SEATTLE — Eight women's college basketball teams have arrived in Seattle for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament.
None of them are particularly close to the Pacific Northwest, but two of them hope to have some home-court advantage.
That's because they're led by two Pacific Northwest products.
Hailey Van Lith stars for Louisville, while Quay Miller is the leading scorer for Colorado.
For Miller, she's hoping one championship leads to another.
The former Kentridge High four-star recruit is no stranger to success in Seattle. She led the Chargers to a state title as a sophomore in 2017 with 27 points and 17 rebounds in the championship game.
“The state championship feels like you’re about to win a natty," she said.
Miller visited Kentridge today and said all the memories of her high school career came rushing back.
She said the joy of winning it all is a feeling she wants again.
That feeling is one that still eludes Van Lith.
The Louisville standout broke the state scoring record in a legendary career at Cashmere High.
In 2019, she told the KING 5 Prep Zone that she had her heart set on a state title.
“When you start to taste success, you just can’t get enough of it and you never want to settle,” she said as a senior in high school.
Yet Hailey had to settle for second place as a freshman, sophomore and senior.
“I did my best in high school to win a championship, it didn’t happen for me. I do not feel sad about it, do not regret it,” she said on Thursday.
Van Lith now returns to Seattle looking for that first championship, hoping that a home-court advantage gets her to the top.
“I know that there’s going to be a lot of people from Wenatchee and Cashmere. All type of different support. I’m hoping it feels like a home game for us,” she said.