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June Daugherty

Join Washington State women's basketball head coach June Daugherty Wednesday, May 28 at 10 a.m. for online chat.

Moderator: Good morning Cougar fans and thank you for visiting wsucougars.com and today's online chat with Washington State Head Women's Basketball Coach June Daugherty. Coach Daugherty, thank you for joining us this morning.

June Daugherty: Good morning to the Coug Nation. What an exciting opportunity to share some updates on the new championship era in women's basketball at WSU.

Moderator: Before we begin, a special thank you goes out to all of Cougar Nation as we've received a record number of questions already. So without further delay let's get right to answering them.

Seattle: Coach Daugherty, I continue to be impressed- you have attracted the most talented class (potentially ever) to the Palouse......how were you able to accomplish this?

June Daugherty: Seattle, thank you for the question. Being able to sign the 16th ranked recruiting class in the country our first year out of the gate at WSU was a combination of hard work by our staff and the great opportunities that our available at WSU. All of our signees were excited about the opportunity to receive a world-class education, live in a safe, small community and play Pac-10 basketball. One of the things that every recruit mentioned when they visited Pullman was the amount of pride toward the Cougars, and the support and focus of President Floyd and Athletic Director Jim Sterk.

PULLMAN: TO: COACH DAUGHERTY WELCOME TO THE BEST SIDE OF THE STATE! ON THE PERSONAL SIDE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, HOW HAVE YOU ADJUSTED? HOW HAVE YOUR CHILDREN ADJUSTED? DOES YOUR HUSBAND MIKE LIKE PULLMAN? IN YOUR HONEST OPINION, WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT PULLMAN? THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

June Daugherty: Thank you for the question. Adjusting to being on the sunny side of the state has been easy. The warm hospitality the city of Pullman has extended to myself and family has been amazing. There is so much to love about Pullman besides the people. It is a clean and safe environment. I have been pleasantly surprised about how much there is to see and do here. The sense of community has enabled my children to adjust very quickly and we found as a family that Pullman offers a little bit of everything. I love getting out on the Chipman trail between Pullman and Moscow.

Kathleen - Pullman: You have a lot of freshman coming in this fall. What is the biggest adjustment they have to make from high school to college ball? What should they be doing this summer to get ready for the season?

June Daugherty: Women's basketball carries 15 players on full scholarship. Having eight returners and seven freshmen is an exciting challenge. What I think is important is to blend both groups into one strong unit that is willing to put the team first and is willing to do whatever it takes to win a national championship at Washington State. The biggest adjustment they'll have to make from high school to college ball is the level of commitment in the weight room, on the track, and in the basketball court. Certainly they have to become bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled to have consistent success at the Pac-10 level. The upperclassmen are currently working hard with our strength coach David Lang while attending summer school. The seven freshmen will arrive on campus June 17 to obtain summer school credits, and go through orientation. They will work out with Coach Lang at that point in time.

Cougars: Thanks for joining the Cougar family. What are the two biggest things we can do as fans to support your program?

June Daugherty: Great question Cougars. I'm so excited and proud to be part of the Cougar basketball family. My first year at WSU has been thrill after thrill. As far as support for our program, together, we need to pack the seats at Beasley for women's basketball night in and night out. WSU fans will have never seen the type of athleticism and talent that will play for the crimson and gray this season. Defensively, we are going to pick up full court and wreck havoc on the opponents. Offensively, we expect our team to be running high-octane, fast-break style basketball. It's going to be a very entertaining brand of basketball that I believe Cougar fans are going to love to support.

Jenny: What is the biggest difference in the WBB program between UW and WSU?

June Daugherty: Dear Jenny, thank you for the question. Having inside information on both schools is an advantage. There are strengths with both schools. It's unique that I have had the opportunity to coach at both Pac-10 universities in this state.

Nick (Seattle): June, I must say I am so glad that you are now a Coug!! I am very glad to see the team has shown great improvement this year! It may not show in the win column yet, but I know it is coming! What can I do to help the team even though I live in Seattle? How do you see us versus the Pac next year? GO COUGS!!

June Daugherty: Dear Nick in Seattle, thanks for being online today. Helping us in Seattle is easy. Come out on Jan. 3 to Hec Ed wearing crimson and cheering as loud as you can. We will play our hearts out for you. Keep in mind, Los Angeles will be the host site for both the Pac-10 men's and women's championships. Be sure to plan your spring break around the Cougar victories in L.A. When you can't make it across the pass be sure to listen to our games on the radio or on our website, wsucougars.com. I look forward to seeing you in Seattle.

Jumper: You have impacted so many young people over the years in their basketball careers, can you tell us about your first basketball experience? Who impacted you?

June Daugherty: Dear Jumper, my first basketball experience was a late one as I began playing my junior year in high school. I had the good fortune of playing for a positive, knowledgeable high school coach, Coach Dave Busch in Westerville, Ohio. He taught us how to play as a team and that we can work hard and have fun doing it. His impact on me, I believe, is reflected in my coaching style of being demanding, setting high expectations, and at the same time enjoying the journey to a championship.

Moderator: We have time for a couple of more questions.

Pullman: Hi Coach. First of all, I love your enthusiasm. I also really liked seeing the team show more enthusiasm this year. It appeared to me that during the games, even with the enthusiasm, they simply ran out of steam in the 2nd half. I assume this was because of lack of bench depth? If so, with the class coming in, will they fill that area quickly for you?

June Daugherty: Dear Pullman. Sounds like you were at a lot of games. Thank you for supporting us in our first year. Your observation about running out of steam in the second half is a good one. I was very proud of the fact that even when, at times, we only had six players this year I believe our team played hard and competed all 40 minutes. As coaches we talk a lot about playing with pride and representing WSU on and off the court. No matter what our numbers were, our players did that. Having a full squad of 15 and playing hard for 40 minutes is going to be an exciting team to watch and support this season.

Live it up: What do you like better.....cougar gold cheese or ferdinands ice cream?

June Daugherty: Dear Live it up, only those who have had the unique opportunity to visit Pullman know what you are asking about. My personal favorite, of course, is Cougar Gold. But Ferdinand's ice cream is certainly a close second. Maybe the ice cream was a secret to our success in signing a top 20 recruiting class in our first year?

Moderator: Okay, that's all the time we have. June, thank you once again for joining us today.

June Daugherty: Thanks for all the great questions. Sorry we couldn't get to all of them. Be sure and get your season tickets early because it is going to be a great season for women's basketball at WSU and in the Pacific-10 Conference. I want to invite you to be a part of it.

Moderator: Thank you to everyone for your questions. Remember, to get all the information about WSU Athletics, go no further than wsucougars.com, the official website of Cougar Athletics. Please check back to wsucougars.com for future online chats.