2019-20 Player Preview: Louise Forsyth

Will this be the year that Louise Forsyth unleashes her scoring ability for Gonzaga? That is the question that fans, the coaching staff, and likely Forsyth herself is pondering as she enters her junior season.

After a stress fracture in her foot essentially wiped out her freshman season (39 minutes in 13 games), the 2018-19 season was an opportunity for Forsyth to get back on track and showcase her dynamic talents. While Forsyth increased her appearances as a sophomore, she wasn’t quite able to gain a foothold in the rotation and carve out a consistent role for herself averaging just under 7 minutes per game.

A top-50 recruit coming out of high school at Brookswood Secondary in British Columbia, Canada, Forsyth was regarded as a high level shooter with the untiring work ethic that coaches crave. Both those traits are certainly still present today, as Lisa Fortier has lauded Forsyth for her superb conditioning and mentality of always practicing at game speed. In 27 games last year, Forsyth shot 46.9% from the three-point line (15-32), and represents the legitimate threat from the perimeter which Gonzaga sorely needs.

Following Jill Townsend’s injury during the WCC Tournament, Forsyth saw her usage increase and played double digit minutes for three consecutive games—the only time that occurred all season. Despite the increased opportunity, Forsyth only managed 8 points across the three games, all in the tournament game against Little Rock. While that performance was strong and what Fortier was hoping for, it begs the question of why we haven’t seen Forsyth find more consistent form?

Fortier has surely been pondering that question all offseason and will be considering how she can quickly unlock Forsyth’s ability to complement Jessie Loera, Katie Campbell, and Townsend in the backcourt. If she can, Gonzaga’s offense will take a big step forward.