Photo by: Red Box Pictures
Season Preview: Experience and Youth Look to Help Huskies Turn Corner in 19-20
November 04, 2019 | Women's Basketball
The University of Washington women's basketball team heads into the season with a renewed confidence, looking to combine an experienced group of returners who put together a successful run at the end of last season with a talented group of newcomers to carry the momentum into a strong showing in 2019-20.
Β
Washington had its share of ups and downs last year but caught national attention with an impressive finish which saw the Huskies pull off a pair of upsets en route to a berth in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. UW returns 85 percent of its scoring from that team while adding a talented trio of four-star or better freshmen and a junior college transfer to run the point.
Β
RETURNERS
Β
"Every one of our returners enters this season with valuable playing time," said UW Head Coach Jody Wynn. "Their overall experience and quality time on the court brings our team the veteran leadership necessary for our program's growth. Each young lady has performed against some of the best teams in the country, and we are looking forward to having some terrific veterans on the court."
Key among the returners is Amber Melgoza, a two-time Pac-12 selection who once again was placed on the Ann Meyers-Drysdale preseason watch listβan award given to the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I. Melgoza, who enters her senior season as one of 28 players in program history to score 1,000 career points or more, led the team in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounds (4.3 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg), and finished the year with 579 pointsβthe eighth-most points scored in a season in program history. She ranks 21st on the Husky's all-time scoring list with 1,202 career points, finishing the year with 32 points against No. 2 Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. It was Melgoza's fourth career 30+ point game and 31st career game scoring 20 or more points.
Β
Junior Missy Peterson showed off her scoring touch despite battling through injuries in the early season, finishing as the team's second-leading scoring at 9.4 points per game. Peterson reached double-figures in 19 games, scoring 15 or more points eight times. She was red-hot in the first two games of the Pac-12 tournament, scoring 42 points while shooting 65.2% from the field and draining 11 of 17 from beyond the arc. In the Huskies' next-to-last regular-season game against Cal, Peterson connected on 9-of-12 from the field in the game, matching the best shooting percentage by a Husky with at least 12 field goal attempts in the least 10 years.
Β
Sophomore Darcy Rees came alive once Pac-12 play began, averaging 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game in Pac-12 play while shooting 43.8% from the field. All of that coming while playing against some of the best post players in the country. Those numbers jumped in the Pac-12 Tournament, as Rees averaged 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds through three games, recording her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in UW's upset win over Oregon State.
Β
Senior Mai-Loni Henson will look to continue her hot play at the end of the season. Henson averaged 5.2 points per game, but scored 17 points at Colorado in the Huskies' final road game and dished out a career-high six assists against Oregon State at the Pac-12 Tournamentβincluding the helper on Peterson's game-winner. Overall, she finished third on the team in steals and rebounds and was fourth in assists and points.
Β
Sophomore Haley Van Dyke and junior Khayla Rooks have shown improvement in the offseason and look to add frontcourt depth for the Huskies. Van Dyke appeared in all 32 games as a true freshman last year, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She also led the qualifiers in shooting percentage, hitting 47.4% from the field. Rooks also appeared in all 32 games and contributed 3.2 points and 1.9 boards a game.
Β
Meanwhile, the backcourt depth is bolstered by senior Montana Hagstrom and junior Alexis Griggsby. Hagstrom, who missed the 2017-18 season while rehabbing an Achilles injury, saw action in 20 games and seemed to come up big on the biggest stages. Her first two UW three-pointers came in the early going against Oregon, giving the Huskies a first-half lead with the second. Griggsby poured in 3.5 points per game and added 1.3 rebounds an 1.1 steals in 29 games including a career-high 26 points at No. 5 Oregon.
Β
NEWCOMERS
Β
"Our newcomers compliment the returners with a mix of size, skill, and athleticism," said Wynn. "They are full of energy and eager to learn and improve each day. All four players have worked hard to learn the system and improve their skill and knowledge, allowing our veterans to be mentors. We are excited for this group to make a positive impact to our team."
Washington fans will see four new faces this season including a trio of highly-rated freshman. JaQuaya Miller, a 6-3 post player, comes to Montlake as one of the top players in the State of Washington and one of the top post players in the country. Miller, a 4.5 star rated recruit from Kentridge High School, was ranked as the sixth-best post player in her class and No. 41 overall by Prospects Nation. As a senior, she averaged 16.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game to help the Chargers to a 26-3 record and third-place finish in the WIAA 4A State Tournament.
Β
Ali Bamberger is a 6-3 post player from Concord, Calif, who ranks as the No. 8 player out of California and the No. 2 post player in the state. Overall, she is a four-star player ranked No. 81 overall in the class of 2019. As a senior, Bamberger averaged 19.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game at Carondelet High School, helping the Cougars to a 26-5 record.
Β
Nia Lowery is a 5-11 guard from Sacramento, who was a four-star recruit out of McClatchy High School. She poured in 14.5 points and added 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals her senior season as the Lions went 28-5 overall. Lowery helped her team pull off one of the biggest upsets in the CIF Tournament, scoring 10 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as McClatchy upset No. 1 seed Sacramento in the Division I Quarterfinals. Lowery and Bamberger played club ball for Cal Stars Nike EYBL along with current Husky Haley Van Dyke.
Β
Washington also picked up a junior college player to run the pointβa position of need for the last two seasons. Rita Pleskevich, a 5-9 point guard from Moscow, Russia, heads to Washington after posting impressive numbers through her first two seasons at Broward College in Florida. In addition to solid collegiate numbers, she has extensive international experience, playing for the Russian Junior National Team the last four years, helping the team win the FIBA U19 title in 2017 and playing for the U20 team at the European Championships this past summer.
Β
As a sophomore, Pleskevich averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Seahawks to a 22-8 recording including a 10-2 mark in conference play. Her 594 points were the 14th-most nationally with her 19.8 point per game average tied for 13th in the NJCAA rankings. Pleskevich also ranked seventh in the NJCAA in field goals made with 235 including 65 three-pointers.
Β
ALWAYS COMPETE
Β
"We preach to our team 'Always Compete'," said Head Coach Jody Wynn, who enters her third season at UW. "'Always Compete' embodies the overall culture of our program, with our young women competing in life, in the classroom and on the basketball court. A given constant within our team is how hard we compete both individually and collectively, our determination to overcome obstacles, fight through adversity, shatter glass ceilings, and break down any barriers in order to reach our goals and dreams. To always compete is a valuable life lesson that will serve our Huskies well long after their collegiate careers are over."
Β
THE SCHEDULE
Β
Washington plays a favorable non-conference schedule, featuring eight of its 11 games at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies open the season with four-straight at home beginning with Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, November 8. Washington closes out the non-conference slate with the 25th Husky Classic, welcoming in San Francisco, UC Irvine and Vanderbilt.
Β
With the Pac-12 once again likely to be the best top-to-bottom conference in the country, the conference schedule will be another tough one from start to finish. Washington opens with three road games before hosting Washington State on January 11. The Huskies also battle the Arizona schools, the Bay Area schools, the Mountain schools and the LA schools at home this season.
Β
ABOUT LAST SEASONβ¦
Β
Washington had its ups and downs last season, but saved its best for last, turning heads nationally with an impressive run through the Pac-12 Tournament.
Β
The Huskies entered as the No. 11 seed in the 12-team field, not given much of a chance to get past the first night of competition. However, Washington pulled off an impressive 64-54 upset win over No. 6 seed Utah in the first round just two weeks after losing by 32 to the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Β
The next night, the Huskies pulled off even a bigger upset, knocking off the No. 3 seed Oregon State 68-67. In that game, Peterson drained a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to break a tie and give the Huskies the victory. UW, which had lost 86-39 at home against the Beavers two months earlier, picked up their first win over Oregon State in eight tries and its first victory over a ranked team in over two years.
Β
Washington also won two games in the Pac-12 Tournament for just the second time in program history and reached the semifinals for the fourth time. It was also just the second time a No. 11 seed reached the semifinals of the tournament.
Β
"We went into the conference tournament saying we have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain," said Wynn. "We kind of had a chip on our shoulder and wanted to prove to ourselves that we can compete with any team we faced. Starting off with Utah, we showed we are able to defend the way knew we could and move the ball and play equal opportunity offense with confidence."
Β
The Huskies' run came to an end against eventual tournament champion Stanford, but the Huskies lost by just 11 points after losing by a combined 56 points in two previous meetings with the Cardinal.
Β
Β
Washington had its share of ups and downs last year but caught national attention with an impressive finish which saw the Huskies pull off a pair of upsets en route to a berth in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. UW returns 85 percent of its scoring from that team while adding a talented trio of four-star or better freshmen and a junior college transfer to run the point.
Β
RETURNERS
Β
"Every one of our returners enters this season with valuable playing time," said UW Head Coach Jody Wynn. "Their overall experience and quality time on the court brings our team the veteran leadership necessary for our program's growth. Each young lady has performed against some of the best teams in the country, and we are looking forward to having some terrific veterans on the court."
Key among the returners is Amber Melgoza, a two-time Pac-12 selection who once again was placed on the Ann Meyers-Drysdale preseason watch listβan award given to the top shooting guard in NCAA Division I. Melgoza, who enters her senior season as one of 28 players in program history to score 1,000 career points or more, led the team in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounds (4.3 rpg) and assists (2.8 apg), and finished the year with 579 pointsβthe eighth-most points scored in a season in program history. She ranks 21st on the Husky's all-time scoring list with 1,202 career points, finishing the year with 32 points against No. 2 Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals. It was Melgoza's fourth career 30+ point game and 31st career game scoring 20 or more points.
Β
Junior Missy Peterson showed off her scoring touch despite battling through injuries in the early season, finishing as the team's second-leading scoring at 9.4 points per game. Peterson reached double-figures in 19 games, scoring 15 or more points eight times. She was red-hot in the first two games of the Pac-12 tournament, scoring 42 points while shooting 65.2% from the field and draining 11 of 17 from beyond the arc. In the Huskies' next-to-last regular-season game against Cal, Peterson connected on 9-of-12 from the field in the game, matching the best shooting percentage by a Husky with at least 12 field goal attempts in the least 10 years.
Β
Sophomore Darcy Rees came alive once Pac-12 play began, averaging 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game in Pac-12 play while shooting 43.8% from the field. All of that coming while playing against some of the best post players in the country. Those numbers jumped in the Pac-12 Tournament, as Rees averaged 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds through three games, recording her first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in UW's upset win over Oregon State.
Β
Senior Mai-Loni Henson will look to continue her hot play at the end of the season. Henson averaged 5.2 points per game, but scored 17 points at Colorado in the Huskies' final road game and dished out a career-high six assists against Oregon State at the Pac-12 Tournamentβincluding the helper on Peterson's game-winner. Overall, she finished third on the team in steals and rebounds and was fourth in assists and points.
Β
Sophomore Haley Van Dyke and junior Khayla Rooks have shown improvement in the offseason and look to add frontcourt depth for the Huskies. Van Dyke appeared in all 32 games as a true freshman last year, averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She also led the qualifiers in shooting percentage, hitting 47.4% from the field. Rooks also appeared in all 32 games and contributed 3.2 points and 1.9 boards a game.
Β
Meanwhile, the backcourt depth is bolstered by senior Montana Hagstrom and junior Alexis Griggsby. Hagstrom, who missed the 2017-18 season while rehabbing an Achilles injury, saw action in 20 games and seemed to come up big on the biggest stages. Her first two UW three-pointers came in the early going against Oregon, giving the Huskies a first-half lead with the second. Griggsby poured in 3.5 points per game and added 1.3 rebounds an 1.1 steals in 29 games including a career-high 26 points at No. 5 Oregon.
Β
NEWCOMERS
Β
"Our newcomers compliment the returners with a mix of size, skill, and athleticism," said Wynn. "They are full of energy and eager to learn and improve each day. All four players have worked hard to learn the system and improve their skill and knowledge, allowing our veterans to be mentors. We are excited for this group to make a positive impact to our team."
Washington fans will see four new faces this season including a trio of highly-rated freshman. JaQuaya Miller, a 6-3 post player, comes to Montlake as one of the top players in the State of Washington and one of the top post players in the country. Miller, a 4.5 star rated recruit from Kentridge High School, was ranked as the sixth-best post player in her class and No. 41 overall by Prospects Nation. As a senior, she averaged 16.6 points and 10.9 rebounds per game to help the Chargers to a 26-3 record and third-place finish in the WIAA 4A State Tournament.
Β
Ali Bamberger is a 6-3 post player from Concord, Calif, who ranks as the No. 8 player out of California and the No. 2 post player in the state. Overall, she is a four-star player ranked No. 81 overall in the class of 2019. As a senior, Bamberger averaged 19.0 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game at Carondelet High School, helping the Cougars to a 26-5 record.
Β
Nia Lowery is a 5-11 guard from Sacramento, who was a four-star recruit out of McClatchy High School. She poured in 14.5 points and added 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals her senior season as the Lions went 28-5 overall. Lowery helped her team pull off one of the biggest upsets in the CIF Tournament, scoring 10 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter as McClatchy upset No. 1 seed Sacramento in the Division I Quarterfinals. Lowery and Bamberger played club ball for Cal Stars Nike EYBL along with current Husky Haley Van Dyke.
Β
Washington also picked up a junior college player to run the pointβa position of need for the last two seasons. Rita Pleskevich, a 5-9 point guard from Moscow, Russia, heads to Washington after posting impressive numbers through her first two seasons at Broward College in Florida. In addition to solid collegiate numbers, she has extensive international experience, playing for the Russian Junior National Team the last four years, helping the team win the FIBA U19 title in 2017 and playing for the U20 team at the European Championships this past summer.
Β
As a sophomore, Pleskevich averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Seahawks to a 22-8 recording including a 10-2 mark in conference play. Her 594 points were the 14th-most nationally with her 19.8 point per game average tied for 13th in the NJCAA rankings. Pleskevich also ranked seventh in the NJCAA in field goals made with 235 including 65 three-pointers.
Β
ALWAYS COMPETE
Β
"We preach to our team 'Always Compete'," said Head Coach Jody Wynn, who enters her third season at UW. "'Always Compete' embodies the overall culture of our program, with our young women competing in life, in the classroom and on the basketball court. A given constant within our team is how hard we compete both individually and collectively, our determination to overcome obstacles, fight through adversity, shatter glass ceilings, and break down any barriers in order to reach our goals and dreams. To always compete is a valuable life lesson that will serve our Huskies well long after their collegiate careers are over."
Β
THE SCHEDULE
Β
Washington plays a favorable non-conference schedule, featuring eight of its 11 games at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies open the season with four-straight at home beginning with Cal State Bakersfield on Friday, November 8. Washington closes out the non-conference slate with the 25th Husky Classic, welcoming in San Francisco, UC Irvine and Vanderbilt.
Β
With the Pac-12 once again likely to be the best top-to-bottom conference in the country, the conference schedule will be another tough one from start to finish. Washington opens with three road games before hosting Washington State on January 11. The Huskies also battle the Arizona schools, the Bay Area schools, the Mountain schools and the LA schools at home this season.
Β
ABOUT LAST SEASONβ¦
Β
Washington had its ups and downs last season, but saved its best for last, turning heads nationally with an impressive run through the Pac-12 Tournament.
Β
The Huskies entered as the No. 11 seed in the 12-team field, not given much of a chance to get past the first night of competition. However, Washington pulled off an impressive 64-54 upset win over No. 6 seed Utah in the first round just two weeks after losing by 32 to the Utes in Salt Lake City.
Β
The next night, the Huskies pulled off even a bigger upset, knocking off the No. 3 seed Oregon State 68-67. In that game, Peterson drained a three-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to break a tie and give the Huskies the victory. UW, which had lost 86-39 at home against the Beavers two months earlier, picked up their first win over Oregon State in eight tries and its first victory over a ranked team in over two years.
Β
Washington also won two games in the Pac-12 Tournament for just the second time in program history and reached the semifinals for the fourth time. It was also just the second time a No. 11 seed reached the semifinals of the tournament.
Β
"We went into the conference tournament saying we have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain," said Wynn. "We kind of had a chip on our shoulder and wanted to prove to ourselves that we can compete with any team we faced. Starting off with Utah, we showed we are able to defend the way knew we could and move the ball and play equal opportunity offense with confidence."
Β
The Huskies' run came to an end against eventual tournament champion Stanford, but the Huskies lost by just 11 points after losing by a combined 56 points in two previous meetings with the Cardinal.
Β
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballAliyah's Bell Celebration with Washington Women's Basketball
Thursday, July 17
Dalayah Daniels 2024-25 Season Highlights
Thursday, April 17
Washington Women's Basketball March Madness Press Conference: First Four
Thursday, March 20
Head Coach Tina Langley Weekly Press Conference: March 11
Tuesday, March 11
