- The Gonzaga women's basketball team closes out the non-conference schedule on the road with two games. The first one is at Missouri State this Friday, Dec. 19, followed by UC Riverside on Dec. 21. 

- Freshman Lauren Whittaker is shooting at 57.8% from the floor, which ranks first  in the West Coast Conference and 31st in the nation. With 219 points so far this season, she ranks third in scoring among other freshmen in the country and 20th overall. 

- Against Colorado State, Whittaker scored 29 points, making her just the third freshman in GU history to scored 29 points or more in a game. (Jill Barta and Heather Bowman are the only other two.)

- Gonzaga is currently ranked 20 in the country and first in the WCC in three-point percentage at 37.9%. Individually, Allie Turner leads the team in made threes this season with 26 and ranks 76th nationally.

- The Zags have outrebounded their opponents in 10 of the 11 games this year and has a rebound margin of +8.5 to rank 40th in the country.

- Whittaker has scored at least 20 points in five games so far this year. She has reached double figures in scoring in 10 of 11 games played and has three double doubles. 

- The Zags represent the last two WCC Freshman of the Year with Allie Turner winning it in 2025 and Zee Aokuso in 2024 during her time at Saint Mary's.

- Turner was recently named to the 2026 Becky Hammon Player of the Year Preseason Watch List. She was one of 25 players in the country to make the list.
- The Bulldogs were picked to finish second in the West Coast Conference in the preseason coaches poll. Sophomore Allie Turner and junior Zee Aukoso were named to the WCC Preseason Team as well.

- Head coach Lisa Fortier currently sits at 295-79 in her career. Among active Division I coaches with at least five years at the level, she is currently ranked sixth in winning percentage (.789). Fortier is also now tied in second place on the WCC career coaching wins list with 171.

THE SERIES
SERIES INFO: Gonzaga leads the series overall 3-2. The last win was in 2019 at home. 

STREAK: Missouri State - 1

FIRST MEETING: In 2005, GU lost in the WNIT in the second round on the road, 85-66.

LAST MEETING: Last season Gonzaga lost 65-64 to Missouri State in Paradise Jam at the Virgin Islands.

SCOUTING THE LADY BEARS

- Missouri State is 7-4 overall and 3-1 in true road games this season.

- The Bears average 68.2 points per game and hold opponents to 65.2, with a +3.0 scoring margin.

- Kaemyn Bekemeier leads the team at 17.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, shooting 37.3% from three.

- Lainie Douglas adds 13.3 points per game on 55.2% shooting and provides a consistent interior presence.

- Missouri State owns a +3.8 rebounding margin, averaging 40.3 rebounds per game.

WHITTAKER TAKEOVER
- Lauren Whittaker scored 29 points against Colorado State. She is the first freshman to reach at least 29 points since Jill Barta in 2016 when she scored 31.

- Whittaker is one of three freshmen in GU history to reach 29 points or more in a game, joining Barta (2016) and Heather Bowman (2006).

- Whittaker recorded her first double double of her career against SDSU. She is one of 11 freshmen in GU history to record a double double with points and rebounds. (Jill Barta, Heather Bowman, Anne Bailey, Kelly Bowen, Janelle Bekkering, Courtney Vandersloot, Jenn Wirth, Ashley Anderson, Emma Wolfram, Shelby Cheslek)

- So far this season, Whittaker has had six games with 20 or more points. She is one of four freshman in GU history to have multiple 20+ point games. (Allie Turner x5, Heather Bowman x8, Jill Barta x8)

- With three double doubles so far this season, Whittaker is one of five freshmen in Gonzaga history to have multiple double doubles in a season. (Barta x4, Bowman x4, Anne Bailey x2, Shelby Chelsek x2)

TRIPLE THREATS ALL AROUND
- Against UC Davis, Gonzaga made its most threes in a game so far this season with 12. Five Bulldogs made at least one three in the game including Zeryhia Aokuso, Ines Bettencourt, Teryn Gardner, Allie Turner, and Lauren Whittaker. 

- Five players scored a three pointer in the game against ASU as the team made 10 or more for the second-straight time this season. 

- Four Zags have a shooting percentage beyond the arc above 40% (Bettencourt, Gardner, Turner, and Whittaker). 

- While Turner has made the most three pointers with 24 at 40.7%, Gardner is shooting a team-best 47.2% with 17 made this season. 

A.T. = AUTOMATIC FROM THREE
- Allie Turner is tied for #1 among all returners in three points made in 2024-25 and the first freshman since 2020-21 to record 100+ three pointers in a single season.

- Turner's 105 made threes is the most made in a single season at Gonzaga last season. She broke the record against UTSA to pass Brynna Maxwell's record of 96 in a single season (2023-24). She is one of two players in Gonzaga history, men's or women's, to reach 100 threes in a single season with the only other Bulldog being Dan Dickau in 2001-02.