Back when the District of Columbia had a baseball team, people often joked that Washington was first in war, first in peace and last in the American League.

Last year you could have altered that sarcastic comment slightly in referring to Kansas University women’s basketball. Washington was first in war, first in peace and last in the Big 12 Conference.

Marian Washington, a coaching icon who is near the end of her third decade as the Jayhawks’ head coach, suffered her worst season in 2001-02 — an 0-16 record in the Big 12 and 5-25 mark overall.

Nevertheless, Washington was optimistic about the 2002-03 season because she had recruited a boatload of newcomers — mostly freshmen — with impressive credentials, and look what Kansas State had done in the Big 12 with a freshman-dominated team.

Now we know that Washington’s freshmen were not nearly the caliber of last year’s Kansas State freshmen. Not that the KU newcomers weren’t better than the graduated players they replaced. They just couldn’t supply the firepower necessary to compete in NCAA Division One basketball.

The Jayhawks did improve — after all, the only way to go was up — but by only three games. They beat cellar-dweller Nebraska twice and Texas A&M. Curiously, two of the three wins came on the road. KU was 1-7 in conference home games, knocking off only the hapless Cornhuskers in Allen Fieldhouse.

KU’s basketball facility may be a snake pit when the men play there, but not for a women’s game. Kansas leads the Big 12 in men’s basketball attendance, yet ranks last in women’s crowds. Only 805 showed up for Wednesday night’s regular-season finale against Iowa State and the Jayhawks responded with a drab performance.

Wednesday’s 69-44 loss to Iowa State emphasized the Jayhawks’ primary weaknesses — lack of three-point shooting and the inability to guard the three-point shot.

On paper, the Jayhawks should boast potent inside scoring punch with bulky 6-foot-2 Crystal Kemp and the slender but agile 6-4 Tamara Ransburg. Yet the Jayhawks’ lack of outside shooting enables foes to clog the middle and limit the touches of Kemp and Ransburg.

Ransburg has, without question, been the Jayhawks’ best player. She can rebound and she can block shots. Unfortunately, she also tends to struggle with foul trouble, not an uncommon bugaboo for a freshman.

KU also lacks a coach on the floor. Junior point guard Leila Mengüç’s enthusiasm can’t mask her lack of basketball skills and freshman Erica Hallman, named Miss Basketball in Kentucky last year, has played timidly all season wearing a knee brace after suffering a partial ACL tear in a preseason practice.

Sophomore Aquanita Burras, a first-year juco transfer, and sophomore returnee Blair Waltz are complementary players. And that’s another shortcoming. If the Jayhawks need a basket, they don’t really have a go-to player.

Washington is hoping she’ll have that player next year in Lauren Ervin, an enigmatic high schooler who possesses ability but also baggage. Playing for Inglewood (Calif.) High the other night, the 6-3 Ervin scored 25 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. But Inglewood is her third high school and she was kicked off last year’s U.S. Olympics development team for punching an opponent.

Even with Ervin, though, Washington desperately needs outside shooters, or defenses will continue to collapse on Ervin just like they did on Kemp and Ransburg.

Speculation that Washington’s job is in jeopardy is just that. Washington will be back to fulfill the final year of her contract in 2003-04. The pressure will be on, however.

If the Jayhawks don’t make dramatic improvement next season, Washington should step down and not force the university to have to announce it will not renew her contract.