Road to Yakima: Washington high school (WIAA) Class 2A state girls basketball preview

The 2022-23 WIAA basketball season is down to its final week - with 12 remaining Class 2A girls basketball programs expected soon in Yakima 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.

• 2022 state semifinalist Prosser picking up where it left off 
• WIAA Class 2A girls regional bracket breakdown
• Final all-classification Top 25 girls rankings
• Final Class 2A girls rankings
• On nobody's radar, Renton comes through as WCD champion
• Dalan cousins from Montesano, WF West square off
• State champion Ellensburg flexes muscle at 'Sundome Shootout'

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE

G1: Renton (19-4) vs. W.F. West (19-5), 3:45 p.m.
Winner plays Prosser (18-7) in Thursday quarterfinals, 3:45 p.m.

G2: Othello (17-9) vs. Lynden (20-5), 5:30 p.m.
Winner plays Ellensburg (22-0) in Thursday quarterfinals, 5:30 p.m.

G3: Enumclaw (18-6) vs. Tumwater (19-5), 7:15 p.m.
Winner plays Burlington-Edison (18-6) in Thursday quarterfinals, 7:15 p.m.

G4: Sammamish (19-6) vs. Sequim (20-3), 9 p.m.
Winner plays White River (19-6) in Thursday quarterfinals, 9 p.m.

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

State championship Saturday: 7 p.m.

THE FAVORITE

Well ... duh! Nobody is more of an overwhelming choice in any of the WIAA tournament than defending state champion Ellensburg, which not only is undefeated (22-0) but hasn't played a game down to the final minute. One of the things first-year coach Tim Ravet (former Kittitas coach) changed after he arrived was making 6-foot-6 UW signee Olivia Anderson the focal point inside on offense. "It was new to her," Ravet said. "She's handled it really well." In reality, the foundation of this program is being the most feared defensive team in the state - even if that means playing more man-to-man pressure. Rylee Leishman and Jamison Philip are the edgy tone-setting guards, and the Rogel sisters - Quinn and Layne - lock down the interior, flanked by Anderson.

FIELD

If Lynden was on the other side of the draw, this would be the team that most would expect to potentially face Ellensburg in the finals - especially with its length, led by Payton Mills, and arriving talent. But after being upset by White River at regionals, the Lions now could see the defending state champions in the state quarterfinals. ... It very well could be another Northwest Conference program - Burlington-Edison - which is playing Saturday night in what would be a rematch of the 2022 title game. TIgers sophomore class will be fun to monitor over the next couple of seasons. ... Nobody in 2A has played the Bulldogs tougher than 2A CWAC foe Prosser, which - like many contenders around the state - is led by underclassmen in sophomores Adriana Milanez and Lay'lee Dixon. The Mustangs had a lead on Ellensburg in the fourth quarter of their last meeting before losing. ... Under Chris Gibson, one of the state's winningest coaches, White River has never played in a WIAA title game. But even though this group has a year-away feel to it, it could get there from the favorable side of the bracket. ... If 2A Evergreen powerhouses W.F. West and Tumwater didn't suffer mid- to late-season injuries to key guards (Carlie Deskins for Bearcats and Regan Brewer for Thunderbirds), they might have been set up to make more noise this week. 

8 PLAYERS TO WATCH

F Olivia Anderson, Ellensburg, sr. (21.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.5 blocks)

G Annalee Coronado, Othello, sr. (18.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.5 steals)

C Julia Dalan, W.F. West, soph. (22.0 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 7.0 blocks)

F Lay'lee Dixon, Prosser, soph. (14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg)

F/C Chessah Holmes, Burlington-Edison, soph. (13.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg)

F/C Payton Mills, Lynden, fr.

F Jolene Vaara, Sequim, jr. (18.0 points, 4.5 steals, 2.0 blocks)

G Kylee Waltermeyer, Tumwater, sr. (16.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

FINAL FOUR PREDICTION

Prosser, Ellensburg, Burlington-Edison, White River

CHAMPIONSHIP PICK

Ellensburg 71, Burlington-Edison 53