On Sunday at 12:00 PM PT on Pac-12 Networks and Varsity Network radio, #2 Stanford women’s basketball will open up Pac-12 play on the road at Washington State in Pullman. Stanford’s New Year’s Eve contest at Washington was postponed due to COVID issues within the Huskies’ program. Washington State did however play their opening Pac-12 game on New Year’s Eve against Cal. A game they won 69-42. As a result, Stanford comes in at 8-3 overall while Washington State comes in at 9-3 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12.

Last time out: Stanford’s previous game was a 65-61 loss at #1 South Carolina. Lexie Hull was the top performer for Stanford with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

RECAP: #2 Stanford WBB falls to #1 South Carolina on the road

On Washington State: The Cougars are led by sophomore guard Charlisse Leger-Walker, who is averaging 17.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 38.7% shooting from the field, 33.3% shooting from 3-point range, and 79.2% shooting from the foul line. The other member of this Cougars team scoring in double figures is junior center Bella Murekatete, who is averaging 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on 47.1% shooting from the field and 62.1% shooting from the foul line. Murekatete is a traditional post player, not taking a single 3-pointer all season long.

As a team, the Cougars average 63.1 points per game on 39.3% shooting from the field, 31.0% shooting from 3-point range, and 66.7% shooting from the foul line. They average 38.1 rebounds, 13.8 assists, 9.3 steals, 5.4 blocks, and 14.0 turnovers per game. They also average a +2.0 rebound margin and a +2.5 turnover margin. Their opponents average 55.9 points per game on 37.7% shooting from the field, 30.2% shooting from 3-point range, and 74.2% shooting from the foul line.

Washington State was ranked 6th in the Pac-12 pre-season coaches poll. They’re a team that’s projected to be in the mix for an NCAA tournament spot at the end of the year and so far are off to a nice start. Stanford defeated Washington State twice (71-49 & 77-49) last year, so Stanford should feel confident coming in. But still, Washington State is a solid program that deserves Stanford’s respect.

Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they have to do is contain Leger-Walker. She’s the engine that makes this Wazzu team go. She had 22 points in their win over Cal on Friday night and will look to keep her mojo going. If Stanford can keep her contained and hold her to her season average or below, they’ll be in great shape.

The second thing Stanford needs to do is not get off to a slow start. Stanford hasn’t played a game since December 21st, so it wouldn’t be hard for them to get off to a sluggish start and allow Washington State to hang around early. Stanford needs to come out crisp, get out to a healthy lead, and build from there.

Finally, Stanford needs to take advantage of their size inside. Washington State is not a great rebounding team and Stanford should have the edge inside. Cameron Brink alone should give the Cougars a world of trouble in the paint. If Stanford is grabbing more rebounds and scoring more points in the paint, it should be lights out for the Cougars.

Prediction: Given what we saw Stanford do in Pullman last year, it would be crazy to not pick Stanford to win. They’re the number two team in the nation and if they are able to win this week, they could climb to number one after the way South Carolina lost to Missouri earlier in the week. I got Stanford winning this one with little trouble: 75-55.

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