Road to Tacoma: Washington high school (WIAA) Class 4A state girls basketball preview

Defending state champion and No. 1 seed Woodinville was beaten by Emerald Ridge in regionals, leaving Camas as tournament favorite

The 2022-23 WIAA basketball season is down to its final week - with 12 remaining Class 4A girls basketball programs expected soon in Tacoma starting Wednesday and running through Saturday.

Here is SBLive’s tournament preview — with players to watch, team favorites, schedules and championship game predictions:

COVERAGE REWIND

Get acquainted with the field through SBLive's coverage from throughout the 2022-23 season.

• Tahoma's Hope Hassmann has a cool background story to her name
• Camas turns away Kamiakin in final minute of regionals victory
• Tahoma wins run-and-shoot regionals battle with Davis of Yakima
• Emerald Ridge shocks 4A champion Woodinville at regionals
• Bellarmine Prep handles Mount Si in loser-out regionals game
• WIAA Class 4A girls regional bracket breakdown
• Final all-classification Top 25 girls rankings
• Final Class 4A girls rankings
• Camas girls pull away from Tahoma for District 3 championship
• Woodinville beats Eastlake for third time to grab District 1/2 title
• Davis of Yakima continues magical season with district title
• Tahoma survives Emerald Ridge to reach District 3 finals
• Kamiakin hauls in Mid-Columbia title after win over Richland
• Davis of Yakima captures first league title since 1988
• Camas wins 4A GSHL title outright win victory over Union
• Tahoma routs Decatur to extend 4A NPSL title string to 4
• Sumner defends 4A SPSL tournament title against Emerald Ridge
• In battle of Oregon-vs.Washington, Clackamas tops Camas
• In 4A title-game rematch, Woodinville corrals Sumner at MLK event
• Camas gives national powerhouse Sierra Canyon a scare
• Tahoma wins 'Top of Peak' tournament over Richland

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

G1: Bellarmine Prep (21-7) vs. Davis of Yakima (19-3), 3:45 p.m.
Winner plays Eastlake (20-6) in Thursday quarterfinals, 3:45 p.m.

G2: Bothell (20-6) vs. Kamiakin (20-4), 5:30 p.m.
Winner plays Emerald Ridge (20-6) in Thursday quarterfinals, 5:30 p.m.

G3: Gonzaga Prep (18-7) vs. Sumner (21-6), 7:15 p.m.
Winner plays Tahoma (22-3) in Thursday quarterfinals, 7:15 p.m.

G4: Richland (19-5) vs. Woodinville (24-2), 9 p.m.
Winner plays Camas (22-3) in Thursday quarterfinals, 9 p.m.

State semifinals Friday: 7:15 and 9 p.m.

State championship Saturday: 9 p.m.

THE FAVORITE

For a school that has never even sniffed a WIAA title game before, 4A GSHL champion Camas is confident it is ready for this moment. And coach Scott Thompson's group has all the pieces - a bona fide frontcourt presence in breakout F Addison Harris; good-enough 3-point shooters everywhere in Riley Sanz, Sophie Buzzard and Parker Mairs; a pair of athletic 6-footers in Kendall Mairs and 2022 state tournament breakout performers Reagan Jamison (might be on restricted minutes coming back from hip injury); and a facilitator who sees it all unfold before everybody in PG Keirra Thompson. Turning point in season was Papermakers reaching finals of Holiday Classic in Portland, narrowly losing to national powerhouse Sierra Canyon (Calif.). Camas placed fourth in the WIAA tournament a year ago - and this time around, it wants more.

FIELD

In an earthquake-of-a-result Saturday, Emerald Ridge's win over defending state champion Woodinville put the state bracket out of whack. The Falcons' path to repeating just got significantly more challenge, starting with a Wednesday loser-out game against District 8 champion Richland - and then Camas awaits in the quarterfinals. Can they handle it? With three legitimate go-to playmakers in PG Brooke Beresford, F Lyla Kahrimanovic and C Jaecy Eggers - absolutely. ... Aside from a pair of lopsided losses to Camas, Tahoma might be the strongest play in the tournament, led by PG Hope Hassmann. Bears won the 'Top of the Peak' tournament and reached the District 3/4 finals, losing to the Papermakers. ... Folks, Kamiakin is a legitimate state championship squad. The Braves have lineup length and bring serious heat on defense, led by G Nikole Thomas. Both of those ingredients can get a team very far in the Tacoma Dome. ... It's March, and Eastlake - the 2019 state champion - knows what it takes to navigate a state bracket. F Ava Schmidt can carry a team for a few days as well. ... Do you want to bet against a 4A SPSL squad reaching the finals again. Defense-first Emerald Ridge just gave these playoffs a jolt, thanks to PG Monique Carter picking up her scoring pace. Bellarmine Prep's talented guard trio of Kiara Stone, Jada Travis and Keiara Curtis can all take over a game at a moment's notice. Lions are a dangerous double-digit (No. 11) seed. And while Sumner has the most difficult path, it was in the WIAA title game a year ago - and has pesky G Lainee Houillon creating chaos. ... Dangerous 4A CBBN winner Davis of Yakima has a win over Kamiakin, features one of the tournament's best shooting-and-slashing scorers in G Esmeralda Galindo but can the Pirates defend well enough to stick around?

12 PLAYERS TO WATCH

G Brooke Beresford, Woodinville, sr. (14.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 5.1 apg)

G Monique Carter, Emerald Ridge, sr. (9,5 ppg, 4.0 apg)

F/G Kylee Fox, Richland, sr. (16.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

F Addison Harris, Camas, jr. (18.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg)

G Esmeralda Galindo, Davis of Yakima, jr. (26.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg)

G Hope Hassmann, Tahoma, sr. (17.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.5 steals)

F McKylee Hawkins, Bothell, jr. (14.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.2 steals)

G Lainee Houillon, Sumner, jr. (19.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.0 steals)

G Lucy Lynn, Gonzaga Prep, sr. (15.6 ppg)

F Ava Schmidt, Eastlake, sr. (17.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.2 blocks)

G Kiara Stone, Bellarmine Prep, jr. (15.7 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 steals)

G Nikole Thomas, Kamiakin, sr. (15.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.2 steals)

FINAL FOUR PREDICTION

Bellarmine Prep, Kamiakin, Tahoma, Camas

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Camas 60, Kamiakin 55