WSU's Cinderella Bid Ends in 72-62 Loss to Portland

Cougars' tournament run falls short against Pilots in third round

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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The Washington State Cougars' hopes of a magical run through the WCC tournament came to an end with a 72-62 loss to the Portland Pilots in the third round. WSU battled tough, trailing by just three points at halftime, but ultimately couldn't keep pace in the second half as the Pilots outscored the Cougars 39-32.

Why it matters

The loss ends a streak of five straight seasons in which the Cougars played postseason basketball, but head coach Kamie Ethridge and her team will look to reload for the upcoming Pac-12 season with the help of veteran transfers and the return of leading scorer Ele Villa.

The details

The Cougars were led in scoring by Ele Villa with 16 points, followed by Charlotte Abraham with 15 and Alex Covill with 14. The Pilots were able to capitalize on 13 second-half turnovers by WSU to pull away in the final 20 minutes.

  • The game was played on March 7, 2026.

The players

Ele Villa

The leading scorer for the Washington State Cougars with 16 points in the loss.

Charlotte Abraham

Scored 15 points for the Cougars in the third-round defeat.

Alex Covill

Contributed 14 points for Washington State in the season-ending loss.

Kamie Ethridge

The head coach of the Washington State Cougars, who will look to reload her team for the upcoming Pac-12 season.

Portland Pilots

The five-seed team that defeated Washington State 72-62 to end the Cougars' tournament run.

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What they’re saying

“Pending something bizarre, the 2025-26 season ended Saturday and ends a streak of five straight seasons playing postseason basketball.”

— Nate Dahl, Author (yahoo.com)

What’s next

The 2026-27 Cougars will hope to bring on more veterans from the transfer portal and retain their own veteran, Villa, as they head into the new Pac-12.

The takeaway

Despite the disappointing end to their tournament run, the Washington State Cougars have established themselves as a consistent postseason contender under head coach Kamie Ethridge. With the return of key players and the addition of experienced transfers, the team will look to build on their recent success and make a strong push in the Pac-12 next season.