Gonzaga Women Picked to Finish Second in WCC Preseason Poll

The Gonzaga Bulldogs women’s basketball team secured two first place votes in the 2021-22 WCC Women’s Preseason Poll, but are largely picked to finish second in the league, behind the BYU Cougars.

Much of this comes from who the Zags lost from last season (the Wirth twins, Jill Townsend) and who the Cougars return (basically everyone). BYU secured eight of the 10 first place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll.

Looking at the All-WCC Preseason Team, the Zags have one representative in Melody Kempton, the reigning WCC Sixth Women of the Year. The Cougars have three representatives: juniors Shaylee Gonzales and Lauren Gustin and senior Paisley Harding.

See below for the complete preseason polls and and All-WCC team.

Preseason Poll

1. BYU (8), 80
2. Gonzaga (2), 72
3. San Diego, 66
4. San Francisco, 53
5. Portland, 51
6. Santa Clara, 40
7. Saint Mary’s, 32
8. LMU, 26
9. Pepperdine, 16
10. Pacific, 14

All-WCC Preseason Team

• Haylee Andrews, senior, Portland
• Jordyn Edwards, senior, San Diego
• Alex Fowler, junior, Portland
• Shaylee Gonzales, junior, BYU
• Lauren Gustin, junior, BYU
• Paisley Harding, senior, BYU
• Melody Kempton, senior, Gonzaga
• Ioanna Krimili, sophomore, San Francisco
• Myah Pace, senior, San Diego
• Mere Wiehl, senior, Santa Clara