Washington State women’s basketball drops home game to Stanford, falls to 0-76 all time against Cardinal

PULLMAN – A commendable defensive effort kept Washington State in it. But the Cougars couldn’t find enough offense to finally get in the win column against Stanford.

The Cardinal improved to 76-0 all time in the series against WSU, holding off the Cougs for a 54-46 win on Friday at Beasley Coliseum.

Stanford (4-0) stayed ahead by at least two possessions throughout the second half, leading by as many as 13 points. WSU (0-4) cut the deficit to seven points midway through the fourth quarter, but the Cardinal held on as WSU’s offense went quiet, missing all five of its field-goal attempts over the final 4:29.

WSU shot 16 of 53 (30.2%) from the field and 5 of 20 from 3-point range. Freshman forward Malia Ruud led the team with 11 points – nine in the first quarter – and seven rebounds. Junior guard Eleonora Villa added 10 points, surpassing 1,000 career points during the game. Starting WSU post Alex Covill missed the game due to injury.

Guard Hailee Swain scored 10 points to pace Stanford, which had seven players score at least five points. WSU’s defense limited the Cardinal to 22 of 54 (40.7%) shooting, including 2 of 18 (11.1%) from deep.

It was the second nonconference matchup between the former Pac-12 foes since Stanford joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2024. Stanford is playing its second season under coach Kate Paye after the retirement of legendary coach Tara VanDerveer. The Cardinal, who missed the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 1987, are a bit more vulnerable without VanDerveer at the helm, but the traditional women’s basketball power still has WSU’s number.

The Cardinal stay in the area for a 2 p.m. game Sunday against Gonzaga at McCarthey Athletic Center. WSU next plays at 4 p.m. Wednesday against Oregon at Beasley Coliseum.