Washington Huskies Come to Fort Worth: What SDSU Needs to Know
South Dakota State is heading to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year, and this time they're getting a fresh matchup. The Jackrabbits drew the Washington Huskies in the first round on Friday in Fort Worth, a team they've never faced before. SDSU is the 11-seed, UW got the 6-seed, and the stakes are simple: win and face either 3rd-seeded TCU or 14-seeded UC-San Diego. Lose and it's over. The Jacks are riding high at 27-6 with a 10-game winning streak, but the Huskies will test them at 1:30 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
Who Are These Huskies?
Washington finished the regular season 21-10 overall and 10-8 in Big Ten play. Yeah, Big Ten. The Huskies made the jump from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten before the 2024-25 season, and they're making their 20th NCAA tournament appearance all-time. This is their second straight trip after being in the First Four last year. Their 6-seed is their best seeding since 2017, when they were still under Mike Neighbors. That team reached the Final Four in 2016 and the Sweet 16 in 2017, but things fell off after Neighbors left.
Tina Langley took over in 2021 to rebuild the program, and this is her fifth season as head coach. She's doing the work. Before Washington, she spent six seasons at Rice, going 126-61 with one NCAA berth and both a WNIT and WBI championship. Langley also has stops as an assistant at Toledo, Clemson, Georgia, and Maryland on her resume.
The Players You Need to Watch
Sayvia Sellers is the engine. The 5-7 junior guard from Alaska averages 18.5 points per game and can score from anywhere on the floor. Avery Howell, a 6-foot guard, averages 13.7 points and leads the team with 8.3 rebounds while shooting .419 from three. Senior Elle Ladine chips in 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds and surpassed 1,000 career points for Washington this season. Brynn McGaughy is a 6-3 freshman and local five-star recruit who moved into the starting lineup late in the season and has averaged 11.3 points since. She's backed up at center by 6-5 senior Yulia Grabovskaia.
What Makes Them Dangerous
Washington averages 71.7 points per game while holding opponents to 62.2. They're a dominant rebounding team and defend the 3-point line extremely well, holding opponents to just .289 from deep. They do turn the ball over too much on offense, though. The Huskies are ranked 25th in the NET and have six Quad 1 wins. They've faced 15 teams in this tournament and beaten nine of them, including Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, USC, and Oregon. Five of their 10 losses come to ranked opponents. Coach Aaron Johnston knows the Huskies are well coached. "You always follow people that you respect," Johnston said after the selection show. "I think their staff does a really good job."
This is a big opportunity for SDSU. Seniors Brooklyn Meyer, Madison Mathiowetz, and Ellie Colbeck have tasted tournament success before, beating USC in 2023 and upsetting 7th-seeded Oklahoma State last year. A win Friday gives the Jacks seven tournament wins in their D1 era and three in the last four seasons. Let's go.
🐦 What fans are saying on X
See the latest reactions and highlights from Seattle fans about Washington Huskies.
View X conversation →🔮 Trade Seattle Sports on Kalshi
Did you know you can trade on Seattle sports outcomes on Kalshi, the only federally regulated prediction market in the US? Kalshi is available in Washington state. Bet on Seahawks games, Mariners season outcomes, Kraken playoff runs, and more. No sportsbook account needed.
👉 Sign up at Kalshi.com and use promo code SEATTLEONTAP to get started.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.