/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

A pair of seniors hope to shoot above the projections

What happened last year?

Coach Kamie Ethridge worked with a decimated roster last season. The parting of ways with the previous coach was not smoot, and it led to the inevitable transfers. She and her team plunged forward, but it was a disappointing season that ended with a 9-21 record and only four Pac-12 wins.

Key losses

The Cougars had only two seniors on last year’s team, but both were starters. Alexys Swedlund (11.0 ppg)  and Maria Kostourkova (6.7 ppg) were third and fourth on the team in scoring. Kostourkova’s 7.5 rpg led the team in rebounding.

Key returners

Washington State gets their top two scorers back in Borislava “Bobi Buckets” Hristova (19.9 ppg) and Chanelle Molina (15.9 ppg). The pair also tied for second on the team in rebounding with 5.5 rpg. That’s a solid foundation for Ethridge to build on.

Key additions

The three-player recruiting class features a possible replacement for Kostourkova in 6-foot-5 Bella Murekatete. Murekatete is originally from Rwanda, but played high school ball in neighboring Idaho.

She is considered raw, especially on offense, but was a defensive presence in high school. The Cougars aren’t really in need of great scoring inside this year, though, so Murekatete fills the role they need her to fill.

WSU also picked up guard Grace Sarver, who is rated just outside the top 100 by Prospects Nation. That service rates her as the No. 26 guard in the country.

On the transfer front, the Cougars get the services of senior Krystal Leger-Walker in practice, but she will have to sit out competition this season. The point guard played under Ethridge at Northern Colorado.

Outlook for 2019-20

Hristova ranked in the top 30 of NCAA basketball for points per game last season and came in third in the Pac-12 behind Aari McDonald and Kristine Anigwe. With Anigwe gone and Arizona looking for McDonald to carry less of the scoring burden this season, Hristova has a shot at leading the conference this year.

Will that mean anything for the team’s fortunes, though? They have a reasonable chance of battling Washington for the No. 9 spot in the league, and last year proved that they are capable of upsetting the teams in the middle of the conference if they don’t take the Cougars seriously or have an off night.

They have found some stability in Ethridge’s second season, though. That’s something the next team on the list is desperately looking for…

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