LAS VEGAS – For the seventh-straight season, the Gonzaga women's basketball team was voted to win the West Coast Conference. Juniors
Jill Townsend and
Jenn Wirth were both named to the Preseason All-WCC team. The poll and team were announced at the ninth annual #WCChoops Tip-Off event Wednesday from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
The Zags, which have won 14 of the last 15 regular-season WCC titles, received seven of 10 first place votes for 78 points. The poll is voted on by the league's 10 head coaches, and coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. BYU received the final three votes and was selected to finish second in the conference with 75 points.
Gonzaga has now been selected to win the conference 12 of the last 16 years. Pacific was selected to finish third, its highest preseason selection since rejoining the conference ahead of the 2013-14 season. The Tigers finished with 61 points, just ahead of Saint Mary's in fourth with 59 points. Santa Clara (fifth, 40 points), rounded out the top half of the 2019-20 poll.
This is the first preseason nod for both Townsend and Wirth. Townsend, who was selected All-WCC Honorable Mention a season ago, appeared in 31 games for the Bulldogs. She's the top returning scorer for the Zags at 9.4 points per game, and last season she ranked third on the Zags and fifth in the conference in field goal percentage at 51.7 percent. Townsend scored a career-high 19 points off 6-of-11 from the floor in GU's double-overtime thriller against Saint Mary's in the semifinals of the WCC tournament. Last season, she added career highs in rebounds (10), assists (5), steals (3) and blocks (2).
Wirth saw action in the final 27 games for the Bulldogs after being sidelined with a finger injury to open the season. She ranked sixth on the squad in scoring at 8.3 points per outing, and she led the Zags and ranked second in the WCC in field goal percentage at 53.8 percent sinking 91-of-169 attempts. Wirth twice recorded a double-double last season, and she set new career highs in points (16), blocks (4) and minutes (26). She scored in double-figures 10 times last season, and grabbed at least five rebounds on 15 different occasions.
Head coach
Lisa Fortier continues to extend her record-breaking tenure as she led the Bulldogs to their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in her first five seasons along a program-record Associated Press ranking of No. 12. Fortier also became the only coach in conference history to be tabbed coach of the year four times in her first five seasons as she earned her third-straight WCC Coach of the Year honor in 2019. Fortier led a deep squad to its 11th 25-win season in 12 years. GU advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history, advancing to the Second Round before falling at Oregon State.
Gonzaga has amassed a conference record of 209-29 (.878) during the last 15 seasons, which includes 14 West Coast Conference regular-season titles and seven WCC Tournament championships
Fans will have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the 2019-20 squad on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Numerica Fan Fest at 4 p.m inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. GU begins its season with an exhibition game against Warner Pacific on Nov. 2.
2019-20 West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| |
TEAM (First Place Points) |
Points |
| 1 |
Gonzaga (7) |
78 |
| 2 |
BYU (3) |
75 |
| 3 |
Pacific |
61 |
| 4 |
Saint Mary's |
59 |
| 5 |
Santa Clara |
40 |
| T6 |
Loyola Marymount |
39 |
| T6 |
Pepperdine |
39 |
| 8 |
San Diego |
27 |
| 9 |
San Francisco |
18 |
| 10 |
Portland |
14 |
2019-20 All-WCC Preseason Women's Basketball Team
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Pos. |
| Brenna Chase Drollinger |
BYU |
Sr. |
G |
| Chelsey Gipson |
Loyola Marymount |
Jr. |
G |
| Sara Hamson |
BYU |
Jr. |
C |
| Tia Hay |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
G |
| Valerie Higgins |
Pacific |
RJr. |
G |
| Paisley Johnson |
BYU |
Jr. |
G |
| Brooklyn McDavid |
Pacific |
Jr. |
F |
| Sam Simons |
Saint Mary's |
So. |
G/F |
| Jill Townsend |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
G |
| Jenn Wirth |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
F |
