As the year comes to an end, it is time to hand out awards for the best athletes and moments of Wazzu sports in 2024!
Alumni of the year: Trinity Rodman, Team USA Soccer
Wazzu’s 2024 alumni athlete of the year is Trinity Rodman, who scored the game-winning goal for Team USA’s Olympic match against Japan. She scored three total goals for the squad that went on to win the gold medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Upset of the year: 85-82 @ No. 2 UCLA, women’s basketball
Despite losing Charlisse Leger-Walker in the second half of the game, the Wazzu women’s basketball team found a way to take down the second best team in the nation in a game that came down to the wire. The Cougs upset ranked opponents in only men’s and women’s basketball last year, but the road win over the Bruins was the best of all. Â Â
Win of the year: Apple Cup, football
The Cougs won the Apple Cup in Seattle and considering the circumstances regarding the game, it feels right to call it the win of the year. After being left behind by the Huskies in the PAC-2 and watching the Huskies win 13 games in 2023, the Cougars shocked the world. They stuffed Will Rogers at the goal line and flooded Lumen Field with crimson and gray. It was a game to remember for Cougar nation.
Team of the year: Men’s basketballÂ
Only one WSU team made the NCAA tournament for their sport in 2024 and it was the men’s basketball team, who pulled off a historically strong season.
Led by Jaylen Wells, Isaac Jones, Isaiah Watts and Myles Rice, the Cougs finished the season ranked No. 23, earned a seven seed in March Madness and even won their round one game against ten-seeded Drake. They upset Arizona twice, beat Washington in Seattle and went to the PAC-12 semifinals.
Then after losing their head coach and most of the team, the squad did not miss a beat in the fall, already owning four quad two victories (two on the road) in the 2024–25 season.
Unsung Coug of the year:Â Madelyn Gamble, GolfÂ
The senior captain of the women’s golf team, Gamble has persevered and become one of the top golfers in the NCAA. Golfers do not tend to get the recognition they deserve, but Gamble has earned it after four strong years as a Coug.
Generous athlete of the year: Dean Janikowski, Football
The most generous athlete of the year is kicker Dean Janikowski. The Wazzu senior has donated thousands of dollars towards cancer research in his fundraising campaign. He is truly someone who embodies the spirit of servitude.
Individual Athlete of the Year: Alice Johansson, Golf
The best non team-sport athlete of the year is freshman golfer Alice Johansson. She won back-to-back tournaments in September, becoming the first golfer in WSU history to do so, and the first women’s golfer in WSU history to win two tournaments in the same semester.
Coach of the Year: Kamie Ethridge, Women’s Basketball
Ethridge is rewarded for being one of the few coaches who actually stayed at WSU in 2024. The Cougars had to watch their men’s basketball, volleyball and football coaches all leave for job upgrades, but not Ethridge.
Her commitment to her team is relentless and her results speak for themselves. She navigated an injury-riddled 2023–24 season and still had the Cougars playing in the NIT semifinals.
Defensive player of the year: Nadia Cooper, Soccer
Cooper has won the WCC defensive player of the week multiple times and for good reason. She put together a strong season, saving 75% of the shots on goal. She started every game for the Cougs in front of the net, with a record of 8-5-6.
Offensive player of the year: Bella Murekatete, Women’s BasketballÂ
Murekatete broke the WSU all-time record for rebounds and finished in the top-ten in points scored. The Cougs already miss her physical presence at the rim, but there is no denying she was a star. She forced opposing defenses to plan around her and made all her teammates better because of it.
Freshman of the year: Jaylen Wells, Mens BasketballÂ
Wells is WSU’s freshman of the year, though the award is bittersweet. After just one season in Pullman, he is already in the NBA, making a name for himself as a potential rookie of the year candidate. It was always clear that Wells was special, but to see him blossoming into a young star has been fun, even if he is no longer a Coug,
Senior of the year: Katy Ryan, VolleyballÂ
Ryan has spent four years at WSU, becoming the team’s captain and best player over time. Her leadership on the court was clear and her dominance was evident. She finished seventh all-time for WSU in total points and finished just outside the WSU top-ten in all-time career kills and matches played.
MVP: John Mateer, Football
Despite transferring to Oklahoma, there is no denying the impact Mateer had on the WSU football program. He led the team to an eight-win season, an Apple Cup victory, a top-20 offense and a nod to the Holiday Bowl. He likely has set himself up to be among the highest-paid college athletes in the country next year and has a great shot at breaking into the NFL in the future.
