The 2024-25 season will mark Randi Richardson’s eighth season at the helm of the program.
Richardson serves as the Central Washington University Athletic Department Senior Woman's Administrator.
The 2023-24 season saw the Wildcats make their ninth-straight GNAC Tournament appearance en route to a 19-12 overall record and a 10-8 GNAC record. The Wildcats finished fourth in the GNAC and won their first round matchup against Simon Fraser in the GNAC Tournament, which was hosted by the 'Cats. CWU nabbed a victory over 7th-ranked UT Tyler in the CCA DII Canadaian Tip-Off Classic 64-61 and posted an eight-game win-streak coming out of the Christmas break. Asher Cai and Sunny Huerta continued their dominance from the 2022-23 season with Huerta earning WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and Cai garnering CCA 2nd Team All-West Region. Cai and Huerta each also received unanimous First Team All-GNAC honors and freshman Capri Sims brought in an Honorable Mention All-GNAC honor.
The 2022-23 season was yet another successful season as the Wildcats finished with a 21-9 overall record and seeing the Wildcats advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. The Wildcats finished third in the GNAC regular season and advanced to the second round of the GNAC Tournament. Samantha Bowman led the NCAA D2 in double-doubles and rebounds for the second-straight season. Under Richardson's tutlege Bowman was named the D2CCA Roy Lenz National Player of the Year, GNAC Player of the Year, West Region Player of the Year, First Team All-GNAC, and First Team All-American with the World Exposure Report, D2CCA, and WBCA. Asher Cai was named the GNAC Freshman of the Year and Honorable Mention All-GNAC, while Sunshine Huerta was named First Team All-GNAC and Tori Maeda was Honorable Mention All-GNAC. Bowman continued her basketball career signing professionally with the Rockhampton Cyclones in Australia.
The 22-23 season was a record-breaking one under Richardson's guidance:
Samantha Bowman- GNAC & CWU record for career rebounds (1,219), GNAC Tournament record for points in a single game (40 against SFU on 3/2/23), GNAC single-game rebound record (31 against Whitman on 12/17/22), GNAC record for field goals made in a single season (269), GNAC record for most 30-point games (8), GNAC conference game record for rebounds in an individual conference season (265), also Recorded a triple-double against UAA (15 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists on 1/12/23). Tied the GNAC conference game record of field goals made in a single game (16 against WWU on 1/5/23), tied with Sunshine for the GNAC record of field goals made in a single game (18 against SFU on 3/2/23), tied the GNAC record for most offensive rebounds in a singular game (12 against Whitman on 12/17/22), tied her own GNAC record for double-doubles in single season (26).
Sunshine Huerta- Broke the GNAC record for points in a single game (46 against Walla Walla on 12/19/22), currently holds the GNAC conference game record for career three-point field goal percentage (44.4%), tied with Bowman for the GNAC record of field goals made in a single game (18 against Walla Walla on 12/19/22).
Tori Maeda- GNAC Tournament record for assists in a single game (12 against SFU on 3/2/23).
Team- Tied the GNAC record for fewest turnovers in a single game (4 against MSUB on 1/28/23), broke the GNAC conference game record for season three-pointers per game made (9.4).
In 2021-22, Richardson led Central Washington to its most successful season of the Division II era. The Wildcats finished with 24-8 overall record, its best since joining Division II. The Wildcats under Richardson’s guidance finished third in the GNAC regular season, then went on to capture the programs first-ever
GNAC Tournament Championship. The Championship victory came with an automatic-bid to the NCAA West Regional, where the Wildcats advanced to the semifinals after grabbing the programs first-ever win at a Regional over Northwest Nazarene University.
Under Richardson’s guidance the Wildcats saw the emergence of Bowman, garnering 2022 GNAC tournament MVP, First-Team All-GNAC, First-Team All-West Region, and the D2CCAA All-American Second-Team honors. Bowman was also the Division Two double-double leader with 25, with four different 20-point, 20-rebound showings.
Richardson also helped guide Kassidy Malcolm to 2021-22 GNAC Player of the Year honors, First-Team All-GNAC, CoSIDA Academic All-American, and First-Team All-West Region honors. Kizzah Maltezo was the GNAC regular season scoring leader and earned Second-Team All-West region Honors while also breaking the single-season record for three-point field goals made.
The 2020-21 season was shortened due to COVID-19, in which the Wildcats were only able to play two games, a home-and-home series against Western Washington.
The 2019-20 season under Richardson provided the Wildcats their best winning percentage of .633 since the 2002-2003 season when the team finished with a .654 winning percentage. The Wildcats made it to the semifinals of the GNAC playoffs. Richardson helped lead four All-GNAC selections in Alexis Pana on the First-Team, Kassidy Malcolm on the Second-Team, and Kaelie Flores and Samantha Bowman each garnering Honorable Mention.
In 2018-19, Richardson guided the Wildcats to an 18-11 overall record with a 12-8 mark in
GNAC play. CWU made the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed and advanced to the semifinals. It was the fifth consecutive season that CWU made the
GNAC Tournament. Three Wildcats earned
All-GNAC honors, while six student-athletes were named to the GNAC All-Academic Team.
In her first season as head coach in 2017-18, Richardson's squad posted a 15-14 overall record and was 11-9 in conference action. CWU once again made the
GNAC Tournament for the fourth straight year as the No. 5 seed. Two players garnered
All-GNAC accolades, and the Wildcats had nine student-athletes make the GNAC All-Academic team.
Richardson was named the Head Coach of the CWU Women's Basketball team on April 26, 2017. She joined CWU in the spring of 2015 as an assistant coach before being elevated to head coach status.
Prior to becoming the head coach, Richardson was the top assistant for CWU for two seasons from 2015-17 under former Head Coach Jeff Harada. In those two seasons, she helped guide the women's program to a 32-27 overall record and a 20-22 mark in
GNAC action. CWU made the conference tournament both seasons, and saw the Wildcats earn four
All-GNAC honors, a GNAC Freshman of the Year in 2015-16, and 10 GNAC All-Academic team selections in her two seasons as an assistant.
Before CWU, Richardson was an assistant coach at Seattle Pacific University under Head Coach Julie
Heisey from 2013-15. In her two seasons with the Falcons, they went 40-16 and were 24-12 against
GNAC opponents. The 2013-14 squad finished fifth in the conference and made the first round of the
GNAC Tournament. The following year, SPU went 22-7 en route to a runner-up finish in the
GNAC. The team made the both conference and NCAA West Region semifinals.
Prior to SPU, Richardson was the lead assistant at her alma mater, Arlington High School, for two seasons. In the 2011-12 season, her team went 14-10 overall and made the fourth round of the district playoffs. The following season, 2012-13, the Eagles posted a 22-5 record and made an appearance in the
WIAA 4A State Championship.
Richardson began her collegiate playing career at the University of San Francisco in 2007-08 before transferring to the University of Wyoming to where she competed for the final three seasons for the Cowgirls. Wyoming was 61-35 overall and 29-19 in the Mountain West Conference during Richardson's three seasons as a player. She started in 93 games for the Cowgirls at point guard and helped lead the team to back-to-back appearances in the Sweet 16 of the Women's NIT Tournament in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.
Richardson was a prototypical student-athlete at Arlington High School earning All-State selections three times while earning a perfect 4.0 grade point average, becoming her class valedictorian.
She graduated from Wyoming with her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion in 2011 from Wyoming. She then went on to graduate from Concordia University of Irvine with a Masters of Science in Coaching and Athletic Administration.
She resides in Ellensburg with her two children; Rori and Reagan.
Started at CWU:
April 2015
Experience:
2017-Present: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) -- Head Basketball Coach
2015-2017: Central Washington University (Ellensburg, WA) – Assistant Basketball Coach
2013-2015: Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) -- Assistant Basketball Coach
2011-2013: Arlington High School (Arlington, WA) -- Assistant Basketball Coach
Playing Experience:
2007-2008: University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA) – Women’s basketball (Point guard)
2008-2011: University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY) – Women’s Basketball (Point guard)
Education:
Concordia University of Irvine -- M.S. Coaching & Athletic Administration
University of Wyoming, 2011 -- B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion
Arlington High School (WA), 2006
Hometown:
Arlington, Wash.
RICHARDSON’S YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORD AT CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY:
|
OVERALL |
CONFERENCE |
Home |
Away |
Neutral |
| YEAR |
W |
L |
PCT |
W |
L |
PCT |
PLACE |
W-L |
W-L |
W-L |
| 2017-18 |
15 |
14 |
.517 |
11 |
9 |
.550 |
5th |
9-5 |
6-7 |
0-2 |
| 2018-19 |
18 |
11 |
.621 |
12 |
8 |
.600 |
4th |
8-5 |
7-5 |
3-1 |
| 2019-20 |
19 |
11 |
.633 |
13 |
7 |
.650 |
4th |
10-4 |
7-5 |
2-2 |
| 2020-21 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
.--- |
n/a |
0-1 |
0-1 |
0-0 |
| 2021-22 |
24 |
8 |
.750 |
13 |
5 |
.722 |
3rd |
8-3 |
10-3 |
6-2 |
| 2022-23 |
21 |
9 |
.700 |
12 |
6 |
.667 |
3rd |
9-3 |
8-3 |
4-3 |
| 2023-24 |
19 |
12 |
.613 |
10 |
8 |
.556 |
4th |
9-6 |
6-4 |
4-2 |
| TOTALS |
116 |
67 |
.634 |
71 |
43 |
.623 |
|
53-27 |
44-28 |
19-12 |
