10/16/2024 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Ejim and Huijbens named to preseason team
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The Gonzaga women's basketball team was picked to finish first in the West Coast Conference in preseason polls for the third-straight season. Graduate student Maud Huijbens and Fifth Year Yvonne Ejim were also named to the Preseason All-WCC Team as the poll and preseason all-conference team were announced Wednesday morning by the WCC.
The Zags received five first-place votes that and totaled 92 points in the poll. The poll is voted on by the league's 11 head coaches, and coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. Washington State received two first-place votes and was voted second with 91 points. Portland and Oregon State were also given two first-place votes to come in third and fourth, respectively.
Gonzaga has amassed a conference record of 290-34 (.895) during the last 20 seasons, which includes 18 West Coast Conference regular-season titles and nine WCC Tournament championships.
Last season, Ejim led the Zags in scoring with 19.7 points and 8.7 rebounds a game and recorded 15 double doubles. She scored at least 20 points in 16 games this past season and recorded double figures in all 34 games she played in. With her efforts last year, she was named the WCC Player and WCC Defensive Player of the Year along with All-WCC First Team honors. She was named the Becky Hammon Player of the Year and was a Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year finalist. In the offseason, Ejim was part of the Canadian Olympic Team and played in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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Huijbens was named the WCC's Sixth Woman of the Year last season as she was the sixth leading scorer coming off the bench, averaging 6.3 points per game. She scored in double figures six times last season, including a career-high 15 points three times. Huijbens recorded her first career double-double at San Francisco. She was named GU's third Sixth Woman of the Year award in four years.
2024-25 WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
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The Zags received five first-place votes that and totaled 92 points in the poll. The poll is voted on by the league's 11 head coaches, and coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team. Washington State received two first-place votes and was voted second with 91 points. Portland and Oregon State were also given two first-place votes to come in third and fourth, respectively.
Gonzaga has amassed a conference record of 290-34 (.895) during the last 20 seasons, which includes 18 West Coast Conference regular-season titles and nine WCC Tournament championships.
Last season, Ejim led the Zags in scoring with 19.7 points and 8.7 rebounds a game and recorded 15 double doubles. She scored at least 20 points in 16 games this past season and recorded double figures in all 34 games she played in. With her efforts last year, she was named the WCC Player and WCC Defensive Player of the Year along with All-WCC First Team honors. She was named the Becky Hammon Player of the Year and was a Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year finalist. In the offseason, Ejim was part of the Canadian Olympic Team and played in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
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Huijbens was named the WCC's Sixth Woman of the Year last season as she was the sixth leading scorer coming off the bench, averaging 6.3 points per game. She scored in double figures six times last season, including a career-high 15 points three times. Huijbens recorded her first career double-double at San Francisco. She was named GU's third Sixth Woman of the Year award in four years.
2024-25 WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Place | Team | First Place | Points |
| 1. | Gonzaga | 5 | 92 |
| 2. | Washington State | 2 | 91 |
| 3. | Portland | 2 | 84 |
| 4. | Oregon State | 2 | 77 |
| 5. | Pacific | 63 | |
| 6. | San Francisco | 53 | |
| 7. | Santa Clara | 43 | |
| 8. | Saint Mary's | 39 | |
| 9. | San Diego | 28 | |
| 10. | LMU | 20 | |
| 11. | Pepperdine | 15 |
| 2024-25 All-WCC Women's Basketball Preseason Team | |||
| Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
| Maisie Burnham | Sr. | G | Portland |
| Debora dos Santos | Sr. | F | San Francisco |
| Yvonne Ejim | 5th | F | Gonzaga |
| Maud Huijbens | Gr. | F | Gonzaga |
| Anaya James | Sr. | G | Pacific |
| AJ Marotte | Sr. | G | Oregon State |
| Olivia Pollerd | Sr. | F | Santa Clara |
| Emme Shearer | Sr. | G | Portland |
| Eleonora Villa | So. | G | Washington State |
| Tara Wallack | Sr. | G | Washington State |
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballThursday, March 28
Monday, March 25
Sunday, March 24
Saturday, March 23
