Daugherty era begins in Pullman Former UW coach says she feels great after her cardiac arrest in May

Published 11:25 pm Wednesday, November 7, 2007

PULLMAN — As if new coach June Daugherty hasn’t had a tough enough year, on Friday she begins a quest to right the sinking ship that is Washington State women’s basketball.

Daugherty was fired by Washington in March, and nearly died from a sudden cardiac arrest in May. But she seems to have recovered from both events enough to proclaim this “the New Championship Era in Women’s Basketball.”

That’s quite a statement for a team that was 5-24 last season, won one Pacific-10 game, and has not had a winning season since 1995-96.

But Daugherty, 50, is focusing on the positives.

“Life in Pullman is great,” she told reporters Tuesday. “There is sunshine every day. The people are warm and friendly. My kids have adjusted well to the new school.”

And on Friday, she’ll find out a few things about her team when the Cougars host Portland in the season opener at Friel Court. It’s part of a doubleheader as the men open their season a couple of hours later against Eastern Washington.

Daugherty has only to look at the stunning turnaround of the men’s program, which won 26 games last year and is rated No. 10 in the country this season, to know that winning is possible in Pullman.

But this is definitely a rebuilding year.

After losing star Kate Benz to graduation, and Marisa Stotler and Amanda DuRocher to transfers, the Cougars are led by junior guard Katie Appleton, junior center Ebonee Coates and sophomore guard Colleen Betteridge.

Appleton was WSU’s second-leading scorer last season (8.1 points per game). Betteridge averaged 5.2 points per game and Coates added 4.3 points per game.

WSU also returns junior Heather Molzen and sophomore Alexa Price.

New to this year’s team are redshirt freshman Salena Dickerson and freshmen Katie Calderwood, Kezia Kelly and Jasmine Williams.

Daugherty is enthused about Kelly, a high school star guard in New Zealand who is only 17 but has played a lot of international basketball. Daugherty watched Kelly play in the New Zealand high school championships and offered her a scholarship.

It has already been an eventful year for Daugherty, who was fired at Washington in March despite a stellar record with the Huskies. She was quickly hired to replace Sherri Murrell, who resigned after posting a 27-114 record over five years.

Daugherty collapsed May 22 at The Everett Clinic, where she had gone to discuss a heart problem that showed up during a physical in April.

Daugherty has a defibrillator implanted in her chest to keep her heart beating regularly, and has been walking the hills of Pullman to stay in shape.

“I have had many people inquire about my health since my episode in May,” she wrote on her blog. “As I said, I feel great and I continue to get stronger every day.”