The Central Washington University Women’s Basketball team is off to a hot start with four preseason wins, two of which were 20 plus point blowouts in the CCAA-GNAC crossover.
On Nov. 9, CWU Womens Basketball put up 90 points against Cal State East Bay’s 67 for their season’s home opener. The next day, CWU dropped 92 to Stanislaus State’s mere 57.
Two time first team all-league senior guard Sunny Huerta had two standout performances with a combined total of 47 points in CWU’s first two matches. Twenty of these points were against Cal State East Bay in just 17 minutes on the court. These two dominant performances earned her the first GNAC Player of the Week award of the 2024-25 season. In her sophomore and junior seasons she averaged 18 points per game and continues to be a consistent scorer for the Wildcat offense.
“I feel like we brought really good energy and we came out really strong, and I was just super proud of us.” said Huerta. The CWU womens basketball team’s success is a direct reflection of the hard work being in behind the scenes at practice. Huerta believes in “Holding myself to a higher standard, and also holding my team to a higher standard. I feel like that kind of just pays off when we’re playing” Huerta said.
While the Wildcats were scoring left and right, they also put on an incredible display of defense. In the first quarter against Stanislaus State, they managed to only concede only two points while answering with 26. The Wildcats held Cal State East Bay to 15 points or less each quarter, besides the last quarter where Cal State East Bay scored 16.
This past Friday on Nov. 15, CWU found a 70-66 point win in Santa Barbara against Vanguard University for the first game of the GNAC/Pac-West crossover. They turned around and found yet another win against Westmont University scoring 66-55.
Junior guard, Asher Cai, found 28 points in one game against Vanguard University. This added up to over a third of the team’s points, tipping the scales in the Wildcat’s favor for a tight four point win. Cai also led the team with nine rebounds.
Sophomore forward Capri Sims was a defensive standout on Saturday against Westmont University, logging 8 defensive rebounds over the course of 39 minutes. Sims had 13 rebounds total that game. 
Hard work and a high standard is engrained in CWU Women’s Basketball’s team culture, and is upheld by players and coaches alike. “The coaches always set the intensity, they set the tone, and we know to follow that. They’re super bought in, so we know we’re super bought in. And so yeah, they just lead and we follow.” Huerta said.
Their high intensity training prepares their players to make big plays when they show up on the court. Sometimes, key players can feel pressure to perform. However, Huerta embraces the pressure and shows up for her team anyways. “I have a big role, and I’ve just bought into that. I want this position,” Huerta said.
CWU Women’s Basketball does not slow down for Thanksgiving break, as they have games on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30 at home in Nicholson Pavilion. Wildcat fans can attend the match in person or tune in to the livestream from the comfort of their homes and on the CWU Athletics YouTube account while enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers.
