Northwest Notes Aug. 11, 2022
WSU women's soccer team picked third in Pac-12 preseason coaches poll
The Washington State women’s soccer team was voted third in the Pac-12 preseason coaches poll, marking the highest selection in program history for the Cougars in a conference preseason poll. The Cougs were selected in the top half of the conference for the fourth straight season, and received two first-place votes for the first time in program history.
The Cougars were ranked No. 20, nationally, in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) preseason poll.
Washington State returns a strong defensive core for this season’s campaign, including All-Pac-12 selections Mykiaa Minniss and Bridget Rieken (Lake City High), and anchored by Cooper, the reigning Pac-12 freshman and Goalkeeper of the Year. In the attacking third, Grayson Lynch returns as the Cougars’ top leading goal scorer, netting eight during the 2021 campaign, playing in front of all-conference midfielder Sydney Studer.
WSU begins the 2022 season Aug. 18 in Ann Arbor, Mich. with a matchup against No. 9 Michigan at 4 p.m. PDT. Prior to the top-25 matchup, the Cougars prepare for the fall season with an exhibition match against Gonzaga today at 7 p.m. at Lower Soccer Field in Pullman.
2022 Pac-12 Coaches Preseason Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
1, Stanford, 116 points (6). 2, UCLA, 112 (4). 3, Washington State, 100 (2). 4, USC, 88. 5, Colorado, 79. 6, California 70. 7, Washington, 52. 8, Oregon, 51. 9, Utah, 46. 10, Arizona State, 41. 11, Oregon State, 22. 12, Arizona, 15.
Former Gonzaga women's basketball player Palmer returns as video coordinator
SPOKANE — Former Gonzaga standout Haiden Palmer is returning to the Gonzaga women's basketball program as the Bulldogs' video coordinator.
Palmer was selected in the third round (29th overall) in the 2014 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. She became the fifth player in Zag women's basketball history to be drafted by the WNBA. Palmer played the 2014 Preseason schedule with the Fever before being released. Since then, she has played professionally with Team USA in the Four Nations International Basketball Tournament and began playing overseas in 2014 with Mayaguez in Puerto Rico. She moved to Netanya in Israel in 2014-15, then Snaefell in Iceland in 2015-16, Herne TC in Germany in 2016-17, and Wasserburg, also in Germany, in 2017-18. Overall, Palmer has spent the last eight seasons playing basketball professionally overseas and has won three league championships and three cup championships.
During her senior season at GU, she led the team in points (15.1), rebounds (5.5) and steals per game (3.0), while also dishing out 2.6 assists per game. She was named All-WCC for the third consecutive year.
Palmer graduated from Gonzaga with a bachelor's degree in sports management. She went on to earn her master's in communication and leadership at GU as well.