Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim, Allie Turner and coach Lisa Fortier dominate WCC awards

The reigning best and the future were celebrated in West Coast Conference honors announced Tuesday.

At least as far as Gonzaga is concerned.

For the second year in a row, Gonzaga graduate forward Yvonne Ejim was named the conference’s player of the year, the defensive player of the year and to the All-WCC first team.

Gonzaga point guard Allie Turner was named WCC Freshman of the Year after receiving the weekly honor eight times. She also was named to the first team.

And for a third consecutive year, Gonzaga’s Lisa Fortier was named WCC Coach of the Year. It’s the seventh time in her 11 seasons she’s received the honor.

Washington State’s lone senior, forward Tara Wallack, was named to the first team. Teammates Charlotte Abraham and Dayana Mendez were named to the freshman team.

WSU sophomore guard Eleonora Villa was named to the second team and Gonzaga graduate forward Maud Huijbens was named honorable mention. Huijbens was the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year last season.

WSU junior point guard Astera Tuhina was named honorable mention.

Liberty (Spangle) High graduate and Portland standout Maisie Burnham, a senior guard, was named to the first team. Portland, which shared the WCC championship with Gonzaga, had three first-team picks, the most of any WCC team.

Ejim became the first player in WCC history to score more than 2,000 points and grab more than 1,000 rebounds . She led the conference in scoring average, points, rebounds, rebounds per game, field goals and double-doubles.

She ranks second in the WCC in points in all games (2,301) and conference games (1,223). She’s seven away from becoming Gonzaga’s all-time leader, male or female. Drew Timme is tops at 2,307.

Ejim is a semifinalist for the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award and on the top 10 watch list for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year award. She is on the top 20 list for the John R. Wooden Award, and on lists for the Naismith and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale awards.

Ejim deflected when asked about the honors Tuesday after practice.

“I’m super proud of just what this team has been able to do to get me to this position,” Ejim said. “I don’t think I would have gotten any of these awards without my team. You don’t become player of the year or defensive player of the year without going against some of these players, not only on my team, but in our league as well.”

The honors capped Ejim’s sensational five-year career.

“It was a no-brainer,” Fortier said of Ejim repeating. “She’s done a really good job all year. She’s very consistent and she’s improved again. She’s put us on her shoulders at different times and carried us. It’s well deserved.”

Ejim said she’s most proud of the defensive player of the year honor.

Turner didn’t know what her role for Gonzaga would be when she arrived. Even Fortier thought, at worse, Turner would offer value minutes off the bench, perhaps as the first player of the bench.

Injuries opened the door and Turner took advantage of the opportunity.

She’s the Zags’ second-leading scorer and ranks eighth in the nation in made 3-pointers (91), first among freshmen.

“I’m just super grateful,” Turner said. “I definitely wouldn’t have done it without the coaches and the team.”

“In my mind, it was a little bit more of a no-brainer,” Fortier said of Turner’s award. “She’s done a terrific job and beyond peoples’ expectations – maybe even her own, to be honest with you. She came in not expecting to have to do what she’s had to do.”

After the Zags started WCC play 1-2, including a heartbreaking overtime loss at home against Oregon State, they reeled off 14 consecutive wins and ended up sharing the conference title with Portland. Gonzaga swept Portland in conference games.

Fortier didn’t talk about the coach of the year honor without first being a little self-deprecating.

“People probably feel bad for me because I had cancer,” Fortier said. “I’m proud of my team and my staff.”

Wallack was second in the WCC in blocks, sixth in rebounds, fourth in minutes played, eighth in rebounds, 11th in points and 12th in points per game.

Burnham led Portland in scoring at 17 per game on 48.3% shooting from the field. She scored 20 or more points 13 times, including a career-high 31 in a win over WSU.