Northwest Notes: Oct. 30, 2021

Murekatete named to

Lisa Leslie watch list

Washington State women’s basketball junior Bella Murekatete, 6-foot-3 post from Rwanda was selected to the Lisa Leslie Award watch list Friday as announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

This marks the first time that Murekatete has been included on the prestigious Lisa Leslie Award watch list, which is presented annually to the best center in Division I. The junior is one of three Pac-12 players named to the Leslie Award watch list, as Murekatete is joined by Stanford’s Francesca Belibi and Washington’s Nancy Mulkey.

Murekatete, the former Genesis Prep standout, has started 45 games and finished inside the top 10 of the Pac-12 in both total blocks and rebounds last season. Her 38 blocks last season tied her for the second-most in the Pac-12, while her 6.7 rebounds per game was the 10th-best average in the conference last season. The 6-3 post averaged a career-best 8.5 points per game a season ago and scored double-digit points in 10 games, which included a career-high 17 points against the eventual NCAA champion Stanford Cardinal.