WSU Women's Basketball Faces Gonzaga in Final Regular Season Matchup

Cougs look to upset No. 1 Zags in Spokane before WCC Tournament

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The Washington State University women's basketball team will travel to Spokane on Thursday to take on the No. 1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs in their final regular season matchup. This will be the 21st all-time meeting between the two Eastern Washington schools, with Gonzaga having moved up to the top spot in the West Coast Conference since their last encounter. WSU remains in 10th place in the WCC with a 5-22 overall record and 4-10 conference record, while Gonzaga is coming off a split in their last two road games.

Why it matters

This game represents the last regular season meeting between the two regional rivals before they head to the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas. Gonzaga has emerged as the dominant team in the conference, while WSU is looking to play spoiler and end their season on a high note against the top-ranked Zags.

The details

Gonzaga is led by standout freshman forward Lauren Whittaker, who ranks second nationally among freshmen with 517 points and is averaging 19.1 points per game. WSU will counter with junior guard Eleonora Villa, who is 11th in program history with 1,384 career points and ranks among the WCC and national leaders in several statistical categories.

  • The game tips off at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • This will be the 21st all-time meeting between WSU and Gonzaga.
  • Gonzaga has moved up to the No. 1 spot in the West Coast Conference since the last time these two teams faced off.

The players

Lauren Whittaker

A freshman forward for Gonzaga who ranks second nationally among freshmen with 517 points and is averaging 19.1 points per game.

Eleonora Villa

A junior guard for WSU who is 11th in program history with 1,384 career points and ranks among the WCC and national leaders in several statistical categories.

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What they’re saying

“You know, just amazed at this group and how upbeat they continue to be and how much they're fighting and you know still believe in trying to salvage something.”

— Kamie Ethridge, Head Coach, WSU Women's Basketball (Daily Evergreen)

What’s next

After facing Gonzaga, WSU will travel to Corvallis to take on Oregon State University before returning home to finish the regular season against Seattle University and Saint Mary's College of California.

The takeaway

This game represents a chance for the underdog WSU Cougars to pull off a major upset against the top-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs and end their regular season on a high note before the WCC Tournament. While Gonzaga has emerged as the dominant team in the conference, WSU will look to its standout junior guard Eleonora Villa to lead the way and potentially spoil Gonzaga's perfect WCC record.