Last Sunday Washington State beat UCLA 65-61 in the Pac-12 tourney title game to earn an automatic bid to next week’s NCAA tournament. The Cougars lost their regular season finale in double-OT but were able to win 4 postseason games in 5 days to make the school’s 2nd straight NCAA tourney. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Washington State SR G Johanna Teder about making the NCAA tourney for the 2nd straight year.
You were born/raised in Estonia: how did you 1st get into basketball? My sister played basketball and I got interested after attending some practices when I was in kindergarten.
You began your college career at South Plains Community College: how close did you come to going undefeated in 2020, and what was your reaction when you learned that the national tourney was canceled due to COVID? I was supposed to go to a D-1 school but I ended up at a JUCO with a lot of other international players. We only lost 1 game and we were getting ready to go to nationals to try to win a title. It was a crazy time: we kept practicing and nobody went home because we thought that we would eventually play…but it never happened.
How did you end up at Washington State? I knew that year that I was ready to play D-1 by that point so when COVID hit I put my name in the transfer portal and a lot of teams contacted me. I got recruited by WSU and chose them.
You are majoring in Digital Technology and Communication Advertising and minoring in Fine Arts: what is the post-graduation plan? I actually finished all of my classes for my major/minor last December. My plan is to graduate next spring with 2 bachelor’s degrees. I am not sure of the long-term plan but I would love to play pro basketball. I think my major allows me to take my work wherever I am.
You play for Coach Kamie Ethridge, who was just named national COY on Thursday: what makes her such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from her so far? She is genuine and always treats us as human before athletes. She expects a lot out of us but is really fair.
Last year you led the team with 56 3PM: what is the secret to making shots from behind the arc? I have not always been a shooter: I was a PG in high school and barely attempted any threes. I started working on my shot after getting to college and now that is what my team expects me to do. I am a good shooter…but could always be better.
Your school also made the NCAA tourney for the 1st time in 30 years: how big a deal was it? Huge! They also made it during COVID so this year will be the 3rd time in 4 years. It has been amazing to build this program and see what our accomplishments mean to everyone. I am lucky to be a part of it and am excited for this year’s NCAA tourney.
You had a birthday last month: what did you do for the big day? We had a game that day against Cal and we won, so that was the best gift that the team could give me. However, I was a little bummed because I am already 23!
Last Sunday in the Pac-12 tourney title game you scored 7 PTS in a 4-PT win over UCLA: what did it mean to you to win the title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? The whole tourney was unbelievable: I still cannot believe that we did it! We pulled off a couple of upsets and after we beat Utah I thought that anything was possible. After the win over UCLA I just sat in the locker room and felt like it was 1 of the best days of my life: it was so awesome that I wish I just could re-live that day over and over.
What kind of seed do you think you deserve, and what kind of seed do you think you will get? That conversation comes up almost every day. I am expecting a better seed than last year: maybe a 5/6? I feel that we have proved what we are capable of and we won a championship so I think that we should be up there somewhere.