2021-22 Player Review: Kaylynne Truong

The Truong twins arrived as a package deal and to a certain extent, they often times play as a package deal. Corrections are constantly made on air as announcers try and remember which player wears No. 11 and which one wears No. 14.

Interesting, both Kayleigh and Kaylynne averaged 24.3 minutes per game this season. However, Kayleigh Truong is the starting point guard, so the focal point often lands on her. This season, when asked to, Kaylynne Truong stepped up and showcased the depth of the Gonzaga backcourt, and why the team is in stellar hands for next season.

Truong’s stats this season took a large jump across the board. She was the third-leading scorer on the squad with 10.4 points. She was the second-best three point shooter at 35.1 percent. She dished out 3.4 assists per game and shot 89.3 percent from the free throw line. She also committed fewer turnovers per 40 minutes than her sophomore season.

Truong was also forced into a different role this season when Kayleigh was sidelined for seven games with a knee injury. Suddenly, the team was largely without a true point guard, and Kaylynne Truong valiantly was called into service.

As one would expect, it wasn’t too pretty at first. In the first start against the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine, Truong finished with six turnovers and four assists. Those stats would follow a similar pattern for a few games while head coach Lisa Fortier relied on the junior more than most members of the squad. It is rare for a Gonzaga player to tally more than 30 minutes in a game, but Truong did in almost every single one of her seven starts.

By the end of the experiment, Truong had adjusted and was up to the task. In her final two starts during the Kayleigh-less stretch of basketball, Kaylynne totaled 12 assists to just one turnover.

So with the rest of the season looking ahead, the Zags now had a new weapon, and it is reflected in the almost mirror stats between Kayleigh, often considered the point guard, and Kaylynne, the two-guard. Kayleigh finished with 3.8 assists per game, Kaylynne with 3.4. The Zags effectively could operate two point guard sets, or rest easy knowing that the ball was in capable hands when “the starter” was on the bench.

Next season, Truong should finally crack into the starting role, which is largely just a formality with how deep Coach Fortier runs the bench. However, her talents will be even more needed with the departure of Cierra Walker, the sharpshooter from last season. Truong finished with 151 3PA and 53 makes, second on the squad for both categories.

Although we might see the Truong twins settle into more traditional guard duties next year while on the court at the same time, we should expect to see them on the court together much more than we did this season. As half of the veteran backcourt, Kaylynne’s play will be crucial to the Zags’ overall success next season.