No. 22 Gonzaga women host UC Davis, hoping to build momentum before opening conference play

This isn’t about revenge, though that would be nice, too.

For the Gonzaga women, Sunday’s nonconference game against UC Davis is about getting healthy and back in some semblance of rhythm.

That’s important, because West Coast Conference play opens five days later against none other than defending champion BYU.

According to coach Lisa Fortier, the 22nd-ranked Zags (8-2) may be through the worst of the injuries and illnesses that left them with just seven players against Stanford and Queens University of Charlotte (North Carolina).

It could be argued that those games might have turned out the same regardless of who the Zags in uniform, but that probably won’t be the case on Sunday.

UC Davis is only 3-4 but owns wins over Boise State and Pacific. The Aggies are coming off a tough 58-53 loss at Saint Mary’s.

Asked about the upcoming game following the win over Queens, Fortier shrugged her shoulders and said she hasn’t made in-depth preparations.

“I’ve just been focusing on who’s going to be able to play on our team,” Fortier said.

That won’t be revealed until game time, though Fortier hinted that some players might return.

The most likely returnee appears to be redshirt freshman Calli Stokes, who missed two games with an undisclosed illness but shagged balls for her teammates on Tuesday and appeared healthy.

Starting forward Eliza Hollingsworth is also dealing with an illness that has cost her three consecutive games.

Bulldogs backup forward Maud Huijbens is under concussion protocol.

The player least likely to return is senior point guard Kayleigh Truong, who is dealing with an injured foot.

The Zags were in a similar situation almost exactly a year ago at UC Davis. Truong was at half strength after a knee injury, though it didn’t seem to matter in the early going as GU led by 15 points late in the third quarter but lost 69-66.

That has no bearing on Sunday’s game, but Davis won’t be a pushover.

“They have some good shooters and they’re a well-rounded offensive team, and they work with each other very well,” Fortier said of the Aggies, who are picked to finish fifth in the Big West Conference.

The Aggies are led by all-conference guard Evanne Turner, whose 18.7-point scoring average is more than twice that of any teammate.