Gonzaga’s Jill Barta named WCC Player of the Week, again

The Gonzaga women are on a hot streak, and so is junior forward Jill Barta.

That’s no coincidence. Barta is the West Coast Conference Player of the Week after the league-leading Zags swept Portland and San Francisco to stay in first place. It is Barta’s third such WCC honor this season.

On the week, Barta shot 58.8 percent from the field, averaging 22.5 points and eight rebounds in only 22.5 minutes per game for GU, which is 17-4 overall and 10-0 in the WCC.

Against Portland, Barta posted 21 points and seven rebounds, and two days later she was one rebound short of a double-double at San Francisco with 24 points and nine boards.

Barta also showed some hustle with three steals at USF and dished four assists against the Pilots. She blocked a shot in each game.

The WCC weekly honor was the fifth in Barta’s career. She’s the first Zag to manage that feat since Courtney Vandersloot was tabbed three times in 2010-11.

Stephanie Hawk was honored five times in 2006-07.

Currently, Barta leads the Zags in points (18.5 per game), rebounds (8.5), free throw percentage (.840), and double-doubles (eight).

GU has a three-game lead on the WCC field going into Thursday’s game at San Diego (12-9 overall, 5-5 WCC) and a Saturday date at second-place BYU (12-9, 7-3).