Women’s Basketball Inks Three for 2024-25

PULLMAN, Wash. (April 25, 2024) – Washington State Women's Basketball Head Coach Kamie Ethridge announced a trio of signees on Wednesday. Marta Alsina, Keandra Koorits and Dayana Mendes have each inked a National Letter of Intent to join the Cougars next season.

After four straight postseason appearances, Ethridge continues to reign in impressive signing classes at Washington State, as the Cougars are bringing in a trio of highly touted prospects to the Palouse.

"I am excited to introduce the 2024 recruiting class to Coug Nation," said Ethridge. "This class is key to our continued rise into a consistent Top-20 program. Replacing our WSU Senior class that is leaving is an impossible task, however, this class fills many needs of our program. We searched the globe and found talented players who love everything about becoming a Coug. These three players, along with Alice Dart who signed in the Fall, have tremendous talent and playmaking abilities. This group gives us more ball-handling, athleticism and adds much needed length and versatility to our team.

"Coug Nation, please welcome these elite competitors, teammates and talents to our University," Ethridge added. "I couldn't be more excited about the future of Washington State's women's basketball program. Go Cougs!"

Marta Alsina | 5-11 | G | Barcelona, Spain (Institut Joaquim Blume/Segle XXI)
Alsina comes to the Cougars from Barcelona, Spain where she has been playing as a member of Segle XXI from 2022-2024. This past season, she averaged 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Last year she won a silver medal in the U-17 3x3 European Championship and was named to the Ideal 3x3 U-17 Team. The year before she also earned silver in the U-16 5x5 European Championship and played in the 3x3 World Championship.

Coach Ethridge on Marta Alsina: "Marta is a highly skilled player and has fantastic winning intangibles. She can play one through four in our system. Marta has played and won at a very high level with her Spanish National team experience. She is used to winning and has a knack for making winning basketball plays. Her size at the combo guard position allows her to have an advantage over smaller defenders. Marta has a big motor and a great basketball feel for the game. She can score all over the court. We will see her get rebounds on one end and look for opportunities to go coast to coast. Marta is also an extremely positive teammate and will step into leadership roles in our program."

Keandra Koorits | 6-2 | G/F | Tallinn, Estonia (Audentes Sports Gynmasium)
Koorits comes to the Palouse from Tallinn, Estonia where she was most recently with Audentes Sports Gymnasium under coach Kaspars Majenieks.

The 6-2 forward spent the 2023-24 season with the Estonian Women's National Team after having played with the Youth National Team from 2018-2023. Currently, she has played two games with the National Team and has averaged 8.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1 assist in 23.5 minutes per game.

She was the November MVP in the Latvian Women's League II Division during the 2023-24 season in which she averaged 20.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 4.4 steals per game while averaging over 30 minutes a contest in 16 games. Koorits was also November MVP in the U-19 Estonian League where she played seven games and averaged 28.4 minutes, 29.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.9 steals per game.

Koorits was a Finals All-Star in the Estonia Women's basketball league in 2023-24 where she played six games and averaged 32.6 minutes, 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Coach Ethridge on Keandra Koorits: "Keandra will continue our Estonia pipeline (Johanna Teder). Keandra is highly skilled and brings versatility and touch. She is a long wing that can score at every level - at the rim, from mid-range and from 3-point range. We love that she can stretch the floor with her shooting abilities. Her footwork, fundamentals, ability to create her own shot off the bounce and finish with either hand around the rim will translate quickly in our system. She is a 6-2 player that runs like a deer and we can't wait to watch her game grow over the next four years!"

Dayana Mendes | 6-2 | F | Paris, France (Insep HS/Charnay)
Mendes comes to the Palouse from Paris, France, where she has played for Charnay and at Insep High School.

She won a Championship in the France LF2 league while with Charnay, and was a 2018 Champion with the selection Île-de-France.

Coach Ethridge on Dayana Mendes: "Dayana is a spectacular athlete. She lists at 6-2 but has a 6-7 wingspan. Dayana will play the 3/4 spot offensively and has a 3-point shot and ability to attack the rim. Her quickness and slashing style will be fun to watch. She will also be a match-up problem for defenses on a nightly basis. Defensively, Dayana can guard every position on the court. She will impact our team with her aggressive defense and active rebounding abilities. Dayana brings a confident and big personality, and she will be a magnet for new people to become women's basketball fans. She has never met a stranger and will be a tremendous role model for every young person in the Pullman area."

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