SAN BRUNO, Calif. – With the 2021-22 basketball campaign a month away, BYU is the preseason favorite to win its second West Coast Conference regular season title in the annual poll of the WCC’s 10 head coaches. The Cougars collected eight first-place votes and 80 points.
BYU (19-6, 13-3 WCC) returns nearly its entire roster one year removed from advancing to the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament where it took eventual NCAA Runner-Up Arizona to the brink. The Cougars have played in the last two NCAA Tournaments contested and look to make it three straight this season behind a veteran starting lineup guided by 2021 WCC Coach of the Year
Jeff Judkins, who completed his 20th season in 2020-21.
Gonzaga (23-4, 16-1 WCC) won the 2020-21 regular season title – its 17th overall – and upended BYU 43-42 on a buzzer-beater in the University Credit Union WCC Tournament finals. The Zags earned a No. 5 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, matching the 2019 team for the highest seed in program history. It was the 12th all-time appearance for the Zags. Gonzaga earned 72 points and two first-place votes in the WCC poll.
In the 2021-22 preseason edition of Charlie Crème’s Bracketology, BYU is a No. 7 seed in the Spokane Region.
San Diego (12-7, 7-5 WCC) was picked to finish third with 66 points.
San Francisco (16-11, 10-7) was tabbed fourth with 53 points, two in front of
Portland (14-13, 9-8 WCC) with 51 points to round out the top five teams. The Dons advanced to the second round of the 2021 WNIT Postseason Tournament, while the Pilots won the first postseason games in program history advancing to the finals of the 2021 Women’s Basketball Invitational.
ALL-WCC PRESEASON TEAM NOTES
Preseason All-WCC voting is restricted to returning student-athletes. Incoming freshmen and transfers are not eligible for consideration.
- Seven of the 10 members earned All-WCC First Team honors in 2020-21 and two were named to the All-WCC Second Team
- Three 2020-21 major award winners return
- Shaylee Gonzales, BYU – WCC Co-Player of the Year
- Ioanna Krimili, San Francisco – WCC Newcomer of the Year
- Melody Kempton, Gonzaga – WCC Sixth Woman of the Year
- Preseason Team features a returning All-American
- Two past WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Players earned a spot
- Paisley Harding, BYU – 2019
- Alex Fowler, Portland – 2020
- Six programs placed at least one student-athlete on the preseason team, led by three from BYU
- Portland and San Diego each placed a pair on the preseason team
- Gonzaga, San Francisco, and Santa Clara each had one selection
- The squad is dominated by upperclassmen, featuring six seniors, three juniors and a sophomore
The complete preseason poll and all-conference team follows.
2021-22 WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Place |
Team |
First Place |
Points |
| 1. |
BYU |
8 |
80 |
| 2. |
Gonzaga |
2 |
72 |
| 3. |
San Diego |
|
66 |
| 4. |
San Francisco |
|
53 |
| 5. |
Portland |
|
51 |
| 6. |
Santa Clara |
|
40 |
| 7. |
Saint Mary’s |
|
32 |
| 8. |
LMU |
|
26 |
| 9. |
Pepperdine |
|
16 |
| 10. |
Pacific |
|
14 |
| 2021-22 All-WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
| Haylee Andrews |
Sr. |
G |
Portland |
| Jordyn Edwards |
Sr. |
G |
San Diego |
| Alex Fowler |
Jr. |
F |
Portland |
| Shaylee Gonzales |
Jr. |
G |
BYU |
| Lauren Gustin |
Jr. |
F |
BYU |
| Paisley Harding |
Sr. |
G |
BYU |
| Melody Kempton |
Sr. |
F |
Gonzaga |
| Ioanna Krimili |
So. |
G |
San Francisco |
| Myah Pace |
Sr. |
G |
San Diego |
| Merle Wiehl |
Sr. |
F |
Santa Clara |