Washington State University Women’s Basketball Coach named National Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year by The Athletic

Washington State University Women’s Basketball Coach Kamie Ethridge was named the 2022–23 National Coach of the Year by The Athletic, becoming the first coach in program history to be awarded the honor by a national publication.

The Athletic’s National Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year is voted on by writers who cover women’s basketball across the country for the outlet. Ethridge received the most first-place votes, beating out second-place finisher Kenny Brooks of Virginia Tech.

The Athletic is a sports-focused website and is a subsidiary of The New York Times Co.

In her fifth season as head coach, Ethridge guided the team to its first-ever Pac‑12 Tournament Championship. WSU’s run came with the added distinction of being the lowest-seeded team to ever win the tournament, coming in as the No. 7 seed. The victory means WSU automatically earns a spot in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The team also garnered praise from music icon Shania Twain en route to their tournament victory.

The program also set a new record for total wins in a season, finishing 23‑10. This includes nine victories over Pac‑12 Conference foes, tied for third-most in a season in program history. On Monday, the team was ranked 22nd in the nation in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.