Finding answers inside key to UW women’s hopes next season

As the end neared, Regina Rogers allowed herself to wonder about the future.

Who will fill the center position at Washington next year? Good question.

Rogers, a 6-foot-3 old-school post, headlines five seniors leaving the program. Three were keys to UW’s frontcourt dominance as it advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. Their departure is akin to uprooting a fence along the wilderness.

Mackenzie Argens, Mollie Williams and Rogers helped Washington rank fourth in Pac-12 rebounding percentage with a plus-five average, while Rogers ranked fourth in the nation in shooting percentage (58.4. She averaged a team-leading 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds.

«Yeah, I do wonder,» Rogers said of who will replace her. «Whoever does play center will be blessed to be around those guys.»

As in the guards. Washington capped its best season in nearly a decade with a 20-14 record, the first time it has been over .500 in five years. And as the final minutes ticked on a 58-47 season-ending loss to San Diego in the WNIT on Sunday, the future beamed bright.

«The season was longer than I expected,» freshman point guard Jazmine Davis said. «But I love basketball, so I like it.»

Davis was named conference Freshman of the Year, scoring 20 points or more 10 times this season and averaging 36.2 minutes. She should be comfortable at the position next season.

Freshman wing Aminah Williams could easily replace senior Charmaine Barlow in the starting lineup. The underclassman is a better offensive threat, and aggressive rebounder and defender.

Sophomore Mercedes Wetmore struggled offensively but often set up players effectively. And sophomore transfer Kellie McCann-Smith, who played one year at Nebraska, displayed her three-point shooting. Cheering from the sideline was senior Kristi Kingma, the team’s leading scorer as a junior (15.6, who is expected to be able to join spring workouts after suffering a knee injury in August.

The Huskies gained postseason experience, winning three games in the WNIT. Past young teams, like California in 2010, morphed WNIT runs into NCAA berths.

«The sense of urgency you have to have and the fact that there’s no more practice, no more games, no more anything if you don’t win. I enjoy that,» said first-year coach Kevin McGuff. «Until you (go through that, it’s kind of hard to describe to people what that’s like. So I’m hopeful as we grow the program, this experience really helps our younger players understand.

«One of the things we’re also trying to do is just grow the support of the program in the community. The more we win this time of year, the more people take notice. I’m hopeful that will kind of springboard into us having huge crowds next year right from the beginning.»

But who will take over inside? McGuff said his style is to have a balanced offense. At Xavier, he had two WNBA first-round draft picks in the paint. With Washington, he points to Seattle Christian senior Katie Collier.

Collier is a versatile 6-foot-3 post, but she’s suffered from acute promyelocytic leukemia. Collier expects to play in the McDonald’s All-American game Wednesday, the first UW recruit to do so, and should be pronounced cancer-free in April.

Washington loses forward Marjorie Heard, who after suffering a knee injury in January requested to transfer because «things change,» she said. But freshman Talia Walton, the top recruit in the state last year, should return from knee injuries. At 6-2, her inside-outside game could help replace Argens down low.

McGuff also landed two of the state’s best guards in Heather Corral of Prairie of suburban Vancouver and Airashay Rogers of Hazen of Renton. Plus he has injured guards Beatrice Carta (Italy and Deborah Meeks (Michigan returning. Neither played this season due to knee injuries.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com.

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