3 Keys to Victory for Oregon State WBB in the WCC Tournament

If the Oregon State women are going to make it back to the NCAA Tournament this year, they're going to have to go through a murderer's row of some of the West Coast Conference's best teams in the conference tournament. First up is the Portland Pilots, a team the Beavers split their season series with.

1) Don't let Kennedie Get Bullied.

When the Beavers were at their hottest this season one of the most important factors of the run was the play of point guard Kennedie Shuler. Shuler earned two player of the week honors from the West Coast Conference. In addition to being one of Oregon State's top scorers, she was also the team's biggest defensive playmakers, finishing the season with a WCC Defensive Player of the Year Award to go along with her 65 steals and 29 blocks.

But as the season wore on and Oregon State faced tougher opponents a few teams managed to solve the Kennedie Shuler problem. Portland's strategy in their 53-50 win over the Beavers was to isolate Shuler. Kennedie finished that game as the Beavers' top scorer with 23 points, but the Pilots slowed down the game and shut down the Beavers' passing lanes, holding Shuler to only two assists.

Kennedie also managed only one steal in that game. As the season wore on teams began to attack her aggressively, attempting to get her into foul trouble early and limit her defensive ability. Portland didn't manage that in either of their contests against the Beavers, but Gonzaga and Santa Clara did. It's something to watch out for.

2) Find the Three

Oregon State's three pointing shooting has been mercurial over the last few seasons. It's been better in 2026, as the Beavers finished fourth in the conference in three point shooting percentage, but sometimes it seems to disappear.

This was most evident in Oregon State's blowout loss against Gonzaga, when the team went one of 21 from beyond the arc, but their losses against LMU and Portland were also anemic when it came to three point shooting. When the team gets down early, it struggles to find the three, compounding the difficulty at making a comeback.

This would be a great time for Ally Schimel to have a true breakout game. She's been one of the Beavers more consistent shooters, finishing the regular season second in total threes behind only Jenna Villa, and her 15 points against Gonzaga were a huge turning point for the team. If she can find more games like that in the final rounds of the tournament, it would change the game for the Beavers.

3) Have Someone Step Up in the Paint

While players like Kennedie Shuler and Tiara Bolden have found success driving for layups and fighting for rebounds this season, Oregon State has lacked a truly dominating post presence. The eras of Ruth Hamblin and Marie Gulich are long in the rear view, but there's still room for a few members of the team to make an impact.

The biggest player to keep an eye on is Lizzy Williamson. Williamson has been lights out at the close of the regular season, with double doubles against San Diego and Washington State. She's the team's best rebounder, with her 59 offensive rebounds giving the Beavers a big putback threat. If she could find more scoring, it'd be huge for the team.

It'd also be a great time for Nene Sow to have a big game. She's shown some strong defensive flashes with 25 blocks, she's due for a career defining game as her time as a Beaver winds down. It would be great to see her go out with a bang.

Oregon State's first game, and possibly only, game in the West Coast Conference tournament starts in just a few hours. Tip off against the Pilots is set for 11:30 AM PT. The game will be aired on ESPN+.