Gonzaga women favored in more open West Coast Conference

The West Coast Conference women’s basketball season starts a bit earlier than usual this year, and for Gonzaga, the timing could be a little better.

First of all, it’s finals week – these are student-athletes, after all. The Zags are also down a few bodies and trying to work through ever-changing rotations.

On top of that, GU opens WCC play Saturday against none other than BYU, the defending regular-season champion and the Zags’ biggest rival of late.

Then again, this might not be the biggest game of the year in the Kennel – it’s too early to tell. At the same time, almost every team in the WCC is facing some sort of challenges.

Preseason favorite GU is 9-2 and ranked 23rd but is down three players. BYU lost heavily to graduation and to the transfer portal and is only 5-6. Portland, picked for third, is just 6-5, though three of those losses came against Pac-12 teams.

Overall, the conference did a solid job in nonconference play, going 57-54 against Division 1 opponents to rank 10th overall, according to RealTimeRPI.com. Only two teams, however, are in the top 100 in the NCAA’s NET rankings: GU (24th) and San Francisco (88th).

Does that make the Dons the biggest threat to Gonzaga winning the regular-season title? Stay tuned.

Here’s a look at the WCC teams going into conference play.

Gonzaga (9-2, No. 24 in NET): The Zags have overachieved this year and are still the team to beat despite being without starting point guard Kayleigh Truong (foot) for the foreseeable future. Kaylynne Truong, Yvonne Ejim and Brynna Maxwell are a formidable trio and will be difficult for most opponents to stop.

USF (9-2, No. 88 in NET): Based on what’s happened so far, the Dons have a solid shot to contend for the title. They return all the key components that gave GU three tough games last year, including defending WCC scoring champ Ioanna Krimili (18.0 ppg this season), Kennedy Dickie and Jasmine Gayles. USF has no top-tier wins, however, and its strength of schedule ranks only 168th.

Santa Clara (6-2, No. 104 NET): The Broncos (picked to finish eighth) went just 8-10 in conference last year but are the surprise team of the nonconference season. Two weeks ago, they took the Las Vegas Holiday Classic after beating South Dakota (a Sweet 16 team last year) and Washington. Three days later, they lost by only 13 at No. 2 Stanford. Freshman Tess Heal leads the way with 15.5 ppg, but three others are averaging nine points or better.

Portland (6-5, No. 147 NET): Three of the Pilots’ losses are against Pac-12 teams, but they lack any quality wins. The Pilots will again count on forward Alex Fowler, who’s averaging 16.5 points and 5.0 boards, 6-foot-6 Lucy Cochrane and guard Haylee Andrews.

BYU (3-6, No. 153 NET): No WCC team lost more in the offseason than the Cougars, who saw longtime coach Jeff Judkins retire and two-time league MVP Shaylee Gonzales transfer to Texas. The only returning starter is senior forward Lauren Gustin, whose 13.7 rebounding average ranks second in Division I. Gustin also averages a team-high 16 points.

Saint Mary’s (6-4, 154 in NET): A solid nonconference season came to a shocking end last weekend when the Gaels lost by 35 at Montana State of the Big Sky Conference. Saint Mary’s owns wins over Boise State and Nevada, and lost by just three to Cal. Veteran forward Ali Bamberger (16.6ppg, 7.4rpg) is poised for another big year.

Pacific (4-5, No. 168 NET): Picked to finish ninth, the Tigers have been a pleasant surprise. Hosting a Thanksgiving tournament, they easily handled a Wyoming team that almost beat GU, and went down to the wire before losing by six to UC Davis. Pacific also has wins over Nevada and UNLV, the latter’s only defeat. The Tigers also are balanced, with five players averaging at least 8.7 ppg.

San Diego (5-5, No. 186 NET): It’s been a strange season for USD, which took USC to the limit, beat Idaho State by one point and is coming off a 23-point loss to San Diego State. The Toreros are still looking for a go-to player on offense, as no one averages more than the 10.8 ppg of Kiera Oakry.

Pepperdine (5-5, No. 192 NET): Chosen to finish last, the Waves broke even against one of the easiest schedules (ranked 307th) in Division I. Two of their wins are against UC Riverside and another was over CSU Bakersfield. Sophomore guard Ally Steadman is averaging 16.6 points.

Loyola Marymount (1-8, No. 311 in NET): It’s been a brutal year, with double-digit losses to the likes of UC Santa Barbara, Texas State and Wichita State. The Lions, however, ended nonconference action with their first Division 1 win of the year, 71-63 over Utah State.