2024-25 WCC preview

Gonzaga

2023-24 Record: 32-4 (18-0 WCC , finished first in the conference)
Head Coach: Lisa Fortier, 11th year (265-63 at Gonzaga)
Coaches Poll Position: First

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Yvonne Ejim (19.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG)*
• Maud Huijbens (6.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG)*

Key Losses:

• Kayleigh Truong, graduated (12.1 PPG, 2.4 RPG)
• Kaylynne Truong, graduated (11.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
• Brynna Maxwell, graduated (14.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
• Eliza Hollingsworth, graduated (10.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Tayla Dalton, transfer from Saint Mary’s
• Ines Bettencourt, transfer from UConn
• McKynnlie Dalan, transfer from Minnesota

Last year, Gonzaga had one of the greatest seasons in program history. The Zags set a school record 32 wins and earned a four seed in the NCAA Tournament, which was a program best. They also hosted the first and second round of the tournament for the first time. Gonzaga also had two players drafted in the WNBA draft. When a school has this much success it usually means they have a lot of seniors and Gonzaga was no different.

The Zags graduated four players who averaged at least 10 points a game and all four of them were starters on last year’s dominant team. The backcourt duo of twins Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong as well as sharpshooter Brynna Maxwell means Gonzaga is going to have a whole new backcourt this season. They also lost starting center Eliza Hollingsworth.

However, the WCC player of the year and the Becky Hammon mid-major player of the year Yvonne Ejim returns. Ejim, who averaged almost 20 points a game and got a chance to be apart of the Canadian national team at the Summer Olympics, will have to take an even bigger role this year. She will have the reigning WCC 6th woman of the year, Maud Huijbens, who will step into a starting role next to her in the frontcourt. Gonzaga has a history of players becoming stars after earning 6th woman of the year as Ejim won it back in 2022, so Huijbens has big expectations.

The backcourt for the Zags has a lot more questions in terms of replacing 37 points from the graduating starters. However, Lisa Fortier and staff added two transfers who should make an immediate impact. It starts with former UConn point guard Ines Bettencourt. The Portugese native was a highly recruited international prospect who should slide right into the starting backcourt. The other key transfer is former Saint Mary’s guard Tayla Dalton. Dalton, a native of New Zealand, played four years in Moraga before transferring to the WCC rival. She can score at all three levels and Fortier calls her a “jack of all trades.” She should help alleviate some of the lost production in the backcourt.

Gonzaga will need a lot of others to step up if they want to win their ninth straight WCC regular-season champion. Players like Esther Little and Claire O’Connor will have a lot asked of them with so much talent graduating. The frontcourt is solid, but the backcourt and the depth are where the Zags will need to find success. For the first time in a long time, there were more than two teams who received first-place votes in the preseason poll so there is a high expectation of parity in the league this year. While Gonzaga got the most first-place votes, they have lots of questions to answer before they run away with another WCC title.

Coaches Perspective: “I think it’s been fun. I think it counts as fun,” said Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier. “It’s really fun when you have the Troungs and Brynna but this is a different kind of fun where you’re teaching. I think coaches all consider themselves teachers, and so getting to teach, we’re doing a lot of teaching every day.

I mentioned to someone earlier that there’s not a role model at every position, because our point guards, they’re both new to us. Our two guards, they’re both new. There’s not a lot to look to. These guys are good at leading, in general, with the pace, what we want practice to be and what the expectations are in the locker room. But the rest is up to us to just teach day by day, and it takes a lot longer.

You can teach it, and then you have to work on the details of it. There’s parts of it that are challenging, but I’m trying to just enjoy the heck out of these new people who are super eager to please on the court and learn and to compete and they’re doing a really good job of that so far.”

LMU

2023-24 Record: 11-19 (5-11 WCC, finished 7th in the conference)
Head Coach: Aarika Hughes 4th year (29-61 at LMU)
Coaches Poll Position: 10th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats): 

• Maya Hernandez (2.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Alexis Mark, transferred to Portland (11.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG)
• Nicole Rodriguez, transferred to SMU (10.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
• Amaya Oliver, transferred to Temple (9.4 PG, 5.9 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Brandi Williams, transfer from Louisiana Lafayette
• Naudia Evans, transfer from Grand Canyon
• Paula Reus, transfer from New Mexico

It has been a tough go of it for LMU since Aarika Hughes took over at the helm. Last year she had her best year in WCC play, getting five conference wins and scoring an upset victory in the second round of the WCC tournament. Despite the growth shown by the Lions, in the offseason Hughes’ roster had a complete reset. She lost all but five players and saw 95% of her scoring either graduate or leave in the transfer portal.

Going into 2024-25, Hughes has a brand-new team. Every person who started a game last season is gone. The Lions lost two players to Power Four teams in the transfer portal and two others to fellow WCC teams. She replaced her losses with six players from the transfer portal and three freshmen.

The backcourt will rely on a couple of graduate transfers in Brandi Williams from Louisiana Lafayette and Naudia Evans from Grand Canyon. Both players averaged double figures at their previous school and hit at least 50 threes last season. They also will look to get good production from junior Carly Heidger a transfer from Samford who averaged almost double figures. They also hope to get Layla Curry healthy this season. She missed all of last year due to injury but showed promise two years ago and is the cousin of Louisville star Jayda Curry.

The frontcourt will also rely on some transfers. It will start with another graduate transfer in Paula Reus. Reus averaged 11 points and 5.5 rebounds at New Mexico. They will also hope to get solid play from Ali’a Matavao and Lexi Boles who transferred in from BYU and Illinois State respectively. Maya Hernandez is the returning player who played the most minutes at LMU and will help to lead this frontcourt as just a sophomore.

The expectations for LMU are low, being picked 10th in the preseason poll. However, Coach Hughes likes her new group and how quickly they have been picking things up. There are almost exclusively new faces in Los Angeles but maybe that is what the Lions need to start to move up the WCC standings.

Coaches Perspective: “You hear the word connectivity,” Aarika Hughes told the Next. “This group has bought into themselves, each other. I think we’ve had great teams in the past. We’ve really tried to work to gel. It hasn’t always translated out on the floor, there’s been a lot of injuries, a lot of bugs, lot of ins and outs. Although all of them great people, I think was hard for us to really build that cohesiveness out on the floor. However, you already see that with this group, especially because all of them, even what I see as our really top three performers out on the floor. All of them were great as far as scorers, but they also led in assists. They contributed with rebounds. Their competitors.”

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Oregon State

2023-24 Record: 27-8 (12-6 Pac-12, 4th in the Pac-12)
Head Coach: Scott Rueck, 15th (297-154 at Oregon State)
Coaches Poll Position: 4th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• AJ Marotte (5 PPG, 1.7 RPG)*
• Kelsey Rees (4.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Raegan Beers, transferred to Oklahoma (17.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG)
• Timea Gardiner, transferred to UCLA (11.6 PPG, 7 RPG)
• Talia von Oelhoffen, transferred to USC (10.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Tiara Bolden, transfer from La Salle
• Lucia Navarro, transfer from Florida State
• Catarina Ferreira, transfer from Baylor

One of the two newcomers to the WCC, Oregon State had probably the most tumultuous offseason of any women’s basketball program in the country. After making it to the Elite Eight and losing to the eventual national champions, the Beavers saw a mass exodus. Their top six scorers in terms of points per game all entered the transfer portal and all transferred to Power Four schools. In fact, seven of their eight transfer portal entries joined a Power Four roster.

Despite all these losses, Scott Rueck remains strong at the helm of the Beavers, and he knows what it will take to win with a new roster. He has been able to lead this program through the ups and downs in his 14 seasons in Corvalis. Two years ago, the Beavers were a young team that went 13-18 and then had one of the best seasons in school history a year ago. Rueck loves teaching and that will be no different this season.

The Beavers backcourt will have some familiar faces in it despite the eight departures in the portal. AJ Marotte was one of the leaders of this team a year ago and will be again this year. She started all 35 games a year ago, averaging five points a game. She scored a career-high 23 against Western Kentucky and had seven games scoring in double figures. She will look for help in the backcourt from transfers Lucia Navarro and Tiara Bolden. Navarro transferred in from Florida State where she saw limited action while Bolden was a key contributor for La Salle.

In the frontcourt, the Beavers have two big players who will look to control the paint Kelsey Rees and Sela Heide. Rees, who is 6’5, started her career at Utah but had a solid year last season in Corvalis, where she started the first 26 games of the season. She averaged five points and four rebounds and had her only double-double of the year against Jackson State. Heide is 6’7 and will look to make a formidable front-court tandem for opposing WCC teams to score against.

The Beavers will have a lot of new faces making plays for them in their new league. They will need players like Kennedie Shuler and Susana Yepes to grow along with their other returners to compete at a high level in the WCC, as they were one of the four teams to receive at least two first-place votes in the preseason poll. Rueck knows there will be a lot of changes for his team but teaching is one of the things he enjoys doing the most.

Coaches Perspective: “For us to reach our potential, it’s the same answer every year,” Oregon State head coach Scott Rueck said. “For this group to become just an absolute tough, hard, nosed competitive group that can play all the variety of ways we need to, to compete every night, give ourselves a chance to win. A group that can handle adversity and that goes to its strength the whole game. That is our formula, that is our foundation, that’s our culture, that’s what it’s always been, and I think we have the makeup of that. You know, what our ceiling is, I’m not sure, but I like what I’m seeing so far. I like the pieces that we have, and I think we cover all the bases that are necessary.”

Pacific

2023-24 Record: 19-15 (8-8 WCC, finished 6th in the conference)
Head Coach: Bradley Davis, 10th year (125-148 at Pacific)
Coaches Poll Position: 5th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Elizabeth Elliott (13.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG)
• Anaya James (12.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG)*
• Liz Smith (11.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Cecilia Holmberg, graduated (12 PPG, 4.8 RPG)
• Kadie Deaton, graduated (10.7 PPG, 4 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Marina Radocaj, transfer from Arizona State
• Luisa Anderegg, JUCO transfer
• Alva Lindvall

Pacific returned to the postseason a year ago after a four-year hiatus, grabbing a win in the first round of the WNIT. It was the second postseason appearance in Bradley Davis’ 10 seasons as head coach of the Tigers. They lose two players who averaged double figures, but they also return three of their top four scorers and two all-conference players from a year ago. They will help to lead a team that is looking to challenge the upper echelon of the WCC.

The big three for the Tigers have been the leaders for a few years now. It starts with Anaya James their dynamic point guard. James can get it done in the scoring department but is also a phenomenal passer. She led the WCC in assists per game and was No. 13 in the nation in that category. She is a quick guard off the bounce and runs things efficiently for the high-powered Pacific offense. Her back court running mate fifth year guard Liz Smith. Smith is a high-level scoring guard who can score at all three levels and is tough to slow down in the open court.

The Tigers are anchored inside by Elizabeth Elliot. Elliott was one of the most efficient players in the WCC. She was second in the WCC in FG% and 14th in the country, shooting 59.5% from the field while playing just 20 minutes a game a year ago due to injuries. She is a great compliment to Pacific’s backcourt and completes the big three of Pacific’s offense which was second-best in the league a year ago.

Those three make up the face of the Tigers program but the depth will be key. They lost two starters who averaged double figures and outside of those five, the next leading scorer from a year ago for the Tigers averaged just 4.6 points. Pacific is going to need players like Lauren Glazier, Stella Szabo and Sydney Ward to step up into bigger roles this year. Glazier, a former transfer from Washington State, showed some flashes last year but will need to provide more. Szabo redshirted last year after suffering an injury but is a shooter who the coaching staff is really excited about.

The others coming along to support the Tigers big three will decide if Pacific can challenge the top four and get back to another postseason. Davis knows what he will gets from James, Smith and Elliott and how valuable their experience is. If the others come along, this Tigers team could be very dangerous in WCC play.

Coaches Perspective: “We need to be tough,” Bradley Davis told the Next. “Everybody’s gonna say that, but I do think there’s gonna be a little bit of parity in this conference this year. There’s a lot of new players. So there’s going to be parity this year, and you may have a loss you don’t expect. You may have a win you don’t expect. After both of those, you have to be tough. You’ve got to be tough enough to handle success and come right back at it, and you’ve got to be tough enough to handle failure and come right back at it with the same intensity, night in and night out. And I think that’s going to be the key for our success.”

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Pepperdine

2023-24 Record: 5-25 (1-15 WCC, finished 9th in the conference)
Head Coach: Katie Faulkner, first year (0-0 at Pepperdine)
Coaches Poll Position: 11th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Helena Friend (6.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
• Addi Melone (5.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
• Maggie Vick (3.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Jane Nwaba, transferred to Vanderbilt (10.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG)
• Jorynn Ross, transferred to Arizona (6.1 PPG, 4 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Makena Mastora, transfer from Saint Mary’s
• Malia Mastora, transfer from Cal State San Marcos (D-II)
• Ornela Muca, transfer from Cal

Pepperdine’s had a very tumultuous past three seasons. Two years ago their head coach stepped away in the middle of the season and was later relieved of duties. Last year, they hire a new head coach and before he can coach a single game, he reisgns. He was replaced with interim head coach Kelsey Keizer, but she did not keep the job after the year. The Waves announced the hiring of Katie Faulkner in April, after she spent the past three seasons as the associate head coach at Washington.

Faulkner steps into the job with a lot of work to do to get the Waves back towards the top half of the league. They return over 57% of their scoring from a year ago but they were the lowest scoring team in the WCC and only won two games against Division I schools all of last year. They lost their top three scorers on a points per game basis, two of which transferred to Power Four schools.

This year will be a culture building year for Faulkner. She has six returners who are seniors and grad students, and she added three more from the transfer portal, so the group is experienced. She will rely on Helena Friend and Addi Melone in the backcourt who each averaged six points a game each last year for the Waves. Pepperdine does return six different players who scored at least 100 points but they need to find consistent threats on offense.

The new coach did grab three very experienced players out of the transfer portal, with two of them being sisters. Faulkner added Makena and Malia Mastora, who have played basketball at different schools on the west coast before coming to Malibu. Makena played four years at WCC rival Saint Mary’s and is coming of her best year as a Gael. Malia played basketball last year at Division II Cal State San Marcos, helping to lead her team to the D-II Final Four. Their third transfer is Ornela Muca from Cal.

Pepperdine will try to do a lot of growing this year under a first-year head coach. The Waves have a ton of experienced players but haven’t been very successful the past few years. Hopefully if Faulkner can lay a good foundation this season, she can help bring the program out of the cellar of the WCC.

Coaches Perspective: “I would say every single day, we are focused on competing our best, which is pursuing excellence in all things,” Katie Faulkner told the Next. “Everything we do, can we get a little bit better at that every single day. Definitely a growth mindset team, from A to B, from beginning to end, we’re going to look very different because we are process focused. Things come; challenges come. I just told them the other day, that’s the fun of it. That’s the puzzle of putting it all together and ultimately, our hope by the end of it is creating a culture where we ultimately learn to serve each other well. I think they’ll tell you a lot today, compete, grow, serve. I mean, that’s what we’re really trying to embody, and that’s what our culture is going to be.”

Portland

2023-24 Record: 21-13 (10-6 WCC, finished 3rd in the conference)
Head Coach: Michael Meek, 6th year (100-57 at Portland)
Coaches Poll Position: 3rd

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Emme Shearer (12.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG)*
• Maisie Burnham (11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG)*
• Dyani Ananiev (8.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Kennedy Dickie, graduated (10.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG)
• Lucy Cochrane, graduated (7.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Alexis Mark, transfer from LMU
• Trista Hull, transfer from Boisie State

Since Michael Meek took over in the Rose City, all the Pilots have done is win. In three of the five years that Meek has been at the helm, the Pilots have won the WCC tournament as underdogs. They are the back-to-back tournament champions and are looking to threepeat in Las Vegas this March. They lose their top two rebounders from a year ago but return two all-conference players and a star in the making to compete for another WCC championship.

The Pilots lost WCC tournament Most Outstanding Player Kennedy Dickie who averaged double figures for them from the forward spot. They also lost Lucy Cochrane who led the WCC in blocks and was second in the nation in rejections behind only Cameron Brink. Those loses are key as they both were integral parts of Portland’s press and zone defense that has been so successful for Meek since his arrival.

Returning for the Pilots are two outstanding guards in Emme Shearer and Maisie Burnham. The two of them were all-conference performers a year ago and averaged double figures. Both are going into their final year at Portland and have shown improvement year over year. They both are threats to score at all three levels. Burnham is great at getting to the basket and drawing fouls while Shearer is a defensive menace who led the league in steals per game a year ago.

Another key returner for the Pilots is All-WCC freshman team performer Dyani Ananiev. Ananiev was Portland’s leader in threes made a year ago and won the WCC Freshman of the week award seven times last year. She didn’t start a game a year ago for the Pilots but her ability to come in a be a sniper will be big for this team.

Portland will need to replace the two starters they lost in the frontcourt, but they added two players out of the transfer portal to do just that. Alexis Mark transferred in from WCC rival LMU where she was an All-WCC honorable mention perfomer a year ago after being fifth in the league in rebounding. They also added Trista Hull from Boise State who was second on the Broncos in rebounding a year ago. Those two look to help replace the production lost from the frontcourt. 

If Portland can solidify their play up front, their returning production in the backcourt should be enough to compete for a third straight WCC tournament title. The coaches expect as much as the Pilots were one of four teams to receive multiple first place votes in the preseason poll. The returners on this team know what the NCAA tournament tastes like and they know what it takes to get there.

Coaches Perspective: “I think both Emmy and Maisie have been a big part of our leadership,” said Portland head coach Michael Meek. “So the fact that they’ve now have done that for a year and have won a championship together. I think they continue to grow as players. I think it’s one of the things that they appreciate about being a part of the program too. Every day is kind of a new day, and we’re trying to get better every day. We’re not a program that does the same practice every single day, and they really have thrived under that. I feel like they are two players that have been an example for, ‘hey, we’re here to get better every day. We’re here to improve’, and I think it’s also part of what makes it fun for them is, is that they come every day feeling like there’s going to be growth.”

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Saint Mary’s

2023-24 Record: 13-18 (6-10 WCC, finished 7th in the conference)
Head Coach: Jeff Cammon, 2nd year (13-18 at Saint Mary’s
Coaches Poll Position: 8th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Zeryhia Aokuso (12.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG)
• Maia Jones (6.9 PPG, 1.5 RPG)
• Addison Wedin (6.5 PPG, 2.8 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Ali Bamberger, graduated (10.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG)
• Tayla Dalton, transferred to Gonzaga (10.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG)
• Makena Mastora, transferred to Pepperdine (7.4 PPG, 1.3 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Kennedy Johnson, transfer from Idaho
• Melesungu Afeaki, transfer from San Diego
• Abby Shoff, transfer from Long Beach State

The Gaels are heading into year two of the Jeff Cammon era with a roster reset. They lost three of their top four scorers but have recruited the kind of players to play the style that Cammon found success with at Long Beach State. The Gaels return 38% of minutes played from a year ago and have just one senior. It will be a young group with nine new faces as Cammon continues to shape the program into his vision.

For Saint Mary’s it will start with Zeryhia Aokuso. Aokuso was the WCC Freshman of the year last season after averaging 12 points which was good for 10th best in the conference. She is a big guard who can get downhill and draws a lot of fouls. Unfortunately, Aokuso will miss the first month or so of the season as she recovers from an injury. She is joined by another sophomore who had a strong freshman year, Maia Jones. Jones averaged just under seven points a game but got hot down the stretch last year, scoring at least 14 in five of her final nine games. She scored 31 points against Pepperdine while knocking down six triples. Jones is a sniper, shooting over 40% from behind the three-point line last year.

The Gaels went out and got five new players from the transfer portal. One of those key additions was Kennedy Johnson, a transfer from Idaho. Johnson was a First Team Big Sky performer for the Vandals last year averaging 14 points and seven rebounds. She is an athletic wing who can score at all three levels and can be pesky on defense. They also added one of Cammon’s former players from Long Beach State in Abby Shoff. Shoff was averaging eight and five a game before her season was cut short due to an injury last year.

For the Gaels to be successful they will need to get better when it comes to rebounding. They were the worst team in the WCC in rebounding margin a year ago. They were able to add some size in the offseason. Melesungu Afeaki transferred in from WCC rival San Diego. She is 6’2 and is an athletic post who can help in the frontcourt. They also added 6’4 freshman Edie Clarke from Australia who is a long forward who will work well in the back of Cammon’s presses and zone defenses.

Saint Mary’s continues to grow into the form of what Cammon wants as he brings his style to Moraga. It will be a very young roster for the Gaels but if they can find some success as they develop, the arrow could be pointed squarely up for the future of the program.

Coaches Perspective: “Very coachable. They work hard,” said Saint Mary’s head coach Jeff Cammon. “I think we’re creating a culture of young ladies that want to get in the gym and get better. I love our length and athleticism this year compared to last year’s team. It’s a lot of teaching though, we’re super young…I think for us, we have to meet the standard as these young ladies hear every day. For us, that’s our attitude, how we approach each day, specifically how we approach our ability to put in the work and prep the right way, how we compete every day, our attitude. Do we respond to adversity when it comes our way, because it’s going to come. You know, how do we respond and stay together, how we communicate with one another, and our effort? Giving as much as we can give on a day to day basis.”

San Diego

2023-24 Record: 9-22 (4-12 WCC, finished 8th in the conference)
Head Coach: Cindy Fisher, 20th year (339-246 at San Diego)
Coaches Poll Position: 9th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Kylie Horstmeyer (10.3 PPG, 3 RPG)
• Courtney Wristen (3.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Veronica Sheffey, transferred to San Diego State (12.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG)
• Kasey Neubert, graduated (10.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG)
• Harsimran Kaur, transferred to Rhode Island (8.6 PPG, 5 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Hallie Rhodes, transfer from Morehead State
• Ava Ranson, transfer from Cal State San Marcos (D-II)
• Paris Santacaterina, JUCO Transfer

The Toreros have been one of the most successful programs during Cindy Fisher’s 19 years at the helm but struggled last year finishing with just nine wins, tied for the lowest since 2019-20. They come into this season returning just 27% of minutes played from last year’s team with five of their top six scorers either graduating or transferring out. San Diego has a very distinct style of play but they will need a lot of new faces to learn the system quickly if they want to get back to competing with the top end of the WCC.

For USD, it will start with senior Kylie Horstmeyer. The 6’0 guard has grown year over year for the Toreros, as she almost doubled her scoring last year as compared to her sophomore season. She is a hard-working guard who can score at all three levels but prefers to get downhill. She will be a leader for all nine of her new teammates.

The Toreros added four players out of the transfer portal. They became the second WCC school to add a pair of sisters as they added Jayden and Hallie Rhodes from Morehead State. Hallie averaged almost 11 points a game last year at Morehead while grabbing 5.5 rebounds a game. Her sister averaged two points and two rebounds for the Eagles. They are both athletic guards who will look to add more to this Torero backcourt. They also added JUCO point guard Paris Santacaterina who the coaching staff is very high on.

The Toreros also became the second WCC program to add transfers from Division II Final Four member Cal State San Marcos. They added Ava Ranson and Truitt Reilly. Ranson started her career at Montana State and averaged 7.6 points per game at San Marcos last season. Reilly wasn’t a big-time scorer but averaged 6.4 rebounds for the Cougars. They will look to play big minutes for a San Diego frontcourt that doesn’t return a lot.

San Diego will need all these new faces to help mesh with their five returners if they want to get back to the upper echelon of the WCC. Their style of pressing and crashing the offensive glass makes them a tough team to beat. However, it make take some time for the team to gel in their style of play.

Coaches Perspective: “I think right now, it’s just making sure everyone understands the level we want to play at, the intensity that we want to play at,” Cindy Fisher told the Next. “Not cutting corners but doing the little things well, rebounding, taking care of the ball, not fouling just little things like that. When you’re bringing a whole new group in together, they’ve all been taught different things by different coaches, and so you got to get them all on the same page. Adding two transfers that are seniors, that have played it at a really high level and have been in a very competitive atmosphere. I think that helps these two to have two more people that can really be those leaders out there on the court and help the younger players get to where they need to be. And then our junior transfers, are all very, very talented and really good athletes and so I think that helps too.”

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San Francisco

2023-24 Record: 14-16 (10-6 WCC, 4th in the conference)
Head Coach: Molly Goodenbour, 9th year (119-127 at San Francisco)
Coaches Poll Position: 6th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Debora Dos Santos (15.3 PPG, 10.6 RPG)*
• Freja Werth (9.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG)
• Luana Leite (7.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Jasmine Gayles, graduated (16.8 PPG, 4 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Emma Trawally Porta, transfer from Detroit Mercy
• Anegliki Ziaka

The Dons came into last season needing to replace a lot and struggled early in the season, winning just four non-conference games. However, right before conference play started, they changed their offense and figured things out. They went on to win 10 conference games and finish fourth in the WCC. Going into this year, all but one player from last years’ team is back and they have even higher expectations.

While USF returns all but one player from a year ago, the player they lost was their leading scorer and a first team all-conference performer, Jasmine Gayles. She was the third leading scorer in the conference and second in the conference in free throws made. Gayles was incredibly quick guard who could get to the rim with ease but also knock down the three ball and set up her teammates.

The backcourt for the Dons will try to find a way to replace the production loss by the departure of Gayles. Returning at point guard is former JUCO transfer Luana Leite who led the Dons in assists and was top seven in that category in the WCC. The Dons also return former walk-on Cami Fulcher who started every game for them a season ago. They will also get the services of two freshman, Elle Papahronis and Angeliki Ziaka. Papahronis missed all of last season with an injury but both freshman guards expect to play a key role for the Dons as the coaching staff has high hopes for both.

USF’s strength will be in their frontcourt this year. Returning in the middle is the WCC leader in rebounds per game Debora dos Santos. She grabbed 10.5 rebounds a game last year, which was 20th best in the nation. She also was the fourth leading scorer in the WCC as well. She will be a force down low for every team the Dons face. Next to her is the reigning WCC Newcomer of the year in Freja Werth. The former Albany transfer did things she never thought she was capable of a year ago as she played a role different than she’s ever played before. Werth did a little bit of everything for the Dons, averaging 10 points, six rebounds and 1.5 assists a game last year from the stretch four position. Those two will be key leaders for the Dons.

The rest of the team will get a boost with some new players. Sol Castro, a transfer from Robert Morris a season ago, missed all of last year with an injury. They also added Emma Porta who averaged 10 points and 7.5 rebounds at Detroit Mercy a season ago. Both will add more physicality and toughness to the Dons already strong frontcourt. San Francisco has 10 seniors or graduate students on their roster. This a team full of experience and if they can get some consistent scoring punch from their backcourt, they can definitely contend with the top teams in the WCC.

Coaches Perspective: “Everybody’s back. So, they get the expectation, they get how hard we’re going to practice, they get the drills and things we’re going to do, and we understand them,” Molly Goodenbour told the Next. “They kind of understand coaches but we do have a lot of players who didn’t get to play a lot, either because they’re coming off of injuries, or, you know, the couple of new players that we do have. There’s still a lot of learning right now. Just in the simple fact that everything is more familiar, I feel like we’re probably farther ahead, but we do have people that are going to be in some new roles. I think these next couple weeks are going to be really important for us with the scrimmages that we have, and some of the early non-conference games to kind of figure out who exactly we are.”

Santa Clara

2023-24 Record: 25-9 (12-4 WCC, 2nd in the conference)
Head Coach: Michael Floyd (Interim Head Coach)
Coaches Poll Position: 7th

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Olivia Pollerd (14.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG)*
• Madison Naro (1.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Tess Heal, transferred to Stanford (19.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG)
• Lara Edmanson, transferred to Villanova (7.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG)
• Marya Hudgins, transferred to BYU (7.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Kaya Ingram, transfer from Cornell
• Irena Korolenko, transfer from Seattle
• Mia Curtis, transfer from Dartmouth

The Broncos are coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history. They had the second most wins ever and picked up a first-round victory over former WCC rival BYU in the new postseason WBIT. However, in college athletics, sometimes as soon as you have a good thing, it disappears. This was the case for Santa Clara as seven of their top eight scorers from last season either graduated or transferred out of the program. Then, on October 12, less than four weeks before the season started, head coach Bill Carr resigned after eight seasons in charge. Associate head coach Michael Floyd will be the interim head coach for the 2024-25 season.

With so much change coming, the constant for the Broncos will be the fifth leading scorer in WCC a year ago, Olivia Pollerd. Pollerd was the WCC’s second best three-point shooter by percentage and was eighth in the nation in threes made last year. She also second in the conference in blocked shots and will lead this Bronco team from her stretch five position.

Santa Clara only returns three other players in addition to Pollerd. At the guard spot, sophomore Maddie Naro and senior Malia Latu will look to lead the backcourt. Naro played a lot of minutes as a freshman with some very talented teammates. She feels that experience helped her grow and prepared her to help lead this new team. Latu started the first four games of the season last year before getting hurt and missing a month.

The Broncos added five players from the transfer portal as well as volleyball player switching to basketball. Four of the five transfers they added are grad transfers and have a lot of basketball experience. They added two guards from the Ivy league in Kaya Ingram from Cornell and Mia Curtis from Dartmouth. Both look to add depth and experience to the backcourt for the Broncos. They also added former Saint Mary’s guard Hannah Rapp who will help the other new faces learn the ins and outs of the WCC. In the frontcourt, they added Irena Korolenko and Alana Goodchild from Seattle and Northwestern respectively.

Santa Clara has just 10 players on their roster so they will not have a ton of depth and can’t afford any injuries. They will need the newcomers to step up next to Pollerd if they want to find success on the floor. It’s going to be tough for Floyd and the Broncos to try and match the what they did in a historic season last year.

Coaches Perspective: “It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind,” Michael Floyd told the Next. “One thing that I want to be big on is not too much change, a little change, but not too much change. Having our staff solidified was highly important to me, and now it’s all about our players, it’s getting them comfortable with us…getting everybody acclimated to what we want to do, even going back to the summer, when our girls got on campus, and then obviously there’s these first couple of weeks of practice. Getting them to feel comfortable with what we’re doing, leaning on the leadership of our returning players and just trying to get ready for the season.”

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Washington State

2023-24 Record: 21-15 (7-11 Pac-12, 9th in the Pac-12)
Head Coach: Kamie Ethridge, 7th year (95-90 at Washington State)
Coaches Poll Position: 2nd

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Eleonora Villa (12.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG)*
• Tara Wallack (10.5 PPG, 4.4 RPG)*
• Astera Tuhina (9.4 PPG, 3 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Charlisse Leger-Walker, transferred to UCLA (13.2 PPG, 6.5 RPG)
• Bella Murekatete, graduated (11.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG)
• Beyonce Bea, graduated (6.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Charlotte Abraham
• Alice Dart
• Jean Chiu

The other newcomer to the WCC comes in on a historic run of success within their program. Washington State has now made four straight postseason appearances, including three NCAA tournament appearances, under Kamie Ethridge. Last season, they couldn’t qualify for the big dance, but they did make it to the semifinals of the WBIT. However, gone are two of the greatest to ever don the Cougar uniform but Washington State still has a lot of talent that will help them compete at the top of the WCC.

Gone from the Cougar program are the number three and five all-time leading scorers in Charlisse Leger-Walker and Bella Murekatete. Leger-Walker tore her ACL midway through the year last season and decided to finish her career at UCLA. They two of them had been the leaders of this Washington State program and big reason for the turnaround under Ethridge. With them gone, the Cougars will need new faces to step up.

The new leadership will start with senior Tara Wallack who has improved as a player every year over her first three years in Pullman. Last year, the 6’2 guard set career highs in scoring, assists and three pointers made. Wallack is a long guard who can score at all three levels. Another veteran guard who will be asked to do more is Astera Tuhina. Tuhina saw increased action as the teams point guard last year when Leger-Walker got hurt and feels more comfortable leading the team from that experience. She was second on the team in assists while also shooting above 40% from beyond the arc.

The Cougars also have a trio of sophomores who shined as freshman a year ago. It starts with the Italian guard Eleonora Villa. She was second in the Pac-12 among freshman in scoring behind only Juju Watkins. She also led the team in threes made while also scoring in double figures in 18 of the teams final 20 games. She is joined by Jenna Villa and Alex Covill. Both showed flashes as freshman and will play pivotal roles for the Cougars this year.

Washington State stuck to their roots of recruiting international players, grabbing six newcomers, all from other countries. Charlotte Abraham from France and Alice Dart from Australia look like they will be able to make an immediate impact for the Cougars. Washington State returns a ton of talent and while they did lose two of the best to ever wear the red and grey, they seemed poised to challenge for the top of the conference. They were one of the four teams who garnered first place votes and finished just one point behind Gonzaga for first place in the preseason poll.

Coaches Perspective: “I think the interesting thing is, we didn’t have Charlisse the last month of the season, and so we had to start adjusting right away,” Kamie Ethridge told the Next. “I give them a lot of credit, we had a great run, even without, you know what she [Charlisse] brought on the floor every night. Tara is better than she’s ever been. She can score at all three levels, she’s a big, strong kid. Her leadership is unbelievable. I think we have four players that are so solid in the starting lineup. The fifth I’m not sure about, but we’re deeper than we’ve ever been. We’re more talented than we’ve ever been. I think we shoot it better than we have. There’s a lot of positives going on in our gym. We just don’t have the, we’ve done it before in our gym, but that’s a big step. We got to get these kids some minutes and we’re going to count on these guys [pointing to Tara Wallack and Astera Tuhina] to carry us.”

The Next WCC Preseason Rankings

1. Gonzaga
2. Washington State
3. Portland
4. Oregon State
5. San Francisco
6. Pacific
7. Saint Mary’s
8. Santa Clara
9. San Diego
10. LMU
11. Pepperdine

*=2024 Preseason All-WCC Selection by the Head Coaches