Women's Basketball Seniors

Jessie Loera and Katie Campbell made incredible contributions to our team this year, and in their careers as Zags. As this season began, I was thinking they were going to be great on the floor, and solid as leaders, but they developed into much more than that. They have very different stories and different paths to Gonzaga, but both could be called “Ultimate Zags.”

Katie got off to a little bit of a slow start when she first arrived at Gonzaga, but by the time she was in her 2nd year here, she was playing with an enormous amount of confidence in herself. As a shooter, confidence is a key component to success. You have to believe in yourself first, and then you can show everyone what you can do. The past two years, Katie has wanted the ball in any situation, up big, down big, game on the line, you name it. She was ready to make the shot to propel the team forward. This year especially, she began defending with an extra amount of energy and intensity. She has always had quick hands, but senior year she was really able to turn on-ball defense into steals and layups. Every minute Katie played for us this year, she made an impact. There were times when the shot was a little off, so she rebounded. Or she might have struggled with a size matchup, but she knocked down open shots and got to the free throw line. She was an unassumingly vocal leader as well. She never came into practice in a bad mood, or if she did, she put it away when it was time to go. She was constantly talking to people and clapping, even when she was going through her hardest times.

Jessie has been a spark plug her entire career at Gonzaga. She has always been a fan favorite because of how fast and fearless she is. She has some of the quickest feet and best defensive instincts I have coached. She is a great anticipator, and that is a key reason why she has taken so many charges and gotten so many steals in her career. She is an offensive players nightmare. Her skill set did not stop on the defensive end. This year she was one of our leading three-point shooters, and all year climbed the list for assists in a career. She had games with eight and nine assists regularly throughout her time playing here for us. Jessie has never ever quit on a play or pouted after making a mistake. She just ran the other way and found a way to make it right. She is not the most vocal leader we have ever had, but when she is out there on the floor, her confidence comes out and she runs the show. I loved coaching Jess, and we will really miss her next year. She has a huge heart, and is a very selfless person, which is going to undoubtably make her a tremendous special education teacher.