By Tim Clinton
Recent years have been kind to the Washington State University women's basketball team.
The Cougars made the NCAA tournament three straight years in 2021, 2022 and 2023, then reached the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament in 2024 and the NIT in 2025.
Prior to the recent string, WSU only made the NCAA tournament one time, in 1991.
The Cougars made the AIAW tournament in their second year of existence in 1972 and reached the WNIT in 2014, 2015 and 2017. The 2017 team reached the semifinal level and the other two WNIT teams lost in the first round.
WSU also lost in the first round in all four NCAA appearances and in the 1972 AIAW tournament.
The Cougars have had better luck over the past two springs playing in the WBIT and NIT tournaments.
The 2024 team advanced as far as the WBIT semifinals and finished with a 21-15 overall record.
This year WSU opened the NIT with a 57-54 victory over Utah Valley before falling to North Dakota State by a 59-51 score.
Washington State has had three 20-win seasons in women's basketball besides 2024.
The Cougars from 1978-79 finished 21-5 overall but did not advance to a postseason tournament.
WSU finished 23-11 in the 2023 NCAA tournament season and 21-14 this year.
Kamie Ethridge has coached the Cougars through their recent success, just finishing her seventh season.
June Daugherty led the way the previous 11 seasons.
The longest tenured WSU coach was Harold Rhodes, who lasted 17 seasons from 1982-83 to 1998-99 in Pullman.