Two Cougs just made a preseason impact list, and the honest reaction around here should be: good for them, and good for us for paying attention. Covill and Villa landing on that Pac-12 list is not a headline we get to write every year, and it matters more than a pat on the back. It means the roster Kamie Ethridge is running, the one she stepped to the mic about this fall, has the kind of depth that preseason voters actually notice. That is not nothing when you have spent recent seasons watching other teams get the benefit of the doubt.
This is the same program where Kamie Ethridge steps to the mic with a roster ready to run, and now two of her players are getting national attention before a single conference game. That matters for the team, sure. But it matters for us, too. When you are a Coug who left Pullman and still checks the box scores, a preseason nod like this is a reason to tune in earlier than you might have. It is not a prediction of wins. It is a signal that these two are on the radar of people who watch the whole conference, not just the Palouse.
We have written before about Cougs who keep showing up through rough seasons, like the one who keeps catching passes through a 1-7 season, or the guy who is all smiles with WSU at 1-7. Those stories matter because they are about the kind of loyalty that does not depend on the scoreboard. This one is different. This is about talent getting its due before the season even starts. It is the kind of preseason buzz that lets you text a friend and say, "Keep an eye on these two," without having to explain why.
Here is the concrete point to watch: preseason lists are nice, but they do not win games. The question is whether Covill and Villa turn that recognition into production when the lights are on. If they do, this becomes the kind of season where Pullman gets talked about for the right reasons. If they do not, it is still a sign that Ethridge is putting together a roster worth paying attention to. Either way, we get to find out together. Go Cougs.