Huskies Add JC Point Guard To 2019-20 Roster
May 07, 2019 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE --- Washington head coach Jody Wynn announced the addition of junior college transfer Margarita "Rita" Pleskevich from Broward College (Fla.) to the 2019-20 roster.
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Pleskevich, a 5-9 point guard from Moscow, Russia, heads to Washington after posting impressive numbers through her first two seasons at Broward. She also has extensive international experience, playing for the Russian Junior National Team the last four years, helping the team win the FIBA U19 title in 2017 and will be a part of the U20 team at the European Championships this summer.
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"We are thrilled to welcome Rita to our Husky women's basketball family!" said Wynn. "First and foremost, she is a wonderful young lady, bright student and dedicated athlete. Rita has had a terrific two-year junior college career at Broward College, playing under head coach Brian McCormick. She is a floor general with high basketball IQ, great length and passing ability, and can stretch the floor beyond the arc. She is a tremendous addition to our program, and we are excited to welcome her to Montlake!"
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"I'm really excited to start my journey in the best conference in the country and to continue my education in one of the most successful business programs," said Pleskevich. "I really feel that I can take on this challenge because I'll have a lot of help and support around me: from teammates and coaching staff to all the support from the academic center. Another reason why I chose UW is because of its location. Having such an amazing University that close to the city is hard to find, and it's going to be a perfect fit for me!"
As a sophomore, Pleskevich averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Seahawks to a 22-8 recording including a 10-2 mark in conference play. Her 594 points were the 14th-most nationally with her 19.8 point per game average tied for 13th in the NJCAA rankings. Pleskevich also ranked seventh in the NJCAA in field goals made with 235 including 65 three-pointers.
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Pleskevich scored 20 or more points in 14 games including scoring 30-plus points in three games. She scored a season-high 35 points vs Santa Fe, hitting 13-of-18 from the field including going 4-of-8 from three-point range, adding nine rebounds, four steals and four assists. For the season, Pleskevich shot 49.3 percent from the field (235-of-477), 37.8 percent from three-point range (65-of-172) and made 77.6 percent of her free throws (59-of-76).
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During her first season at Broward, Pleskevich averaged 12.6 points per game, adding 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals, appearing in all 29 games.
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Pleskevich finished her two years at Broward with 960 points, earning NJCAA All-Region 8 and FCSAA All-Southern Conference First-Team Honors both seasons at Broward and was named a 2018 NJCAA Academic All-American.
Pleskevich has represented her home country in international competition since 2016. She was a member of Russia team that knocked off the United States in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup, playing on the team as an 18-year-old. She joined the U20 team in the 2018 season, participating in the U20 Women's European Championships last year and again this summer in the 2019 tournament in the Czech Republic.
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Washington wrapped up the 2018-19 season with an 11-21 record, capping the year with three wins over its final six games including a pair of upsets victories in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies return four starters from last year's team and add three four-star or better freshmen along with Pleskevich to the 2019-20 roster.
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Pleskevich, a 5-9 point guard from Moscow, Russia, heads to Washington after posting impressive numbers through her first two seasons at Broward. She also has extensive international experience, playing for the Russian Junior National Team the last four years, helping the team win the FIBA U19 title in 2017 and will be a part of the U20 team at the European Championships this summer.
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"I'm really excited to start my journey in the best conference in the country and to continue my education in one of the most successful business programs," said Pleskevich. "I really feel that I can take on this challenge because I'll have a lot of help and support around me: from teammates and coaching staff to all the support from the academic center. Another reason why I chose UW is because of its location. Having such an amazing University that close to the city is hard to find, and it's going to be a perfect fit for me!"
As a sophomore, Pleskevich averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Seahawks to a 22-8 recording including a 10-2 mark in conference play. Her 594 points were the 14th-most nationally with her 19.8 point per game average tied for 13th in the NJCAA rankings. Pleskevich also ranked seventh in the NJCAA in field goals made with 235 including 65 three-pointers.
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Pleskevich scored 20 or more points in 14 games including scoring 30-plus points in three games. She scored a season-high 35 points vs Santa Fe, hitting 13-of-18 from the field including going 4-of-8 from three-point range, adding nine rebounds, four steals and four assists. For the season, Pleskevich shot 49.3 percent from the field (235-of-477), 37.8 percent from three-point range (65-of-172) and made 77.6 percent of her free throws (59-of-76).
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Pleskevich finished her two years at Broward with 960 points, earning NJCAA All-Region 8 and FCSAA All-Southern Conference First-Team Honors both seasons at Broward and was named a 2018 NJCAA Academic All-American.
Pleskevich has represented her home country in international competition since 2016. She was a member of Russia team that knocked off the United States in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup, playing on the team as an 18-year-old. She joined the U20 team in the 2018 season, participating in the U20 Women's European Championships last year and again this summer in the 2019 tournament in the Czech Republic.
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Washington wrapped up the 2018-19 season with an 11-21 record, capping the year with three wins over its final six games including a pair of upsets victories in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies return four starters from last year's team and add three four-star or better freshmen along with Pleskevich to the 2019-20 roster.
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