Last season, Astera Tuhina played a vital role in the run to and through the Pac-12 Tournament for WSU women’s basketball. This season looked to be no different until an injury has held Tuhina out of action since Dec. 20, 2023.
Tuhina is not easy to replace in terms of production, as she was a primary ball handler, averaging 8.9 points, 4.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. While all good stats, her consistency as a ball handler is the hardest thing to replace.
Last season, Johanna Teder made 34 starts and Grace Sarver averaged 13.3 minutes off the bench at the guard position. This season, two freshmen and one sophomore are being called upon to step up in Tuhina’s absence.
The one returner, sophomore Kyra Gardner, has notably played 28 total minutes in the two most recent games and 58 total minutes in the five games since Tuhina last played. Someone who shows immense hustle on the court and a usually consistent stroke from three, Gardner has just one turnover while scoring 10 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out two assists during the recent five-game stretch.
“I have a lot of trust in Kyra’s offense. I mean, I really do when she puts in the work. She’s a little bit hit or miss, but she’s been really solid this semester, getting in some extra shooting. Gosh, she’s got a beautiful stroke,” head coach Kamie Ethridge said.
Another freshman who had to step up was 3-point specialist Jenna Villa. Yet to make a start, Jenna Villa has an average of 20.9 minutes per game while appearing in all 19 of the team’s contests, notably bumping up her average to 24.8 minutes per game since Tuhina’s injury.
On the season, she has averaged 7.1 points per game on shooting 34.2% from deep and 42.1% from the field overall. Three-point shooting has been a general struggle for the Cougs in 2023–24, but Villa has a shot that can bring the Cougs back if they dig themselves in a hole or can put a game out of reach if they build a lead.
“Jenna Villa, I don’t look at her hardly as a freshman anymore,” Ethridge said.
The final piece of the Tuhina puzzle is another Villa, the freshman from Italy, Eleonora Villa. In the last five games for the Cougs, Eleonora Villa has averaged 35.6 minutes per game and has brought the ball up the court on many possessions, perfectly fitting into the role that Tuhina held pre-injury.
“Her decision-making is getting better and better. I hate that I did not sub her more, but we just do not have a lot of ball handlers right now,” Ethridge said after the Arizona State game. “I mean, she is a big-time player.”
With 10 starts over the 19 total games, Eleonora Villa has quickly gained the trust of her coaching staff and teammates. Averaging 11.3 points, 2.0 assists, 1.6 rebounds per game and shooting 43.7% from the field, it is easy to see why.
Eleonora Villa is still working through the growing pains of making the jump to top-level college basketball, but she is improving just as rapidly and keeping the Cougs as a top potential team in the Pac-12.
Along with center Alex Covill, the freshman class has done a lot to make sure the team did not miss a beat after winning the Pac-12 just one season ago, something Ethridge is very proud of.
Covill herself has stepped up due to injuries, specifically to Jessica Clarke, who missed much of the early stages of the season and is just returning to the court and getting minutes again.
“They’re unafraid. They walk onto the court and they know they have green lights to make plays. And you know, I love Kyra Gardner. I loved her shots tonight. She was 0-for-4, and I don’t think she’ll be that again. I like these young players coming in and wanting to impact the game,” Ethridge said after a win against Arizona State.
It has not just been the young players to step up, as Charlisse Leger-Walker has improved her passing with another offseason under her belt. After averaging 4.13 assists per game last season, she is up to an average of 5.16 assists per game through the first 19 contests of the current season.
Losing a primary player is never something you expect, but the freshman on the roster has made Ethridge’s life easier in adjusting the rotation.
