Tilda Trygger Player to Watch For No. 16 Washington Huskies in Season-Opener

The wait is nearly over and women's college hoops are nearly back in full swing in the Pacific Northwest.

The No. 16 Washington Huskies women's basketball team will begin its (much-hyped) 2026-27 season against the UC San Diego Tritons at 11 a.m. PT on Monday at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

The Huskies haven't had an open practice or exhibition game this season, meaning that when the team begins its season Monday, it will be fans' first look at one of the tallest players in the Big Ten, if not the country.

Junior forward Tilda Trygger, listed at 6-foot-6, was one of the big gets of the offseason for head coach Tina Langley.

Trygger transferred to Washington after spending two seasons with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. In her sophomore year at NC State, the Stockholm, Sweden, native averaged 10.6 points on 51.8% shooting from the floor (33.9% shooting from 3-point range) across 30 games (all starts). She also brought in seven rebounds, blocked 1.3 shots and dished 1.2 assists per game.

Trygger provides roster versatility that Langley hasn't had in her six previous years at the helm of the program.

Langley has often gone with a four-guard, one-post lineup in her starting five, with one of the four guards operating as a secondary point guard and the singular post player operating as a traditional big.

Last year, Hannah Stines served as that secondary point guard to first-team All-Big Ten guard Sayvia Sellers and Yulia Grabovskaia, who transferred from the Michigan Wolverines, began the year as the starting post before five-star Class of 2025 forward Brynn McGaughy took over the role.

McGaughy was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and will begin this season in a starting role. However, Trygger's presence in the court could help the Colfax, Wash., native take a major step forward.

McGaughy possesses unique athleticism as a forward and is capable of spacing the floor as a shooter and has much better passing and ball-handling skills than the average post player.

Trygger might have limited impact when it comes to scoring, as she will likely be the fourth option on the starting five behind Sellers, junior guard Avery Howell and McGaughy. However, the guaranteed mismatch that Trygger will provide UW regardless of who they face will help McGaughy expand her game, which could open up the offense in ways that it hasn't been able to before under Langley.

With Trygger's size, second-change points and putback buckets are also much more likely. The Swedish post is also capable of hitting a jumper from outside the key and the occasional 3-pointer, which will help the offense space out even further.

UW hasn't had hype for a season of this level since Kelsey Plum's final year in the Pacific Northwest, and Trygger will likely be a major factor in the success the team has this year.