Washington Huskies Women's Basketball Coach Praises Backcourt Duo; Sophomore Forward

The Washington Huskies women's basketball team is less than a month away from the beginning of the 2026-27 season, which is set to begin against the UC San Diego Tritons at 6 p.m. PT on Nov. 2 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

The Huskies will enter this year with legitimate Big Ten aspirations after back-to-back NCAA tournament berths. UW was four points away from advancing to Sweet 16 in March but fell by three points in overtime to the TCU Horned Frogs in the Round of 32.

Washington will have a talented 12-player roster this season that will feature a balance of one commit from the Class of 2026 (four-star guard Amayah Garcia), several transfer portal acquisitions and returning players.

Among the returning players for the team this year includes all three of the program's All-Big Ten honorees from 2025-26: first-team All-Big Ten senior guard Sayvia Sellers, All-Big Ten honorable mention junior guard Avery Howell and Big Ten All-Freshman, sophomore Brynn McGaughy.

At Big Ten media days at the Donald E. Stephens Center in Rosemont, Ill., UW head coach Tina Langley had kind words for her returning all-conference selections.

"Sayvia and Avery do an incredible job of leading," Langley said in an interview on the Big Ten Network on Wednesday. " ... They're just so humble and hardworking, incredible leaders. So, just to have (sophomore forward Brynn McGaughy) come in with this beautiful skillset, you don't even have to put her in a position. She can do so much on the basketball court. But it's new to you. So to be led by people who have really played the game at a high level, the interactions between them, the way that they work together is really special."

Howell will be entering her third year of college ball and second year with the Huskies. She averaged 14.2 points on 50.8% shooting (43.1% from 3-point range) across 33 games (all starts). She also averaged 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals.

Sellers will be in her fourth year of college ball, all with UW. She scored 18 points on a 47.3% clip from the floor (35.4% from beyond the arc) in 33 games (all starts). She also put up 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest.

McGaughy was a five-star high school players and a McDonald's All-American and was the highest-rated recruit in Langley's tenure as head coach. In her first season on Montlake, McGaughy scored 9.3 points on 48% shooting from the floor across 33 games (10 starts). She also pulled in 4.3 boards, dished 1.2 assists and blocked a shot per contest.