Beavers Head to Pac-12 Media Day

San Francisco, Calif. – Head coach Scott Rueck, senior Katie McWilliams and redshirt-sophomore Destiny Slocum visited Pac-12 Media Day at the Pac-12 Network's San Francisco Studios Wednesday. Below are some of their quotes from the event:

KATIE MCWILLIAMS: I've had the opportunity to learn and watch our leaders these last three years, and so I know what it takes to be a leader on the court and just to learn from Marie and Sydney and Jamie, all those people that I got to play with was a privilege. And it's made me a better person and a better basketball player.

DESTINY SLOCUM: Initially it was really hard to sit out last year. I mean, the first game, not to be able to be out there with them and practice with them, but not being able to battle with them was really hard for me, especially as a competitor. But then as the year went on, I had a perspective change, to be able to see a game from a place I've never seen it before and be able to watch them, get to know them.

SCOTT RUECK: This is the first time that I've had four point guards on a roster because Katie played point guard when Sydney Wiese was out. She was Syd's backup at the point for two years and started eight games when Syd was out. So with Aleah Goodman and the year she had last year at the one, to have four people that have played the point, you can't have too many point guards on the floor. And so I think that makes us extremely versatile, allows us to use Destiny in a variety of ways and not just one person controlling the ball all the time.

Oregon State was projected to finish third in the Pac-12 Coaches Preseason Poll.

Coming off an Elite Eight run last year, as well as its third-straight Sweet 16 appearance, the Beavers have plenty to build on as they get ready for their season-opener on Nov. 9.

Oregon State returns nine players from last year's squad that went 26-8, including 14-4 in Pac-12 play. Guards Katie McWilliams, Kat Tudor and Mikayla Pivec were All-Pac-12 Honorable Mentions last season. McWilliams has played in 104 games for Oregon State during her career, and averaged 8.1 points in 2017-18. Tudor knocked down 89 3-pointers in her sophomore campaign, while Pivec averaged 11.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Destiny Slocum will also join the Beaver backcourt after redshirting last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Slocum was the WBCA National Freshman of the Year in 2016-17. Freshman Jasmine Simmons also joins the group of guards, after a successful youth career in Australia.

Senior Joanna Grymek will look to end her collegiate career on a high note, after playing in the post with WNBA First Round pick Marie Gulich last season. Juniors Madison Washington and Janessa Thropay also played important minutes for the Beavers in 2017-18, and will look to contribute again in the front-court this season.

A pair of freshman posts will also aim to make their mark, as 6-foot-7 Patricia Morris and 6-foot-9 Andrea Aquino both join the program as highly rated prospects.

Oregon State is 116-23 since the start of the 2014-15 season, the seventh-best record in the country, and has won 75 Pac-12 games over that span. The four-highest win totals in program history have all come in the last four years, and the Beavers have been ranked every week over that span.

The Beavers will open the season on Nov. 9 when Cal Poly visits Gill Coliseum. OSU's full nonconference schedule is here.

Season tickets for the 2018-19 season are available now. The upcoming year will feature a number of upgrades to Gill Coliseum, highlighted by a center-hung video board. Oregon State will also begin charging for parking next season. For more information on season tickets and the upgrades to Gill Coliseum, click here.

OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).

Players Mentioned

Andrea Aquino

Aleah Goodman

Joanna Grymek

Katie McWilliams

Patricia Morris

Mikayla Pivec

Jasmine Simmons

Destiny Slocum

Janessa Thropay

Kat Tudor

Madison Washington

Sydney Wiese

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