Why Gonzaga women’s bench will be key to upset Ole Miss in NCAA Tournament opener

MINNEAPOLIS – In 32 of 33 games this season, the Gonzaga women’s basketball team has had the same starting lineup.

Senior guard Ines Bettencourt missed a start dealing with the flu; otherwise the Zags’ starting lineup never would have changed.

A stable starting lineup is something coach Lisa Fortier is known for in her 12 years.

This much is true about the Bulldogs, though. Gonzaga wouldn’t be in the NCAA Tournament without its bench.

The Zags’ bench has been more than capable when called upon.

The first two players off the bench have been freshman forward Jaiden Haile and transfer sophomore guard Teryn Gardner.

Haile will often check in for star post Lauren Whittaker. In the second half of the season, Fortier has packaged Whittaker and Haile together, making it difficult for opponents to deal with the formidable frontcourt pair.

Haile has had four double-doubles off the bench and has been a force on the offensive glass. She was named the West Coast Conference Sixth Woman of the Year. She also was named to the All-Freshman team.

Zags have won the Sixth Woman of the Year award four out of the six years since the conference started honoring the top reserve in 2020-21.

“We take a little bit of pride in the idea that we have the sixth player of the year most of the time,” Fortier said. “We’re not a team that relies on one or two players exclusively. Sometimes one or two players have big games … but we really focus on being the best team.”

Haile said Gonzaga’s coaches have allowed her and her young teammates space to grow.

“They (the coaches) don’t put a lot of pressure on freshmen. That’s not the standard here,” said Haile, who is from nearby Fargo, North Dakota. “They wanted me to do my best and whatever I could contribute was enough. Over the season my role grew and I was able to handle more responsibility.”

Coming off the bench was new for Haile, who led her high school team to a state championship as a senior.

“This was a role I had never been in. Even on my (club) traveling teams I started and had a lot of minutes,” Haile said. “I probably had higher expectations than anybody else did. I just put a lot of faith in myself and worked on and off the court.”

Haile led all reserves with seven points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

“Everyone (off the bench) contributes in a different way,” Haile said. “We’ve really leaned into it as the season’s gone on. The more we lean into it the better we’ve been.”

Fortier has had the option of putting a smaller lineup on the floor. That means Bettencourt and sophomore guard Allie Turner team with a combination of Gardner, freshman Julia Wilson, freshman Paige Lofing and sophomore Christabel Osarobo.

The starters appreciate their bench mates.

“We have a lot of key weapons on our bench,” Turner said. “They’re always ready.”

Whittaker agreed.

“I said in another interview that our bench players are just as good and you can really play everyone,” Whittaker said. “They bring a lot of skill and that’s why I think it’s hard to stop (us). They’re versatile and can score the ball as well.”

At times, the bench has had to overcome injuries and illness. Junior transfer forward McKynnlie Dalan has fought injuries and the flu; graduate transfer Sierra Lichte missed time with a knee issue and sat out at the WCC Tournament with a concussion; and Lofing battled the flu.

Osarobo has been a defensive stopper that Fortier has turned to when needed.

The reserves have had their moments. At Oregon State, Lofing came off the bench having not played previously in the game and hit an NBA-range 3-pointer with three seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Two games later, Lofing had a career-best 17 points in an 81-75 win at Washington State.

Wilson is one of if not the best athlete on the team. Her minutes have increased late in the season.

Gardner, a transfer from Boise State, was a three-sport standout at Mead High School. She was named the Defensive Player of the Year for the Greater Spokane League her senior year.

She’s also a gifted shooter, especially from long range. She ranks second on the team (45%) behind Turner (46.7%).

“It’s been fun to build a role here,” Gardner said. “I just try to bring energy, a spark, anything I can do that the team needs I’ll try to bring.”

Gardner has blossomed in her role.

“We have such a deep bench,” Gardner said. “You could take any one of our players and put them on another team and they could be starters.”

Slowed by things out of her control, Dalan, from tiny Montesano, Washington, who transferred from Minnesota after one season, provides rebound support, defense and offense when needed.

“I’ve battled through quite a bit of adversity in my career,” Dalan said. “It’s just been little things, nagging things, that have been tough.”

Dalan said she’s as healthy as she’s been in two years at Gonzaga.

“I finally started to feel human again after the flu,” Dalan said.

Dalan sang the praises of the bench.

“There’s not a huge drop off from starters to bench players,” Dalan said. “We celebrate everyone’s success before our own. That makes us really special.”

Lofing missed a couple of games with the flu. Fortier brings her in when the Zags need another 3-point threat.

Assistant coach Stacy Clinesmith sits next to the reserves on the bench.

“I have a lot of interaction with them when they come out of the game, when they’re sitting by me,” Clinesmith said. “We all want the same thing. We want to win, and it doesn’t matter who is on the court or who is on the bench.”

Another example of the bench’s value is noticing who is on the court in the final five minutes of games. Many times this season a couple of reserves have helped Gonzaga secure victories late, not just fill up the stat sheet during mop-up time in games already decided.

“A lot of people are expecting that, when you substitute, there’s a letdown,” Fortier said. “We’re just fortunate that we’re able to bring in quality players and maintain the same level of play.”