SAN MATEO, Calif. -- The West Coast Conference released its 2021-22 women's basketball conference schedule on Wednesday ahead of what promises to be another exciting year. The race for the WCC regular season crown will stretch over a nine-week span, featuring 18 conference games. Conference play is slated to begin on Thursday, December 30, 2021 and will conclude on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
No fewer than six WCC programs finished in the top-125 in the final NET rankings, led by 2021 WCC regular season and tournament champion
Gonzaga (No. 17) and fellow 2021 NCAA Tournament participant
BYU (No. 42).
Four WCC squads competed in the 20201 postseason, led by the Zags and Cougars in the NCAA Tournament. It marks the sixth time since 2012 that multiple WCC teams have qualified for March Madness. In addition,
San Francisco competed in the WNIT, while
Portland, the 2020 WCC Tournament Champions, advanced to the finals of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
2022 UNIVERSITY CREDIT UNION WCC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
The 2022 UCU WCC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament will take place March 3-8 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.
#WCCHOOPS NOTABLES
- Gonzaga entered the 2021 NCAA Tournament ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 13 in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls. Last year, the Zags rose to a program and WCC-best No. 10 (2/25/20).
- The Zags have been ranked or “receiving votes” for 55 consecutive weeks dating to Dec. 3, 2018.
- No. 5 Gonzaga made its fourth straight NCAA Tournament and 12th overall, while No. 11 BYU earned its sixth appearance as a WCC member and first since 2018-19.
- For the sixth time since 2012 the WCC sent two teams into the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament field
- The Cougars upended Rutgers 69-66 before dropping a hard-fought 52-46 decision to eventual NCAA National Runner-Up Arizona in the second round.
- San Francisco opened the 2021 WNIT by beating Houston 71-63 before falling to California Baptist 90-82.
- Portland won its first-ever postseason games beating Abilene Christian (67-42) and NAU (80-65) before falling to Cleveland State (67-64) in the title game of the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
- Three WCC student-athletes earned All-American Honorable Mention selections this season, establishing a new conference record.
- Gonzaga teammates 2019-20 WCC Player of the Year and 2021 WCC Tournament Most Outstanding Player Jill Townsend and 2020-21 WCC Player of the Year Jenn Wirth
- BYU’s Lauren Gustin
- The previous high was two set in 2014 and 2015.
- Gonzaga concluded the 2020-21 regular season with a 24-game home winning streak games after a 77-39 triumph over LMU in the finale (2/27). The Bulldog men’s team owns the nation’s longest active streak at 51.
- Gonzaga swept the men’s and women’s UCU WCC Tournament titles for the sixth time since 2011 (2011, 2013-14, 2017-18 & 2021)
- San Francisco freshman Ioanna Krimili ranked third in the nation in 3-pointers (88), fifth in 3-pointers per game (3.52), while BYU sophomore Lauren Gustin is fifth among Division I rebounds (12.8). Pacific senior Valerie Higgins is second in steals (84/3.82).
- Jill Townsend (Gonzaga) earned Senior CLASS Award First Team All-American honors
- Gonzaga is one of seven institutions nationally featuring AP top-25 men’s and women’s basketball teams. The No. 14 women and No. 1 men join Arkansas, Baylor, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee & West Virginia.
- WCC has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament six times since 2012, including 2020 UCU WCC Tournament Champions Portland and No. 15 Gonzaga as locks for the 2020 NCAA Tournament
- 2021 BYU*, Gonzaga
- 2020 Gonzaga*, Portland (Projected)
- 2019 BYU, Gonzaga*
- 2016 BYU*, San Francisco
- 2015 BYU, Gonzaga*
- 2014 BYU*, Gonzaga
- 2012 BYU, Gonzaga*
PRESENTING THE 2021-22 #WCCHOOPS SCHEDULE
The regular-season WCC women’s basketball schedule for the 2021-22 season is listed below. Conference play begins Thursday, December 30, 2021. Specific game times and television details for each game will be announced at a later date.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30
San Diego at BYU
Portland at LMU
Pacific at Pepperdine
Saint Mary’s at Santa Clara
San Francisco at Gonzaga
SATURDAY, JANUARY 1
San Diego at Pacific
Gonzaga at LMU
Portland at BYU
Saint Mary’s at Pepperdine
Santa Clara at San Francisco
THURSDAY, JANUARY 6
BYU at San Francisco
Gonzaga at Portland
LMU at Saint Mary’s
Pepperdine at San Diego
Santa Clara at Pacific
SATURDAY, JANUARY 8
Portland at Saint Mary’s
LMU at Pepperdine
Pacific at BYU
San Francisco at San Diego
Santa Clara at Gonzaga
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13
San Diego at LMU
Gonzaga at Pacific
Pepperdine at Santa Clara
Saint Mary’s at BYU
San Francisco at Portland
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
BYU at LMU
San Diego at Gonzaga
Pepperdine at Saint Mary’s
Pacific at Portland
San Francisco at Santa Clara
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20
BYU at Pepperdine
Portland at Gonzaga
LMU at Santa Clara
Pacific at San Francisco
Saint Mary’s at San Diego
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22
BYU at San Diego
Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s
LMU at San Francisco
Pepperdine at Pacific
Santa Clara at Portland
THURSDAY, JANUARY 27
Gonzaga at Pepperdine
Portland at San Diego
LMU at Pacific
San Francisco at Saint Mary’s
Santa Clara at BYU
SATURDAY, JANUARY 29
Gonzaga at San Diego
Portland at Pepperdine
Pacific at Santa Clara
Saint Mary’s at LMU
San Francisco at BYU
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3
BYU at Portland
San Diego at San Francisco
Pepperdine at LMU
Pacific at Gonzaga
Santa Clara at Saint Mary’s
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5
BYU at Gonzaga
San Diego at Santa Clara
LMU at Portland
Pepperdine at San Francisco
Saint Mary’s at Pacific
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10
Gonzaga at Santa Clara
LMU at San Diego
Pepperdine at BYU
Saint Mary’s at Portland
San Francisco at Pacific
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12
BYU at Saint Mary’s
San Diego at Pepperdine
Gonzaga at San Francisco
Portland at Pacific
Santa Clara at LMU
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17
Portland at San Francisco
LMU at BYU
Pacific at San Diego
Saint Mary’s at Gonzaga
Santa Clara at Pepperdine
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19
San Diego at Saint Mary’s
Gonzaga at BYU
Portland at Santa Clara
Pacific at LMU
San Francisco at Pepperdine
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24
BYU at Santa Clara
San Diego at Portland
Pepperdine at Gonzaga
Pacific at Saint Mary’s
San Francisco at LMU
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26
BYU at Pacific
LMU at Gonzaga
Pepperdine at Portland
Saint Mary’s at San Francisco
Santa Clara at San Diego