The California women's basketball team (13-10, 3-8 Pac-12) will look to complete a season sweep against Washington State (15-8, 4-6) when it takes on the Cougars at Beasley Coliseum on Friday at 7 p.m. PT in Pullman, Washington. A win would mark the first season sweep of the Cougars since the 2018-19 season, when the Bears defeated them twice in the regular season and then again in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
 
This will mark the 79th all-time meeting between the programs with Cal holding a 49-29 series advantage and having snapped a six-game losing streak in the team's 73-72 overtime win over the Cougars last month. The last win in Pullman came in an 80-58 victory on March 3, 2019.
 
Washington State is led by sixth-year head coach Kamie Ethridge and is the defending Pac-12 Tournament Champion. The Cougars return eight players from last year's squad including three All-Pac-12 players led by All-America guard Charlisse Leger-Walker. However, Leger-Walker will miss the rest of the season due to injury.
 
In the most recent contest between the teams at Haas Pavilion in January, Cal led by three at halftime, but the game went into overtime after Marta Suárez and WSU's Leger-Walker exchanged 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation to force the extra period. In OT, it was Michelle Onyiah who proved to be the difference as she grabbed three key offensive rebounds and converted them into six points. The Cougars had a chance for the win on its last possession, but Mia Mastrov was able to strip Leger-Walker before she could get a shot off to seal the 73-72 win. 
 
Friday's game will air on Pac-12 Washington with Greg Heister and Julie Rousseau on the call.  
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date & Time: Friday, Feb. 9 | 7 p.m. PT
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Live Stream: Pac-12 Washington
 
QUICK HITS

• In the loss to No. 15 USC (Feb. 4):
  • The Bears led by as many 13 points in the second quarter and had a three-point lead going into the fourth but were unable to come away with the victory.
  • Ioanna Krimili had her sixth 20-point outing of the conference season with 21 points including 5-of-9 from deep.
  • Krimili also reached 2,000 points for her career, joining only 16 other active players in the country to have reached that total.
  • Marta Suárez scored 18 points, her most since having 19 points against No. 23 Gonzaga.
  • The Bears tossed in 10 triples, marking the 10th game with double-figure 3-pointers.
• Cal's next win will mark the most in a season under head coach Charmin Smith (finished 13-17 last season).
• In 4 of the 6 games against ranked opponents this season, the Bears have had a lead or been within single digits in the fourth quarter.
• Cal is 11-2 when scoring at least 70 points.

 
Player Notes

• Krimili is one of just two active players in the country with career averages of at least 17.0 points per game and 40% from 3-point range over at least three seasons. The other is UConn's Paige Bueckers. 
• Krimili leads the Pac-12 during conference play for 3PM (37) and is currently third (behind Caitlyn Clark, Iowa, and Abby Hsu, Colombia) among all active players in the country for career 3-pointers made per game (2.8) and eighth for total 3PM (321).
• Even with missing nine games this season, Krimili is tied for fifth in the Pac-12 for 3PM (45). She is just 11 away from entering Cal's all-time single-season list.
• Krimili is tied for second among all active players in the country for most career games with at least five 3PM (23):
  • Caitlyn Clark, Iowa – 37
  • Ioanna Krimili – 24
  • Abby Hsu, Columbia – 23
  • Sara Scalia, Indiana – 20
  • Hannah Jump, Stanford - 19

 

• For the month of January, Krimili was tied for fifth in the nation in 3PM (27).
• Over her last six games, Krimili is averaging 4.3 3PM per game. Her six 20-point games during conference play are tied for second in the conference behind USC's Juju Watkins (8).
• Krimili and Leilani McIntosh are the Pac-12's top 3-point shooting duo during conference play, having combined for 52 makes from beyond the arc.
• McKayla Williams' 6.2 rebounds per game average rank fourth among all guards in the Pac-12 and 18th overall. Her 41 offensive rebounds lead all guards in the Pac-12 and rank 15th overall.
• Onyiah has been effective on the glass when she has been on the floor. While averaging just 18.8 minutes per game she ranks 16th in the Pac-12 in rebounding (6.3). She is one of only two players in the conference who aren't full-time starters in the top 20.
• Onyiah's 70 offensive rebounds rank fourth in the conference.
• Suárez's versatility at the forward position has been on display all year as her 30 made 3-pointers rank third in the Pac-12 and 34th in the country among all forwards.
• McIntosh is on pace to average her most assists per game for a season. Her 5.5 assists per game rank second in the Pac-12 and 26th in the country.
• McIntosh is just 26 points away from joining the 1,000-point club.
• McIntosh has 110 career triples and is three 3-pointers from passing Mikayla Cowling for 10th on Cal's all-time 3-pointers list. The 110 career 3-pointers rank 10th among all active players in the Pac-12.
• McIntosh is 1 of 6 players in the nation to average at least 10 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1.5 SPG and shoot 39.0% from 3-point range. She is also 1 of 9 players in the country with at least 120 assists and 35 steals.
• Over her last seven games, McIntosh is shooting 44.4% from deep. She has hit multiple 3-pointers in 10 of 22 games this season.
• McIntosh is the only player in the Pac-12 to rank in the top 10 in both assists and steals while shooting 39% from deep.

 
Team Notes

• Cal has hit double-digit 3-pointers in five of the last six games - the most of any Pac-12 team during that span and tied with Montana for the most of any team in the country (since Jan. 19). The five games with 10+ triples during conference play are tied with Utah for the most in the Pac-12.
• The Bears have secured 20+ offensive rebounds in five games this season – the most of any Pac-12 team. The next closest team is Washington with two.
• The Bears are giving up 65.3 points per game, their lowest total since the 2014-15 season when they gave up 62.6 points per game.
• Cal is the only team in the Pac-12 with three players who rank in the top 15 in total rebounds: Suárez (9th: 153), Onyiah (12th: 145) and Williams (13th: 142).
• Four or more different players scored in double figures in eight games this season, a significant improvement from last season when four players scored in double figures just four times all season.
• The Bears have had 10 or more steals in eight games this season, beating their total (2) from all of last year.
• The Bears have hit 10 or more 3-pointers in 10 games, surpassing last year's total in which they hit double-figure 3-pointers in just one game. The 10 games are the second most in the Pac-12 behind Utah (14).

 
Pac-12 Leaders as of Jan. 30 (all games):

• 3PM per game – Krimili, 1st (3.2)
• Assists per game - McIntosh, 2nd (5.5)
• Steals per game – McIntosh, 13th (1.7)
• Total rebounds – Suárez, 9th (153); Onyiah, 12th (145) and Williams, 13th (142)
• Cal 3PM – 2nd (192)

 
NEXT UP
Cal stays on the road to face Washington on Sunday at noon PT.
 
STAY POSTED
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