It's been a long, long five years since fans of the University of Washington's women's basketball program had something to cheer about.

The Huskies were picked for a postseason berth in the Women's National Invitational Tournament last night, a reward befiiting their remarkable turnaround this season under first-year coach Kevin McGuff.

The announcement came at 9 p.m. PST, two hours later than originally planned by the WNIT.

Former Kennedy Catholic standout and UW freshman 6-foot forward Aminah Williams was at home in West Seattle, with her parents Guy and Monique, when she got word on her cell phone.

"It was nail-biting," said Williams Tuesday evening.

Once she got the announcement Williams was elated, along with her parents, she said.

"It's so exciting to be part of this college experience as a freshman. The postseason is so big and I'm excited to compete."

The last time the Huskies went to a major postseason tournament was on St. Patrick's Day in 2007, when Iowa State beat them 79-60 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

They then endured four losing seasons (45-78 under Tia Jackson) before their luck finally turned in this 2011-12 regular-season campaign.

The Huskies now face Cal Poly in the first round of 64-team WNIT at 7 p.m. tomorrow night, the first meeting between the two schools. Cal Poly (17-14) is the Big West Conference champion.

UW (17-13) won four of its last six games, including impressive wins over UCLA (67-59) to end the regular season and Oregon (72-56) in the first round of the Pac-12 Women's Tournament.

Williams pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds against the Ducks, helping UW advance to the tourney semifinals and get a favorable look from the WNIT committee.

Williams is no stranger to big games. During her four-year career at Kennedy, the Lancers were 100-12 and won the state Class 3A championship in 2009. She played center at Kennedy during that impressive run.
"I think that playing the post throughout my high school career has helped me at the college level," she said. "I know how to go strong to the boards and be physical."

No doubt being the daughter of ex-WSU and NBA player Guy "The Fly" Williams has helped immensely too. Williams was a fierce rebounder for legendary WSU coach George Raveling, who once said The Fly was "the most talented player he ever coached."

Williams said her dad was her coach during her AAU youth basketball career and has always been there for her, as has her mom.

"They've supported and encouraged me all along and my dad always gave me tips on how to improve my game," she said. "He knows basketball because he's played. He's taught me how to be physical and always tells me to just play my game."

Her present coach, John McGuff, brought an impeccable resume when he came on board for the Huskies. In his nine-year tenure at Xavier, his Musketeer teams went 214-73, and appeared in the NCAA tournament six times. He has never had a losing season as a head coach.

"He is a great coach," Williams said. "He believes in me. And I've improved tremendously with the coaching staff. They have pushed me in practice, made me give it my all, and bring intensity."

The Huskies play what they call "packline defense," designed to force the offense to shoot from the outside. Players help each other out on defense, filling the gaps to deny passing lanes and penetration, and put pressure on the shooter.

"We have to be hooked up on the same page," Williams said. "We have to trust each other on defense and recover (and get) to the shooter."
The Huskies will have their hands full when they play Cal Poly. The Mustangs are led by 6-foot-1 senior forward Kristina Santiago, a player with WNBA potential who averages 23.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. She is a two-time Big West Player of the Year.

"We just have to play good defense and not get into foul trouble," Williams said.

Along with Williams, two other local athletes played a large part in the Huskies' resurgence: 6-foot-3 center and leading scorer Regina Rogers (16.3 ppg) and 5-foot-10 forward and defensive specialist Charmaine Barlow, who both played for the perennial class 3A powerhouse Sealth Seahawks. They are seniors.

Rogers, Barlow and Williams are all ex-UW coach Tia Jackson recruits.
If the Huskies beat Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), they will play the winner of Thursday's Utah-Utah State game and play this weekend on a date and site to be determined.

Tickets for the UW-Cal Poly game are available at the Husky Ticket Office (206-543-2200). Prices: Reserved tickets ($15); General Admission ($6); Youth/Senior/UW students ($4); and Groups with 15 or more ($4).