CHENEY, Wash. — Throughout her first year at Eastern Washington,
Jaecy Eggers consistently improved game and her potential came into focus. Eggers finished her freshman season second on the team in rebounds and is now one of the cornerstones of head coach
Joddie Gleason's roster going into next season.
As the season progressed, Eggers was inundated with coaching, fueling her growth on and off the court. Eggers' appreciation for the profession grew, observing it day-in and day-out as a student-athlete. But for Eggers, coaching has been a part of her life from the beginning.
"I've grown up watching my dad coach forever. He coached at all levels, from youth to division one. He's done high school, college, youth, semi pro; he's been coaching pretty much since 1993. My dad was always coaching from day one since I was little. I think my mom is one of my life coaches as well. She's just always giving advice."
Being around basketball early in her life, through family and friends, helped build Eggers' passion for sport.
"My first steps were actually on the basketball court. I've watched my sister play basketball for as long as I can remember. She played in college, so watching her fall in love with the sport and make friends has really inspired me to do the same. We've always been a basketball family, but we've also dipped our toes in other places. Overall, my parents have helped me fall in love with basketball by encouraging me to do the things that I want to do."
A year into college, Eggers is already seeing the connections between the player experience and coaching experience.
"I coached fourth grade girls basketball before I came here and I'm doing that again this summer. Doing that and watching my Dad and listening to what he says, I think it really helps me become a better player. Getting to see that other side of the game is a really helpful experience. Seeing the girls execute, become better and be proud of themselves really makes me fall in love with coaching and basketball in general"
Eggers played in all 31 games for Eastern this past season, making 26 starts. She has experienced the day-in-the-life of a student athlete, but has also seen the difference between coaching at high school and at the DI level.
"Watching Joddie and Skip [Gleason] here, I feel like they help athletes on and off the court. A big part of what they do is helping us become grown women outside of the sport. So when we leave here, we're a better person than when we started. I feel like I really like that side of it. Not just lessons you learned on the basketball court, but how you become better people off the court."
The commitment that the Eagle coaching staff shows has made an impact for Eggers and helped her development as a player.
"I think Skip and Joddie have definitely set a standard of what I view coaches. I grew up with really good coaches. But now I see there's way more to prepare and I feel like my basketball knowledge has definitely expanded. I've learned a ton of new terms and ways to play defense and offense that I definitely did not know beforehand. I think the coaches here are extremely experienced and it's super helpful to see that. They've definitely expanded what my thoughts of a coach are."
Along with coaching staff, Eggers watched her veteran teammates embrace coaching and leadership roles on and off the court,
"Ella [Gallatin] has been a definite personal coach for me. Ella and Bella [Hays] have just been great with taking the expectations that the coaches give us and implementing them on and off the court and letting us know how we should act as a team. Alexis Pettis also was a coach on the court, giving me tips and tricks before, during and after the game. Her calm presence was so helpful on the court."
Prior to arriving in Cheney, Eggers originally intended to major in sports exercise science to pursue a career in athletic training, but has switched to majoring in communications. The major helps set Eggers up to pursue a career working in sports, even if she hasn't fully committed to a future profession,
"I recently decided to major in communications and I'm thinking about minoring in psychology, business administration, and adding coaching as well. My dad's an athletic director now, so I've seen the business side of sports. We also have a sports psychologist here, and that's been super interesting to me. With communications, it's all about building relationships—coach to ref, player to ref, coach to player. That's the kind of environment I want to be in."
A native of Woodinville, Wash., Eggers enjoys being close enough to drive home and have her family make it to her games.
"My family and friends are really supportive and want me to succeed. That's given me the ability to focus on athletics and academics here. When I first came to Eastern, I didn't know anyone, but I feel like I've created a strong community away from my home. I have a home in Cheney and a home back in Seattle."
Playing at Eastern has only strengthened Eggers' connection with the state of Washington.
"I'm really happy to be playing basketball in my state. I do feel like I have a connection with the state, but now I have one with Cheney, which is awesome. Washington holds so many memories for me growing up on the West side, but now I'm over here and have an entire freshman year worth of memories."
With a stronger connection to the state, both in Woodinville and Spokane County, Eggers intends to give back to the community that has helped her along the way.
"We do a lot of community service events and I feel like I get to know so many new people. At the Night of Champions, I feel like I met so many new people who are extremely helpful in my future. I feel like I'm growing a new family over here as well."
During her freshman campaign, Eggers was second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game, grabbing 175 total, fourth most by a freshman in EWU program history. She pulled down a season-best 11 against UC Santa Barbara (12/24/24) to help Eastern to a 54-46 win.
Eggers was fifth on the team with 8.6 points per game, scoring in double figures in 15 games. She had a season-best 20 points in EWU's 89-80 win over Sacramento State (1/11).
Eggers played extended minutes in the front court side-by-side with fellow true freshman Kourtney Grossman. The two lived in the same dorm together, along with true freshman Emily McElmurry. Together, the three have built a close relationship off the court just as much as on the court.
"I feel like we have accomplished so much in our first year together and it was a great experience being able to play with both of them. They are great people, both on and off the court. We have a really great trio, Kourtney, Emily and I. I am so excited for this next season!"
The 2024-25 freshman class are now veteran players for EWU and key elements to the team's future success. Eggers embraces the role she grew into this season and looks to continue improving into her sophomore season.
"For the team, I'm really excited. I want to work with the girls and figure out how we can all be on the same page 24/7. With all the new girls coming in, I'm super excited to work with them too. I just want us to take it game-by-game, day-by-day, and keep improving together. Personally, I really want to make more of an impact on both offense and defense, and I want to become more of a leader by using my voice."
Women's basketball season ticket deposits are now open! Reserve your general admission seats at Reese Court for the 2025-26 season for just $50 per seat. Visit goeags.com/tickets to purchase online.
Join the Eagle Athletic Fund for as low as $50 per year! Support Eagle student-athletes on and off the field while enjoying exclusive EAF perks such as season ticket and tailgating priority, invitations to special events, exclusive access and more. Visit goeags.com/eaf for more information.
ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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