Women's Basketball landed three players on the 2025 Western State Conference (WSC) teams after finishing 3rd in the seven-team circuit, which boasted three playoff teams. The Cougars made their second straight playoff berth, which ended in the first round against #13 San Diego Mesa. Cuesta finished the season by posting Head Coach Casey Blair's first winning season on the bench and a milestone victory at Ventura College, where the Cougars beat the Pirates for the first time in 30 seasons. The Cougars ended the season with a 17-11 overall record, including an 8-4 mark in WSC play. Sophomore Guard Reese Pasternik (Bakersfield) repeated as an all-WSC First Team selection and was joined on the first team by Sophomore Guard Bella Musolff, while Freshman Forward Kaylee Batten garnered all-WSC Honorable Mention.
Two-time all-WSC First Team Guard Reese Pasternik (Bakersfield) has put together one of the finest careers at Cuesta College. She did everything on the court for the Cougars, including leading the team with 19.1 points per game, while also adding 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals per contest. Pasternik, who posted the program's only recorded triple-double in her freshman debut, has spent the past two seasons rewriting the Cougars record book. She became the first Cuesta player to clear 1,000 career points, now at 1,019, while her 19.1 points per game are also a Cuesta career mark. She also ranks second all-time for shooting percentage from both beyond the arch (36.4%) and from the charity stripe (83.1%). In addition, her 8.0 rebounds per game over her career rank 6th, while her 166 assists and 136 steals both sit 9th all time.
Sophomore Guard Bella Musolff Morro Bay HS) has led the Cougars' attack to the playoffs each of the last two season and this year she joined Pasternik on the all-WSC First Team. After a solid first year, Musolff blossomed in her sophomore campaign as the Cougars' floor leader, while also developing into a scorer to complement Pasternik. Last year, Musolff reached 10 points in a game only once but averaged more than that this season. She averaged 11.8 points, including a career-high 22 points in a win over Reedley, while still dishing out a team-high 4.7 assists, which ranks second all-time at Cuesta. Her 233 career assists and average of 4.2 per game both rank 2nd behind Kelly McKay on the Cougars all-time list. She also shares the Cougars' single-game assist record with McKay, and three other players, but is the only Cougars to dish out 11 assists in a game twice (12/4 v. Porterville and 12/12 v. Bakersfield). In addition to her floor leadership, Musolff also added 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest this season.
Freshman Forward Kaylee Batten (Bakersfield) was a double-double threat every night and was tabbed all-WSC Honorable Mention. Batten averaged 13.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, while her 19-board game against Reedley on December 18 was only one loose carom away from tying a Cuesta record.
2024-25 WSC Basketball Awards
Reese Pasternik- First Team
Bella Musolff- First Team
Kaylee Batten- Honorable Mention
