Gonzaga women ready to do ‘whatever it takes’ to make up for disappointing postseason

The season had barely ended when Gonzaga star Yvonne Ejim talked about working a little harder next season.

That was on March 17, after the Zags were ousted by Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“We can already start, like, tomorrow or whenever we get back on the court on getting your body right, getting your mental right, like, whatever that matters in your life, whatever it takes to get better as a basketball player in order to contribute to this team,” Ejim said after the game.

Ejim’s comments reflected the mood. Going into the West Coast Conference Tournament title game, the Zags were 28-3 and ranked 16th in the nation – despite injuries that decimated the lineup for most of the season.

But losses to Portland and Ole Miss left everyone with a sense of incompleteness – a lack of postseason sizzle to go along with the regular-season steak.

In nine seasons under Coach Lisa Fortier, the Zags have utterly dominated the WCC with seven regular-season titles and four tournament championships.

But since her first season at the helm – the Sweet 16 run of 2015 – Gonzaga has won just two NCAA games in the last eight seasons.

Bad luck, notably the pandemic that cost the 2019-20 squad a chance to host NCAA games, has played a part. But the Zags also haven’t risen to the occasion in March.

Destined on the dreaded 8-9 line in the runup to March Madness, the talk was that low strength of schedule in the WCC was costing the Zags a shot at the coveted second week in the tournament.

Of course, you must win the opener first.

And how frustrating it must have been to see two teams the Zags beat this year, Tennessee and Louisville, reach the Sweet 16.

“The conference prepares you for certain things,” Fortier said. “I don’t know that it necessarily prepares us for the NCAA Tournament.”

There’s no indication the WCC will get stronger – in fact it may move the wrong direction with the departure of BYU – so Gonzaga will face that job alone.

With a loaded team returning, that means beefing up the nonconference schedule as much as possible – easier said than done, given the reluctance of Power 5 programs to visit the Kennel.

Expect the Zags to play some tough true road games in addition to seeking another high-profile Thanksgiving weekend tournament.

Another golden opportunity will be a chance to win in the Kennel against Stanford, which loses some key players.

Barring injury, that team will be a tough out for anyone. Kayleigh and Kaylynne Truong will lead a formidable backcourt augmented by one of the best shooters in the league in Brynna Maxwell.

Yvonne Ejim brings strength into the paint, while Eliza Hollingsworth showed more aggressiveness inside to go with her outside shooting. Maud Huijbens will be expected to play a major role off the bench.

Wing McKayla Williams, the Zags’ best defender, showed major improvement on the offensive end last year. But if the Truong sisters are starting, the coaches will have a tough decision on whether to start Williams or Maxwell.

Either way, both will get plenty of playing time.

More than any other player, redshirt freshman Calli Stokes benefited from the extra playing time forced by injuries to others. Though struggling at times with her shot, Stokes was a standout defender at multiple positions.

Esther Little is in a similar position with her versatility.

Former five-star recruit Bree Salenbien is expected to return after missing the entire year after an ACL injury suffered in March 2022.

And for the first time in two years, the Zags will be getting help from the high school ranks. Due to arrive this summer are Ella Hopkins, a 6-foot-2 post from Rochester, Minnesota; and Claire O’Connor a 6-1 wing/shooting guard from Seattle.

That leaves one more scholarship spot. It’s hard to tell how the staff will handle the significant loss of all five starters a year from now.

“We are talking about a lot of things that we can try to build on from this year,” Fortier said. “I think that it’s on-the-court stuff, it’s off the court stuff, it’s leadership stuff. It’s so many things.”