The Yakima Valley women's basketball team's return trip to the NWAC Championships ended abruptly on Friday with an 83-66 first-round loss to Umpqua. The Yaks fell behind by 14 points at the half and had no answer for the Riverhawks' Brooklyn Fely, who scored a tournament-record 52 points on 24-of-36 shooting.

YVC shot just 25% (22-of-87) from the floor — including just 18% (8-of-44) from long range — and was outrebounded 56-32 by the South Region's No. 2 seed. Paris Wilson scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Yaks, while fellow first-team All-NWAC East selection Alina Sapilak scored 22 to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Faith McCarty added 11 points despite going 0-of-8 from behind the arc, and Hope Driscoll had eight rebounds off the bench.

The Yaks finished the season 14-13 overall, returning to the NWAC Championships for the first time since 2020 as the No. 3 seed from the East Region. Wilson and Sapilak were also named to the region's All-Defensive Team last week.

In other first-round results, the East's No. 2 seed Walla Walla defeated Clackamas, 46-38, on Friday and the region's top seed, Columbia Basin edged Portland, 74-72, on Saturday. No. 4 seed Treasure Valley fell to Lane, 59-49, in round one and was eliminated. In the Elite 8 round, Walla Walla qualified for the March 16 Final Four with a 71-54 win over Lower Columbia, while CBC advanced with a 70-60 win over Shoreline.