2025-26 WCC preview

For the first time in five years, someone besides Gonzaga or Portland has won the WCC tournament and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament; yet another new team is joining the league, bringing the total to 12 teams, with three departing for the new Pac-12 after this season; there are two new head coaches; lastly — and most importantly — of the 15 players selected to the All-Conference team at the end of last season, only two return. To say this year will once again be incredibly competitive is an understatement.

Here is a preview of all 12 teams, listed alphabetically. You can read about every team or skip to your favorite using these links:

Gonzaga | LMU | Oregon State | Pacific | Pepperdine | Portland | Saint Mary’s | San Diego | San Francisco | Santa Clara | Seattle | Washington State

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Gonzaga

2024-25 Record: 24-11 (17-3 WCC, finished tied for No. 1 in the conference)

Head Coach: Lisa Fortier, year 12 (289-74 at Gonzaga)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 2

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Allie Turner (13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.6 APG)*
• Ines Bettencourt (6.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.7 APG)

Key Losses:

• Yvonne Ejim, Graduated (20.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG)
• Maud Huijbens, Graduated (9.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG)
• Claire O’Connor, Transferred to Colorado (7.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Taylor Smith, Transfer from Weber State
• Zeryhia Aokuso, Transfer from Saint Mary’s*
• Sierra Lichtie, Transfer from Cal Poly

In a surprising move to some, Gonzaga announced last October it would depart the WCC for the Pac-12 at the end of the 2025-26 school year. The Bulldogs have been members of the West Coast Conference for 46 years and have won 10 WCC championships since 2007.

Despite all the success Lisa Fortier’s squad have had during her tenure in Spokane, she will face one of her biggest challenges this year. She loses two-time WCC player of the year Yvonne Ejim, who was drafted in the third round of this past WNBA draft. Ejim was the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year in 2024 and a finalist for the award in 2025. She was top-20 in the nation in scoring, top-50 in rebounding, and finished her career as the career all-time leading scorer at Gonzaga. Including Ejim, the Bulldogs have lost four of their five top scorers from a season ago.

The bright side for Gonzaga is they are one of the two schools returning an All-Conference player. Allie Turner, the reigning WCC freshman of the year, set the league on fire in her rookie campaign. She was 10th in the WCC in scoring and led the league in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. She was also seventh in the WCC in assists. Turner is a multi-faceted guard who can affect the game with both her scoring and playmaking. She spent the offseason working on getting to the rim and finding her teammates, as well as on leadership after Gonzaga lost so many seniors.

Gonzaga has other key players returning to solidify their backcourt. Ines Bettencourt, a former transfer from UConn, returns after scoring just over six points and dishing out almost three assists a game last season. Fortier, who has seen success grabbing players from the transfer portal, added Zeryhia Aokuso from WCC rival Saint Mary’s to the Zags’ backcourt. This is the second straight year Gonzaga has signed a player from their WCC rival. Aokuso was named WCC Freshman of the Year in 2024 and will bring a tough, aggressive downhill scoring guard to the Bulldogs’ backcourt.

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The area that will need the most work will be the frontcourt. With Ejim and Maud Huijbens having graduated, Gonzaga is going to rely on two key transfers and a freshman to fill the holes up front: Taylor Smith from Weber State and Sierra Lichtie from Cal Poly. Smith was named to the All Big-Sky first team last year and was seventh in the Big Sky in scoring. Lichtie averaged double figures at Cal Poly last year. They will also have redshirt freshman Lauren Whittaker, who sat out the previous year and a half. Whittaker has great size at 6’3 and the staff is excited to see how her development will pay off this season.

The Bulldogs will look to put one more stamp on the WCC in their swan song season. It will not be easy, given that the program’s all-time leading scorer has moved on to the pros. However, if there is one person in the WCC you never want to count out, it’s Fortier.

Coach’s Perspective: “I think they’re starting to get it,” Fortier said of her team’s development. “I mean, we still have a lot of time, a lot of practicing left to do, and a lot of work, I would say, that needs to go in. They’re further along than they would have been, and it’s tough for a coach, because I value the positional work, and I value the individual development so much. I always think that there’s enough time for team concepts, but usually, you have a lot more carryover, and it’s just not the way of college athletics anymore. So we’re asking the players to evolve their game, and we’re trying to evolve as coaches and try to set them up for that success.”

LMU

2024-25 Record: 14-16 (7-13 WCC, finished No. 9 in the conference)

Head Coach: Aarika Hughes, year 5 (43-77 at LMU)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 9

Key Returners (Last year’s stats): 

• Maya Hernandez (12.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.1 SPG)*
• Carly Heidger (8.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Naudia Evans, Graduated (15.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 5.9 APG)
• Brandi Williams, Graduated (12.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Jess Lawson, Transfer from Central Michigan
• Andjela Matic, Transfer from Duquesne

Coming off the best season in Aarika Hughes’ tenure, LMU has a lot going for it coming into the 2025-26 season. They have the third-most returning minutes and the second-most returning scoring of any team in the WCC. The Lions also have plenty of experience, with nine upperclassmen on their roster ready to move up the WCC food chain.

For LMU, it starts with junior forward Maya Hernandez. If there were a most improved player award in the WCC, Hernandez would have won it last year. She went from averaging just 2.6 points her freshman year to 12.8 last year. Hernandez was also third in the WCC in rebounds and finished the season with six double-doubles. Her improvement in the front court was key to the Lions’ success last year, and Hernandez credits much of it to the work she put in with assistant coach Lauren Unger between her first and second seasons.

The rest of LMU’s front court will be made up of players returning from injury. Paula Reus, a former transfer from New Mexico, played just one game before getting hurt last season. They will also get Ali’a Matavao — a former transfer from BYU — back after she played just eight games due to an injury last year. As Reus and Matavao return to the floor, Hughes feels they have depth to go alongside Hernandez.

The backcourt for LMU takes a hit with the graduation of Naudia Evans and Brandi Williams. They were the two leading scorers for the Lions last year, with Evans leading the league in assists and both leading the league in minutes played. Now, LMU will need the likes of Carly Heidger and Allison Clarke to step up in their absence. Heidger is an all-around scorer who has put in a lot of work defensively, which excited Hughes. Clarke is a 3-point threat, and her teammates believe she will surprise people around the league with how much she’s grown from her freshman to sophomore seasons.

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The Lions also brought in some key pieces from the transfer portal to add experience and depth to this team. They added graduate transfer guard Jess Lawson from Central Michigan, who recorded a triple-double last year for the Chippewas. Standing at just 5’7, she was fourth in the MAC in rebounding, making her an ideal replacement for Evans in the backcourt. They also added senior guard Andjela Matic from Duquesne, another 3-point threat who knocked down a total of 45 shots from beyond the arc last year. She was also the last cut from the competitive Serbian Olympic team in 2024.

The Lions seem to have found some rhythm last season in what was Hughes’ best year at the helm. With so much returning, they’ve got a good foundation to build on going into this season. With so much change around the league, this looks to be the year to move up the food chain, and the Lions seemed poised to do that.

Coach’s Perspective: “I think it’s also just sitting in the seat, you start to get into a stride, you figure out who you are,” Hughes told The IX Basketball about her team’s progression. “There are days when I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can think back to how I stressed about X, Y, and Z.’ I think once you understand what it means and the process that you have to go through. The things that I had to stumble through or figure out while on the job, I think, that’s where the confidence comes from. I think that having stability in my staff, and then when I get to walk into a gym and I get to see my team right now, I feel really good about committing to the process with this group.”

Oregon State

2024-25 Record: 19-16 (12-8 WCC, finished No. 4 in the conference)

Head Coach: Scott Rueck, year 16 (316-170 at Oregon State)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 1

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Catarina Ferreira (9.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, out for the season with a knee injury)*
• Kennedie Shuler (7.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG)*
• Tiara Bolden (8.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG)*

Key Losses:

• AJ Marotte, Graduated (11.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG)
• Kelsey Rees, Graduated (12.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Jenna Villa, Transfer from Washington State
• Lizzy Williamson, Transfer from NC State

The Beavers used last year’s inaugural season in the WCC to win the conference tournament and clinch a second straight berth to the NCAA tournament. They won the WCC tournament as the four seed after winning both their first two games on buzzer beaters, before defeating Portland in the championship. Head coach Scott Rueck has known nothing but success during his long tenure in Corvallis, and the Beavers looked poised to be one of the top dogs again in 2025.

Oregon State may have lost its two leading scorers, but it returns the most production of any team in the WCC. The Beavers had five players averaging at least eight points a game last year, and three of them were scheduled to return. Unfortunately, Catarina Ferreira, a 6’0 wing and former transfer from Baylor, will miss the season after tearing her ACL during fall practice. Ferreira was the Beavers’ returning leading scorer, and in the team’s three games at the conference tournament, she scored 54 points. Rueck knows her injury means that they will miss the easy buckets that she creates off steals or offensive rebounds, forcing them to shift players around on the floor to fill the void.

The backcourt for the Beavers will be led by Kennedie Shuler and Tiara Bolden. They both averaged around eight points per game last year and bring important, but different, skillsets to Oregon State. Bolden is a solid 3-point shooter who had the second-most makes from beyond the arc for the Beavers last year. Shuler is an attacking point guard, leading Oregon State in assists last year and taking 119 free-throw attempts, third-most on the team. She also hit three game-winners, including the one against Gonzaga in the conference tournament.

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However, Oregon State will need to reload is its frontcourt. Former Utah and Cal transfers Kelsey Rees and Sela Heide have both graduated; the pair were two of the Beavers’ top three rebounders, combining for 462 boards. Rueck is well known for building around size, and he quickly added 6’1 Jenna Villa from Washington State, 6’5 Lizzy Williamson from NC State, and 6’8 Néné Sow from Utah. Villa averaged 21.7 minutes per game for Washington State last year, but the Beavers will need either Williamson or Sow to replace the frontcourt production they have lost.

After winning the league last year, Oregon State, on paper, was supposed to return the most talent of any team in the league. Unfortunately, with the loss of Ferreira, other players will need others to step up and replace her production. It won’t be easy for them to repeat as WCC champions, but they have the right pieces to make another run at it.

Coach’s Perspective: “Catarina is just easy buckets,” Rueck said of Ferreira’s value to the team. “She does things that other people can’t do, whether it’s a steal and a layup or an offensive rebound and a put-back. Just getting to the rim so easily in the quarter court or knocking down the threes that she did down the stretch at such a high percentage. So, Cat creates possessions and points without any kind of strategy necessary, just by being out there. So, we’re going to need to fill that void one way or another. And so that’s, that’s the challenge now.”

Pacific

2024-25 Record: 15-19 (9-11 WCC, finished No. 7 in the conference)

Head Coach: Bradley Davis, year 11 (140-167 at Pacific)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 8

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Marina Radocaj (5.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG)
• Sydney Ward (4.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Elizabeth Elliott, Graduated (14.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG)
• Anaya James, Graduated (12.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.7 APG, 2.2 SPG)
• Liz Smith, Graduated (14,1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 SPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Hannah Burg, Transfer from Augustana (D-II)
• Winner Bartholomew, Transfer from Rider

Over the last four years, Pacific had a trio of stars that helped push the Tigers to back-to-back WNIT appearances. Elizabeth Elliott, Anaya James and Liz Smith made up 60% of Pacific’s scoring a year ago. Now, they have all graduated, leaving the Tigers and head coach Bradley Davis with a tough task in front of them.

The dynamic trio of Elliott, James and Smith gave Pacific a chance to win any game they were in last year. James and Smith were the top two in the WCC in steals, while James was second in the conference in assists. James was one of only 8 players in the country to average at least 12.6 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Smith, meanwhile, was one of only 11 players in the country to average at least 14.3 points and 2.6 steals per game. To say Pacific will miss these three is an understatement.

The leading returning scorer for the Tigers is Marina Radocaj, a former transfer from Arizona State. Radocaj is a guard/forward who likes to attack the rim and post up smaller guards. Pacific also returns Sydney Ward and Daria Nestorov to the backcourt. Ward is an athletic, defensive-minded guard with great length, while Nestorov is a high-level 3-point shooter who showed a lot of promise in her freshman campaign.

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Where the Tigers will need to have people step up is in the frontcourt. On top of losing the 6’1 Elliott, Pacific lost four other forwards to either graduation or the transfer portal. They return two forwards, but neither played many minutes last year. They added Winner Bartholomew out of the transfer portal from Rider as well as 6’3 true freshman, LaMiracle Lebon. Davis feels Bartholomew can make a big impact among this group due to her ability to be physical inside and shoot the ball from the outside.

Pacific has a big hill to climb this season, with three career 1,000-point scorers gone. They will need many of their role players to step up and fill the void left by their all-conference performers. If the Tigers want to make it three straight postseason births, they will need to see significant improvement from multiple players in 2025-26.

Coach’s Perspective: “It’s a lot of trying to create our own identity, because your identity as a team was really centered around those three and how they score and how they play the game of basketball,” Davis told The IX Basketball about finding the team’s new on-court identity. “Now we have to do that, just not the same way. We’ve got to be a little bit different because the players are different. But, also, it’s the culture piece of it. It changes a little bit, too, because their leadership is now gone, and so now it’s up to the returners and new players alike to kind of form, what is the culture of this team going to be like.”

Pepperdine

2024-25 Record: 8-22 (3-17 WCC, finished No. 10 in the conference)

Head Coach: Katie Faulkner, year 2 (8-22 at Pepperdine)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 10

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• None

Key Losses:

• Chloe Sotell, Transferred to Missouri (10.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG)
• Ella Brubaker, Transferred to Seattle (8.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
• Makena Mastora, Graduated (7.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Lina Falk, Transfer from Sac State
• Bella Green, Transfer from West Florida (D-II)
• Irune Orio, Transfer from Xavier

After her first year in Malibu, head coach Katie Faulkner has been forced to completely remake the Pepperdine roster. After having 10 seniors on their roster last year, the Waves return zero players, one of just two teams in Division I without a single returner. In response, Faulkner and company added seven four-year transfers, one junior college transfer, and four freshmen. It will be a completely new look for the Waves in Faulkner’s second season.

The backcourt will be manned by five of the transfers they gained out of the portal. One of those transfers, Lina Falk from Sacramento State, is slated to make a significant impact. Falk is a 6’2 guard who averaged 9.9 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Hornets last year, and Faulker feels she is one of the most elite athletes she’s ever coached. They will also rely on Ellison Guiney, who transferred in from UNLV. She didn’t play a lot last year, but she is a shooter who also loves to make plays for others.

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Another guard Faulkner is really excited about is transfer point guard Taija Sta. Maria, who comes to Malibu from Fresno State. She had 47 assists in just 15 games at Fresno last season, and Faulkner appreciates her basketball IQ and ability to create opportunities for her teammates.

In the frontcourt, the Waves will rely on a four-year transfer and a JUCO transfer. Irune Orio is more of a bigger guard at 6’2 and started 20 games last year at Xavier. Faulkner loves the flair she brings to the court. Shorna Preston comes to Malibu from Dodge City Community College. She was a JUCO All-American, and while she may not be the biggest player, she was one of the most efficient players in junior college last season.

With 12 new faces, the Waves are a completely rebuilt team going into the 2025-26 season. There are a lot of unknowns in the WCC, but Pepperdine is the biggest of them all. The Waves have no expectations, but that also means there is nowhere for them to go but up.

Coach’s Perspective: “I have great people,” Faulkner said of how she has managed all of the changes. “I love my staff. I think it starts there. I think it took me a while to hire. I was alone for a month because I just really wanted people who got it … and then I love this team. I love these kids and just what they’re committing to. I know how hard it’s been, and they all have really amazing stories, but they all really kind of want to do something special, and that’s kind of me. I know we’re the underdog. I know that Pepperdine hasn’t done anything for a while, and at the same time, I’m just like, yeah, why not us?”

Portland

2024-25 Record: 31-5 (17-3 WCC, finished tied for No. 1 in the conference)

Head Coach: Michael Meek, year 7 (131-62 at Portland)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 4

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Dyani Anaiev (7.4 PPG, 3.1 RPG)*
• Rhyan Mogel (5.6, 1.8 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Emme Shearer, Graduated (16.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 SPG)
• Maisie Burnham, Graduated (16.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG)
• Alexis Mark, Graduated (11.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Nicole Rodriguez, Transfer from SMU

The Portland Pilots have done nothing but win since Michael Meek came to the Rose City. Last year, they played in their third straight WCC championship game and set a school record for wins in a season with 31. This year, Meek has probably his toughest job in front of him, as he needs to replace three double-digit scorers and a top playmaker in the conference. However, Meek has shown that with his defensive style, the Pilots can still be top of the league even with a very young roster.

For Portland, it starts with redshirt sophomore forward Dyani Anaiev. The Australian native was one of the top freshmen in the conference two years ago and was a threat off the bench for the Pilots. She is an elite 3-point shooter and has just started to scratch the surface of her scoring potential. She started the year strong last year before an injury cost her the majority of the season. Anaiev feels she learned a lot last year from watching how Maisie Burnham and Emme Shearer led the team. With Burnham and Shearer having graduated, Anaiev has been stepping into a leadership role despite being just a sophomore.

The backcourt will be led by Rhyan Mogel, Natalie Fraley and Florence Dallow. Mogel is the second leading returning scorer for the Pilots and can score at all three levels. Fraley has played sparingly in her two years since transferring from Utah State, and Dallow is coming back after missing last year with an injury. The Pilots added guard Nicole Rodriguez from SMU to bolster their backcourt. Rodriguez was an excellent player at WCC rival LMU two years ago before she transferred to SMU. She missed last year due to injury, but has shown she can be a high-level guard in this conference.

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The rest of the frontcourt outside of Ananiev will be a work in progress. Junior Lainey Spear played every game off the bench for the Pilots last year and averaged 5.1 points per game. She will have to lead a frontcourt filled with four others, all of whom are underclassmen. The Pilots will need one of their three freshman post players to blossom early if they want to continue the success of the last few seasons.

Portland has been a leader in the WCC across Meek’s seven seasons. He’s had to replace top-level talent before, but this reload seems like it will be his toughest yet. Anaiev and Rodriguez have proven they can be high-level players in the league, but they’ll need others to step up into bigger roles if they want to play in their fourth straight WCC championship game.

Coach’s Perspective: “Graduating those six is going to be tough. You don’t ever look and say, How are you going to replace that?” Meek said of his approach to this season. “I just think that we’re going to have to figure out what the best version of this team is going to be. I do feel like we’re not short on talent; we’re just really young. I would tell you that everyone is young with new players, but I think we’re actually the youngest in actual age as well. But we’ve told our team, alright, nobody’s gonna look at that as an excuse. The other teams in our league don’t care how young or how old we are, so we’re gonna have to find a way to overcome that.”

Saint Mary’s

2024-25 Record: 14-17 (10-10 WCC, finished No. 7 in the conference)

Head Coach: Jeff Cammon, year 3 (27-35 at Saint Mary’s)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 7

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Emily Foy (8.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG)
• Abigail Shoff (7.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Zeryhia Aokuso, Transferred to Gonzaga (9.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG)
• Maia Jones, Transferred to Santa Clara (12.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG)
• Kennedy Johnson, graduated (12 PPG, 5.8 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Malia Latu, Transfer from Santa Clara
• Charlece Ohiaeri, Transfer from DePaul

The Gaels improved slightly in their second season under Jeff Cammon. However, Saint Mary’s, like many teams in the WCC, has also lost their top scorers. But unlike their conference counterparts, two of their top three players left via the transfer portal and joined conference rival schools, no less. Still, the Gaels have the second-most returning minutes of any team in the WCC. They will need their role players from last year to step up, but they have the experience to improve again in Cammon’s third season in Moraga.

The guards will be led by Emily Foy and Addison Wedin. Foy, a 6’1 guard from Australia, is the Gaels’ returning lead scorer and was the WCC’s sixth player of the year a season ago. She is a 3-level scorer and led the Gaels in 3-point makes last year. Wedin is a sniper from beyond the arc, but missed all of last season with an injury. During her sophomore season, Wedin averaged 6.5 points per game. The two of them feel their backcourt plenty of defensive versatility, and they are excited to give people nightmares on that side of the court.

While the Gaels lost two guards to WCC foes, they gained one from another WCC rival as Malia Latu joined Saint Mary’s from Santa Clara. Latu was Santa Clara’s second leading scorer last year, and is an incredibly athletic slashing guard who should fit right into Cammon’s system. Latu is excited to get up and down the floor in the Gaels’ system this year. She should also bring a strong defensive presence, which she hopes will allow Saint Mary’s to get out in transition after forcing turnovers.

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The frontcourt will be led by Abigail Shoff and Melesungu Afeaki. Shoff is a face-up forward who can slash to attack the basket and is the Gaels’ second leading returning scorer. Afeaki is a very mobile big who can post up and attack off the bounce. The Gaels also added Georgia Grigoropoulou from Santa Clara, who should add more size in the post.

Saint Mary’s is one of the top teams in the WCC in terms of returning production, but with their top three scorers gone, they will need their role players to step into starring roles. If they can do that, the Gaels should be able to move into the upper echelons of the WCC and make a second straight postseason appearance after playing in the WNIT last year.

Coach’s Perspective: “I think development,” Cammon said of what he believes is most important for the team. “Hopefully, we worked hard enough, you know, because we have nine returners. But if you look at the stats, it’s a lot of unproven. We have some that have a ton of experience, and they performed, but we have others that have to take that next step. I think, did we do enough in the summer? Did we do enough in the spring? Do we do enough in the fall to improve our games and to be able to step into some larger roles…I think the development is going to be key. Then, for those transfers we brought in, to come in and be ready to contribute right away.”

San Diego

2024-25 Record: 7-24 (4-12 WCC, finished No. 11 in the conference)

Head Coach: Blanche Alverson, year 1 (0-0 at San Diego)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 11

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Hallie Rhodes (6.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG)
• Dresha Moore (4.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Kylie Horstmeyer, graduated (12.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
• Truitt Reilly, graduated (12.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG)
• Ava Ranson, graduated (9.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Kylie Ray, Transfer from Utah
• Helen Holley, Transfer from Michigan State

The Toreros are under new leadership for 2025-26 after it was announced that Cindy Fisher would not be returning. In her 20 years, Fisher won 345 games and led the Toreros to nine postseason appearances. San Diego went on to hire Blanche Alverson as the fourth-ever head coach in program history. Alverson has been an associate or assistant head coach at three other schools, including most recently at Georgia Tech. Alverson says she wants her Torero team to play a fast-paced offensive game and to share the ball at a high level.

On the court, San Diego brings back a good mix of players to help Alverson in her first season. The backcourt will be led by Hallie Rhodes, who averaged 6.0 points per game last year. She is a long, athletic guard who is a strong slasher. Her twin sister, Jayden, is another guard on the roster, and while she wasn’t as impactful on the court last season as Hallie, the two of them have been working hard to be leaders for the Toreros. Lauren McCall, who started the first 22 games of the season as San Diego’s point guard and was the Toreros’ leader in three pointers, will miss the season after she recovers from an ACL tear she suffered late last year.

The Toreros also brought newcomers to help supplement the returning guards. One of the biggest names they added was Kylie Ray, a transfer from Utah who was a former four-star recruit per ESPN Hoopgurlz. Ray played limited minutes as a freshman at Utah, but Alverson says she is a pass-first combo guard who can really shoot the ball.

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But the Toreros’ frontcourt will need the most development, after they lost two of their top three rebounders from a season ago. They will likely ask more of sophomore forward Dresha Moore, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.6 rebounds last year. They also added 6’1 forward Helen Holley from Michigan State. Alverson is excited about the athleticism and rebounding Holley brings to the San Diego frontcourt.

The Toreros will look different under a new coach for the first time in 20 years. As the Alverson era begins in San Diego, it will bring a new style and tempo, but only time will tell if Alverson can find as much success in San Diego as Fisher did.

Coach’s Perspective: “I think it’s really for us, genuinely, just focusing on us every single day and being really positive and having a great environment and being encouraging and uplifting,” Alverson told The IX Basketball about how the team chemistry and on-court identity is developing. “I heard one of the two with us today talk about how it’s next play mentality, and I think that’s where we are right now, just focusing on how we can get better to the next play. Tactically, we want to play fast; we want to get lots of shots. We want to get a lot of shot attempts. We want to play well together. Our Georgia Tech teams really did a great job of playing and moving the basketball. I think for us, it’s that chemistry part of continuing to have a really fun offensive style, but being gritty and tough on the defensive end too.”

San Francisco

2024-25 Record: 15-16 (11-9 WCC, No. 5 in the conference)

Head Coach: Molly Goodenbour, year 10 (134-143 at San Francisco)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 6

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Sol Castro (5.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Freja Werth, graduated (17.1 PPG, 6.1 RPG)
• Debora dos Santos, transferred to Idaho (12.9 PPG, 7.7 RPG)
• Emma Trawally Porta, graduated (10.6 PPG, 6.3 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Candy Edokpaigbe, transfer from Seattle
• Olivia Williams, transfer from UC Irvine
• Mara Neira, transfer from Appalachian State

The Dons started conference play last year 5-0 and looked like a contender in the WCC. Then, their star forward, Debora Dos Santos, was injured in practice, and USF took a tumble. They figured it out down the stretch, but lost in the WCC quarterfinals by one point to eventual champion Oregon State. This year, Molly Goodenbour’s squad will look very different with just two returners.

The two returners for the Dons are both coming off injury. Sophomore guard Paula Tirdao missed all of last year but contributed off the bench as a freshman, averaging 2.7 points per game. The other returner is Sol Castro, who averaged 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in four games before she got hurt. Castro is expected to make a big impact in the frontcourt, while Tirado will be part of a re-shaped San Francisco backcourt.

The Dons added six players out of the transfer portal, and they all have a lot of college experience. The biggest name the Dons added is Cany Edokpaigne from Seattle. Edokpaigbe was an All-Conference player in the WAC last year for the Redhawks. She is a slashing forward who can get to the rim and led Seattle in free-throw attempts last year. USF also added Nevaeh Ferrara Horne and Michelle Ugwah from North Dakota and Morehead State, respectively, to their frontcourt. Goodenbour has also been excited about what she’s seen so far from freshman forward Noelia Mouriño.

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The backcourt will be led by Olivia Williams, a transfer from UC Irvine. The senior guard averaged 7.4 points last year and led the Anteaters in 3-point makes. They also added graduate guards Mara Neira from Appalachian State and Meghan McIntyre from NAIA-level Southern Oregon. Neira knocked down 61 3-pointers last year at App State, and McIntyre led her conference in assists last year. Goodenbour also feels freshman point guard Aina Cargol has a ton of upside as she learns to play in the Dons’ system.

USF has an almost entirely new roster. Goodenbour knows there are going to be growing pains early in the year, but feels the group has a ton of potential. The Dons have become one of the most consistent teams over the last few years in the WCC. They will need their new faces to mesh quickly if they want to continue to be in the top half of the league.

Coach’s Perspective: “There are just so many things they have to learn. It’s hard,” Goodenbour told The IX Basketball about managing so many newcomers. “You also have to manage that they’re freshmen. You can’t just grind them into the ground for two and a half hours every single day, but you do want them to get exposed to all this and learn … we told them this too, it’s going to be trial by fire. You’re just going to have to go out, and there are going to be times when you’re going to learn by failing. Something’s going to happen in a game that’s never happened to you before, and you’re not going to respond to it very well, because you’ve never been in that position. And then next time, you’ll be better prepared for it.” 

Santa Clara

2024-25 Record: 14-17 (8-12 WCC, No. 8 in the conference)

Head Coach: Loree Payne, year 1 (0-0 at Santa Clara)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 5

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Alana Goodchild (5.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Olivia Pollerd, graduated (16.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG)
• Malia Latu, transferred to Saint Mary’s (10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG)
• Maddie Naro, transferred to UC Santa Barbara (7.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Sophie Glancey, transfer from Northern Arizona*
• Maia Jones, transfer from Saint Mary’s*
• Ashley Hawkins, transfer from Gardner Webb

Santa Clara is the other team in the WCC with a new head coach. Last year was a bit of a roller coaster for the Broncos after Bill Carr stepped down right before the season began, and the team was led by interim head coach Michael Floyd. Then, on March 24, the Broncos announced the hiring of Loree Payne. Payne comes to Santa Clara after eight seasons as head coach at Northern Arizona, where she had a record of 136-116 and the school’s first-ever postseason berth a season ago.

On the court, Santa Clara returns just two players, forwards Lauren Grover and Alana Goodchild. Goodchild averaged 5.8 points and was the Broncos’ second leading 3-point shooter last year. Grover averaged 1.2 points in limited minutes.

Payne got right to work in the transfer portal after arriving in Santa Clara. She brought in seven transfers, with the biggest get being Sophie Galncey, who followed Payne from NAU. Glancey was a unanimous first-team All Big Sky selection last year after averaging 18.1 points and 9.6 rebounds. She was named to this season’s Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year preseason watch list. Glancey is an athletic forward who will post-up as much as she will face-up, while also being an excellent defender.

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Payne also brought in two high-level guards out of the transfer portal. The first is 5’6 guard Ashley Hawkins, who transferred in from Gardner Webb; she was last year’s Big South Player of the Year while averaging 18.9 points and 4.9 assists. Payne knows her system is at its best when they have a scoring point guard, but loves how much Hawkins has been finding her teammates as well as scoring the ball. Santa Clara also added Maia Jones from WCC rival Saint Mary’s. Jones led the Gaels in scoring a year ago with 12.2 points and is a 3-level scoring guard.

The Broncos will be an interesting team to watch this year in the WCC. While they do have a whole new team, Payne has been successful everywhere she has gone so far in her career. Last year at NAU, she had the highest-scoring team in the Big Sky and the 16^th highest-scoring team in the nation. If all the newcomers can gel, Santa Clara could be very dangerous.

Coach’s Perspective: “We play a very, very fun system,” Payne told The IX Basketball about their on-court identity. “It’s not the typical quote, unquote system, where it’s just a run and gun shooting the first three within five seconds of the shot clock. I think I have incredible coaches that complement each other really, really well, and our offensive coordinator has put together a system that really fits the style of play, the type of player that we know when we’re identifying, recruiting, what players fit within our system…our defensive system, we are continuing to work through that, because, obviously, our program is really viewed through an offensive lens. We love to get up and down, but we also understand defense is an incredibly, incredibly important.”

Seattle

2024-25 Record: 4-26 (1-15 WAC, No. 9 in the WAC)

Head Coach: Skyler Young, year 3 (10-49 at Seattle)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 12

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Sydnie Rodriguez (5.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG)
• Tamia Stricklin (8.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Candy Edokpaigbe, transferred to San Francisco (11.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG)
• Christeina Bryan, graduated (9.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG)
• Olivia Moore, transferred to South Dakota (8.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Ella Brubaker, transfer from Pepperdine
• Aaliyah Ibarra, transfer from Utah Tech
• Lucija Milkovic, transfer from Missouri

The newest member of the WCC, the Seattle University Redhawks, joins the conference from the WAC. Seattle had been a member of the WCC back in the 70’s, but became a member of the WAC in 2012. Skyler Young took over as head coach of Seattle in 2023 after being an assistant coach at Portland for five seasons.

On the court, the Redhawks return only three players from a season ago. However, two of the three were starters for Seattle. Tamia Stricklin was the team’s third leading scorer and is a versatile guard who can score in a variety of ways. She had to play more in the post last year, but with some of the additions Seattle made, she will be able to play more on the perimeter. They also bring back Sydnie Rodriguez, a high-level shooter who led the Redhawks in 3-point attempts last season.

Seattle also brings in many new faces with five transfers and three freshmen. One of the players they got out of the transfer portal was graduate guard Ella Brubaker. Brubaker transferred to Seattle from their new WCC rival, Pepperdine. Brubaker was Pepperdine’s second leading scorer, and she feels staying in the conference has made the transition easier. She has been trying to use her status as one of the most experienced players on the team to support her younger teammates.

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Along with Brubaker, the RedHawks bring in Lucija Milkovic, a 6’6 transfer post from Missouri. They also bring in Andjela Bigovic, a 6’5 forward from Tarleton State. Young is also excited about what freshman guard Dylan Mogel will bring to the team. She is the younger sister of Portland guard Rhyan Mogel.

The Redhawks are the newest member of the WCC as the conference realignment circle continues to spin. They haven’t had much success in recent history, and will need a lot of new faces to step up in their rotation this year. However, Young knows the WCC well, and that should help him in Seattle’s first year in the league.

Coach’s Perspective: “You know, offensively, it’s about pace, patience, and poise,” Young said about how his team’s approach to the game. “We want to play fast, but we’re never out of control. We know the opponent’s weaknesses, where we can read the mismatches, the disadvantages, where we have those at, and we keep things simple, silent, and sound. The big thing on offense is that we take care of the basketball. That is the number one thing we want to do, and we want to finish as many shots as we can. Outside shots, not as much. But when we get inside, we’re trying to finish as much, and we rebound. Defensively, it’s about pride. Defensive pride, position, and possession, rebounding the ball. But we want to get after people, take their strengths away, and make them play a little hectic.”

Washington State

2024-25 Record: 21-14 (14-6 WCC, No. 3 in the conference)

Head Coach: Kamie Ethridge, year 8 (116-104 at Washington State)

Coaches’ Poll Position: No. 3

Key Returners (Last year’s stats):

• Eleonora Villa (13.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG)*
• Alex Covill (8.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.15 BPG)
• Charlotte Abraham (5.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG)

Key Losses:

• Tara Wallack, graduated (12.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.9 BPG)
• Astera Tuhina, transferred to Oregon (7.8 PPG, 3.7 RPG)
• Dayana Mendes, transferred to Miami (FL) (8.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG)

Key Newcomers:

• Mackenzie Chatfield, transfer from Western Kentucky
• Lauren Glazier, transfer from Pacific

The Washington State Cougars are coming off their fifth straight postseason appearance and their third straight 20-win season. Kamie Ethridge has done nothing but foster success since she showed up in Pullman. The Cougars are one of two teams with a returning All-Conference player in guard Eleonora Villa. However, Washington State only returns six players and has just five upperclassmen on its roster.

For Washington State, everything will run through Villa. She came in as a freshman and immediately averaged 12.9 points. She followed that up by averaging 13.6 last year and was Washington State’s leading scorer. Villa is great at scoring at the rim and in the mid-range, but struggled last year shooting the three. However, Ethridge feels her work this summer has made her a much better 3-point shooter. Villa got to spend time over the summer working with the Italian senior national team, which has given her even more confidence coming into this season.

The Cougars only return one forward in 6’6 Alex Covill. However, Ethridge feels no one worked harder this summer than she did. Covill brings a solid inside scoring presence as well as a high-level shot blocking to the Cougars, but she needs to improve as a rebounder for Washington State to be where it wants to be. The Cougars also bring back Lauren Glazier, who had previously transferred out of WSU to Pacific and now transferred back this offseason. She will bring much-needed depth and experience to the frontcourt.

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Washington State lost its starting point guard to Oregon in the transfer portal, but added a solid point guard in Mackenzie Chatfield from Western Kentucky. Ethridge felt Chatfield had a great summer and fall and is confident about what they are getting from their point guard spot when she plays. She is also excited about freshman forward Tanja Valancic. Valancic is a 6’0 forward from Serbia who is great at making others better and celebrating her teammates’ successes more than her own.

The Cougars once again have some of the best talent of any team in the WCC. They didn’t receive any first-place votes but were picked third overall by the coaches. Ethridge has shown herself to be among the elite coaches in the country, and if she can bring some of her young players along early, they could be holding the WCC trophy come March.

Coach’s Perspective: “I think we were younger last year, I really do,” Ethridge said about the team’s development year-over-year. “I think we had so many young players. We brought in six new players last year. I just feel like this is a more seasoned team, even if we are young. I realize we only have two seniors, and our best players are probably all juniors and younger. They are most consistent, most experienced, but we’re rolling the dice and only going with 11. But, I really have a lot of faith in every single 11 players, that they bring something to us, that they can help us this year. I really have a lot of confidence in this team. I think we can shoot the ball better. I think we can be better defensively. We’re a little bit thicker and stronger, and more athletic. I’m not worried about the age in this group.”

My predicted order of finish

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

*=2025 Preseason All-WCC Selection by the Head Coaches