A Grip on Sports: There is a changing of the guard (and other spots) for the GU women and the WCC overall in basketball

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There is a cup of coffee sitting next to our keyboard this morning. Every morning, actually. But today is different. It is about half full. Or empty. Yep, we are calling today’s column a perspective retrospective.

•••••••

• But only because we liked the way it sounded. You might see it as our feeble attempt to put a positive spin on all the junk that’s been happening in college athletics the past few years. After all, who wants to spend their day mumbling and stumbling and complaining all the time? Outside of politicians, of course.

We’re not trying to get elected. We are trying to see the bright side of, say, Washington State and Oregon State playing hoops in the West Coast Conference this season.

Why use that as an example? Like climbing a mountain, because it’s there. Or in Las Vegas, to be more precise. The women’s basketball programs gathered together in Sin City on Wednesday for their day in the sun. Took over Resorts World, a sports-mad entity in Nevada’s largest metropolis, for the WCC’s Media Day.

And how is that supposed to make us see our cup as half full? Easy. The conference’s hoop ensemble is better this season. The women’s lineup shows it. And when the men take the stage today, it will be highlighted as well. But the latter is for later. Today we focus on the women.

And wonder if the WCC’s coaches have preprinted ballots ready for their “who-wins-the-title” votes. You know, with Gonzaga listed atop their picks and a bunch of lines to write in every other team. It’s the only way we can explain how they voted Lisa Fortier’s Zags as the preseason favorite.

Oh, sure, Yvonne Ejim is back. The best player in the conference last season, the best going into this one, her fifth in a Bulldog uniform. Her presence in the low post, at the wings, on the boards, is enough to assure Gonzaga of a high finish. But the top line?

Other than the returning WCC Sixth Woman of the Year Maud Huijbens and defensive specialist Esther Little, the Zags’ eight-player rotation is in rebuild mode. The departed include the sister guards who played in more college wins than any sister pair we can remember, Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong. Forward Eliza Hollingsworth. Three-point specialist Brynna Maxwell. All starters. All all-conference veterans. All gone. Others too.

But we’re here today to accentuate the positive. Despite an offseason filled with cancer treatments and an Olympic trip, Fortier and her staff recruited well, attracting players from all over the world – and the world of college hoops. Whether they can be blended into a successfully group is the question.

Then again, no one in the WCC came through the offseason unscathed. Portland, which once again snatched away the tournament title, has Liberty High’s Maisie Burnham back and some questions. Santa Clara first lost its best player, Tess Heal, to Stanford and then lost its longtime coach, Bill Carr, who resigned unexpectedly this week.

Which brings us to the two newcomers, including the school we feel should have been on the top of the ballot: Washington State.

Yes, the Cougars lost one of the its best-ever players, guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, now at UCLA. And lost the graduated Bella Murekatete, who blossomed into a star after being underrecruited from North Idaho’s Genesis Prep.

But Kamie Ethridge returns quite a few players from a program that’s battle-tested – last year’s Pac-12 was the nation’s best conference – and used to winning. The Cougars also handed Gonzaga one of its four losses, winning 77-72 in overtime in Pullman.

The addition of Oregon State also adds another level of competition to the WCC, what with Beavers’ hanging on to coach Scott Rueck despite losing a majority of its roster to the transfer portal. If Fortier has been the Northwest’s most successful women’s coach the past decade, Rueck can claim that title over the past three. In his 14 years at Newberg, Oregon’s George Fox, Rueck won 288 games and a Division III title. In the 14 years he’s been in Corvallis, another 297 wins, while making a Final Four and two other Elite Eights, including last season.

The WCC is better with the two Pac-12 schools involved. Better depth. Budding rivalries. Tougher competition. It’s a fact. Not spin.

•••

WSU: Theo Lawson is in Las Vegas and spent some time yesterday talking with Ethridge and the Cougar representatives, including junior guard Astera Tuhina and senior forward Tara Wallack. And then writing this story. … Of course we have Greg Woods football stories to pass along. He has one that is about the future, as Washington State added Louisiana Tech to the 2025 schedule, the Cougs’ eighth-game. … He also has one from the present, a look at the team’s improved rushing attack, while wondering why it hasn’t been used more. … Hawaii will come to Pullman without one of its best defensive players available. … Back to basketball for a second. Former Coug standout Aron Baynes, who blossomed into a dominating inside presence in Pullman and a 3-point shooter as a pro, announced his retirement yesterday. Of all the players Tony Bennett coached at Wazzu, Baynes’ pro career was the most unexpected, mainly for its length and the heights he ascended. … Elsewhere in the (new and old) Pac-12, the Mountain West and the nation, it’s another week of college football with a top five showdown. There will be playoff rematches coming. With a high number of TV viewers watching. … Could the ratings go higher with a super league? … Jon Wilner covered the latter in the Mercury News as well as highlighting the changing fortunes of BYU and Utah. … No one has started more games in an Oregon State football uniform than Joshua Gray. He will set a record when the Beavers face UNLV in rainy Corvallis on Saturday. … Oregon’s 12th-man strategy will not be duplicated anymore. … The Ducks want to improve their red-zone offense this week. … Washington is entering a stretch in which the opponents have strong passing attacks. … USC, working to rebuild its defense, this week travels to face a Maryland team dealing with issues too. … Speaking of issues, Arizona State will be starting its backup quartetback against Cincinnati. … Despite the loss to Kansas State, Colorado does have players doing what they are supposed to do. … Utah has to rally around its freshman quarterback. He is the starter now. … One UCLA player says he did not want to be bought. … Arizona has reached the halfway point. … In the Mountain West, Colorado State coach Jay Norvell is sick of injuries. … Yes, there is still a spot for a fullback. At least at Air Force. … A second-ever bowl bid is in reach for UNLV. Maybe more. … Boise State has reached a lot of bowls. It would be a first for the head coach, though. … Everyone knew this was coming. The San Jose State volleyball gender brouhaha has leaked into presidential politics. With the typical factual misrepresentation. The Spartans next match is at New Mexico. … In basketball news, Washington’s men have some questions to answer. … Oregon’s men have fewer than usual. … The OSU women made a staff change…. Future Pac-12 member San Diego State is not expected to be as good this season.

Gonzaga: Yes, there is a story from Theo about Gonzaga’s Ejim, one of the best returning players on the West Coast. And, quite possibly, the least acknowledged star in the nation. Ejim has something many others do not, however. Memories of playing in the Paris Olympics. … There is also one from Greg Lee on the WCC preseason poll. We linked that latter story above and do it again here. … We also can pass along this Associated Press story on Fortier’s cancer and how she dealt with it.

EWU: Running the ball seems to be the story of the day, though we didn’t get the memo. Dan Thompson did, as he has this piece on Eastern’s five-deep running back room that is part of one of the Big Sky’s top rushing attacks. … Elsewhere in the Big Sky, the Eagles have had their way over the years against the two schools in the Sacramento area, Sacramento State and this week’s opponent, UC Davis. … Portland State hosts Montana State on Saturday.

Idaho: The Vandals’ Alyssa Peters conference assist record in soccer leads off the S-R’s latest local briefs column.

Preps: The weekend football slate is going to be a pretty big one, what with a showdown in the 4A/3A ranks and a big 2A battle. If you want to know more, read Dave Nichols’ preview. … Dave also has a roundup of Wednesday’s action, including slowpitch Districts which went on despite the rain.

Chiefs: We either misread yesterday’s summary of the Chiefs’ game or there was a mistake. Either way, Spokane remains on the road through Friday. On Wednesday, the Chiefs played in Brandon and lost 6-3 to the Wheat Kings. Dave has that story as well.

Seahawks: Seattle’s recent tough stretch is still having an impact on the team. … DK Metcalf’s ball security issues have had even more of an impact. … And the secondary suffered another blow. … NFL games are won up front. The Hawks’ offensive line hasn’t blossomed yet, despite the addition of a new center. And the defensive front has missed the injured Byron Murphy II.

Mariners: Cal Raleigh wants to help hurricane victims. … It is either feast or drought for the Dodgers in their NLCS series with New York. They feasted on the Mets’ pitchers last night, Shohei Ohtani ended his drought and they won 8-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. … The Yankees and Guardians return to action today in Cleveland, with New York holding a 2-0 lead in the ALCS.

Storm: Nneka Ogwumike earned accolades after her first season in Seattle. … Sabrina Ionescu’s long 3-pointer as time ran down lifted the New York Liberty to an 80-77 victory in Minnesota. The win gave the Liberty a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

•••       

• We’re going to make a subtle change to the column format Saturday. Read and see if you notice what it is. No prizes for catching it. Just some fun. Until later …