SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Gonzaga's Kaylynne Truong was named the WCC Player of the Year, headlining the West Coast Conference’s 2022-23 women’s basketball all-conference end of the year awards. Gonzaga head coach Lisa Fortier was tabbed Coach of the Year, while Tess Heal from Santa Clara won Newcomer of the Year, San Francisco’s Jasmine Gayles won Sixth Woman of the Year and BYU's Lauren Gustin and San Diego’s Ayanna Khalfani won Co-Defensive Players of the Year.
All five major individual awards – along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team – were voted on solely by the league’s 10 head coaches.
Truong stepped up this year and became the starting point guard after her sister, Kayleigh Truong, was out for 12 weeks. Truong is averaging 17.1 points over the past six games, including a career-high 27 vs. San Francisco. In conference this season, Truong paces her squad and ranks third in the league in scoring at 17.4 ppg. This is the seventh time a Gonzaga player has earned WCC Player of the Year accolades. The last time a Bulldog won it outright was Jill Townsend in 2020.
Fortier, in her ninth season at Gonzaga, has the highest winning percentage at GU and in the WCC having won 80.3 percent of games in her career. This is the fifth WCC Coach of the Year honor for Fortier who previously earned the recognition in 2018-19. Under Fortier’s guidance, Gonzaga won the 2022-23 WCC regular season title and the Zags currently boast a No. 15 ranking in the latest Associated Press poll. Gonzaga boasts the best three-point shooting team in the country (41.9) and ranks first in the league in scoring (72.6) and defense (59.3 ppg).
Heal ended the regular season ranked third in the WCC in scoring (17.2 ppg). She is tied for the most 20-points performances in the league with 10 and her 39-point game against BYU is a WCC individual high. Heal helped lead her Broncos to a win over Gonzaga handing the Zags their only WCC loss this season. Heal was named University Credit Union Freshman of the Week 12 out of 16 times resetting the conference award record.
Gayles has scored in double figures in two of San Francisco's last three games. She is third on her team in scoring averaging 10.3 ppg, but the only Dons player to average double figures off the bench. Gayles paces USF in free throws made with 78 and she is third among the Dons in rebounds with her 3.6 average.
BYU leads the WCC in scoring defense and defensive rebounds largely because of Gustin. This season's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, she reset the WCC single-season rebound record and finished the year with seven 20-rebounds performances. Gustin, the nations leading rebounder (16.5), also leads the NCAA in defensive rebounds (11.6). Her 25 double doubles on the season is second in the country. Gustin was an All-WCC first team selection a year ago. The last time the Cougars had a player win Defensive Player of the Year was in 2020.
No team applied better defensive pressure this season than San Diego, who leads the WCC in turnover ratio. The Toreros are third in the league in scoring defense and blocks. Khalfani was USD's most consistent defender this season picking up at least one steal in eight of the Toreros last 10 contests. As a result, Khalfani was recognized as a top defender in the WCC from head coaches around the conference. It is the second-straight season a USD player has earned Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Gonzaga led the way with three All-WCC First Team selections: Truong, Yvonne Ejim and Brynna Maxwell. Six of the 10 members on the All-WCC First Team were Preseason All-WCC selections.
2022-23 All-WCC Women’s Basketball Major Individual Honors
Coach of the Year – Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga
Player of the Year – Kaylynne Truong, Gonzaga
Newcomer of the Year – Tess Heal, Santa Clara
Co-Defensive Player of the Year – Lauren Gustin, BYU
Co-Defensive Player of the Year – Ayanna Khalfani, San Diego
Sixth Woman of the Year – Jasmine Gayles, San Francisco
2022-23 All-WCC Women’s Basketball First Team
| Name |
Year |
Pos. |
School |
| Ali Bamberger |
Jr. |
C |
Saint Mary's |
| Yvonne Ejim |
Jr. |
F |
Gonzaga |
| Nani Falatea |
So. |
G |
BYU |
| Alex Fowler |
Jr. |
F |
Portland |
| Lauren Gustin |
Jr. |
F |
BYU |
| Tess Heal |
Fr. |
G |
Santa Clara |
| Ioanna Krimili |
Jr. |
G |
San Francisco |
| Brynna Maxwell |
Sr. |
G |
Gonzaga |
| Liz Smith |
Jr. |
G |
Pacific |
| Kaylynne Truong |
Sr. |
G |
Gonzaga |
2022-23 All-WCC Women’s Basketball Second Team
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
| Maisie Burnham |
So. |
F |
Portland |
| Kennedy Dickie |
Sr. |
F |
San Francisco |
| Ayanna Khalfani |
Jr. |
G |
San Diego |
| Kiera Oakry |
Jr. |
G |
San Diego |
| Taycee Wedin |
Sr. |
G |
Saint Mary's |
2022-23 All-WCC Women’s Basketball Freshman Team
| Name |
Pos. |
School |
| Amanda Barcello |
G |
BYU |
| Tess Heal |
G |
Santa Clara |
| Marya Hudgins |
G |
Santa Clara |
| Veronica Sheffey |
F |
San Diego |
| Calli Stokes |
G |
Gonzaga |
2022-23 WCC Women’s Basketball Honorable Mention Selections
Sam Ashby, Pacific; Kasey Neubert, San Diego; Emme Shearer, Portland; Ally Stedman, Pepperdine; Marly Walls, Pepperdine; McKayla Williams, Gonzaga