SPOKANE, Wash. – The No. 14/13 Gonzaga women's basketball is headed back to the big dance for the fourth-straight season and 12th time in program history, selected as the No. 5 seed in the Mercado Region of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. GU will face 12th-seeded Belmont Monday, March 22 in San Marcos, Texas, at 1 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
 
Gonzaga (23-3) ties its best-ever NCAA Tournament seed with No. 5, marking the second-straight tournament the Zags have secured the program's top seed.
 
"It seems like it's been longer than two years. Last year was obviously a totally different situation. We were super pumped about potentially hosting, and this year we're all in one spot. But we're really excited about the game, and that we've made it to this point, hopefully able to make it to next Monday."
 
THE TIP-OFF
- Gonzaga defeated BYU 43-42 on a last-second shot--and only made field goal--from Jill Townsend to capture the Zags' ninth tournament title and berth to their 12th NCAA tournament (not including the 2020 NCAA Tournament in which GU was projected as a No. 3/4 seed but was not the WCC automatic qualifier).
- Gonzaga returns to the NCAA Tournament for the 12th time in program history and the fourth-straight season (not including the 2020 NCAA Tournament that was cancelled due to COVID-19). Gonzaga secured a No. 5 seed for the 2021 tournament, which ties the highest seed in program history. It marks the second-straight tournament GU has been a No. 5 seed. In the last NCAA tournament in 2019, Gonzaga advanced to the NCAA Second Round before falling to No. 4 seed, and First and Second Rounds host, Oregon State 76-70.
- In 11 previous NCAA Tournament appearances, Gonzaga has advanced to the Elite Eight one time (2011), and the Sweet 16 on four separate occasions: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. GU owns an even 11-11 record in the NCAA Tournament.
- With the win, GU improved to 23-3 on the season. It marks the fifth-straight 20-win season for the Zags, and the 19th 20-win season in program history.
-Gonzaga has twice played on March 22, with both games coming during the NCAA Tournament. The Zags carry a perfect 2-0 mark on the day; GU first faced Texas A&M on March 22, collecting a 72-71 victory in the NCAA Second Round in 2010. The last time GU played on March 22 was during the 2015 season, Head Coach Lisa Fortier's first as the Zags HC, defeating Oregon State 76-64 in Corvallis to advance to the Sweet 16.