Women's Basketball

West Coast Conference Matches Record With Six Women’s Basketball Postseason Selections

Oregon State, Gonzaga, Portland, Pacific, Saint Mary’s and Washington State earn postseason bids

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – A record six West Coast Conference women’s basketball teams earned postseason tournament selections, as the NCAA Tournament, Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) and Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) brackets were announced on Sunday. The six postseason selections matched the conference mark previously set in the 2022, 2019, 2016 and 2015 seasons. Oregon State, Gonzaga, Portland, Pacific, Saint Mary’s and Washington State will each represent the West Coast Conference in the postseason.
 
Earlier on Sunday, Oregon State, which earned the West Coast Conference’s automatic qualification by winning the Credit Union 1 WCC Women’s Basketball Championship, received a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament where it will face No. 3 seed North Carolina on Saturday. Shortly after the NCAA Tournament field was unveiled, the WBIT bracket was announced. Gonzaga earned a No. 4 seed and will host UTSA on Thursday, while Portland will travel to No. 2 seed Stanford on Thursday.
 
Later Sunday evening, the WNIT announced its 48-team field, where Pacific, Saint Mary’s and Washington State were selected. The full bracket, including matchups, game times and broadcast information will be announced on Monday.
 
Washington State (20-13) has won eight of its last 11 games and advanced to the semifinals of the Credit Union 1 WCC Women’s Basketball Championship. WSU ranks 11th in the nation in blocks per game (6.0). The Cougars have posted at least seven blocks in 13 games this season. WSU's 232 three-point field goals this season leads the WCC and is a program single-season record. WSU's three returning starters from last year - Tara Wallack, Eleonora Villa and Astera Tuhina – have combined for 238 career starts. Wallack, who ranks second in program history with 160 career blocks, was a First Team All-WCC selection, while Villa was a Second Team All-WCC pick. Tuhina ranks sixth in the conference in assists (3.76 apg).
 
Pacific (15-18) boasts a veteran roster that includes three 1,000-point scorers in graduate student Liz Smith (1,501) and seniors Anaya James (1,485) and Elizabeth Elliott (1,454). James and Elliott are four-year starters, while Smith is a three-year starter. James and Smith were All-WCC Second Team honorees, while Elliott was an honorable mention selection. Smith ranks fourth in career scoring at Pacific, while James is tied for fifth and Elliott is sixth. The Tigers have averaged the second-most steals per game (9.9), the second-most turnovers forced per game (19.73), and the third-most blocks per game (4.2) in the WCC. Pacific ranks 33rd nationally in turnovers forced per game and 48th nationally in both steals and blocks per game. Liz Smith and Anaya James are first and second, respectively, in the WCC in steals this season. Smith owns 84 steals to rank 18th nationally in total steals. Her 84 steals this season ranks sixth in program history. Head coach Bradley Davis is tied with Melissa Taketa as the program's all-time leader in wins with 140.
 
Saint Mary's (14-16) finished sixth in the West Coast Conference standings, totaling 10 victories in conference play. As a team, Saint Mary's ranks in the top three in the WCC in free throw percentage (2nd, 75.1%), assists per game (3rd, 15.0), steals per game (3rd, 8.9), field goal percentage (3rd, 43.5%), three-point field goal percentage (3rd, 32.6%), turnovers forced per game (3rd, 16.87), and bench points per game (1st, 21.3). Kennedy Johnson (1.83) and Maia Jones (1.70) rank sixth and eighth, respectively, in the WCC in steals per game. Johnson was voted the WCC Newcomer of the Year and Emily Foy was voted the Conference's Sixth Woman of the Year. Johnson has averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. She leads the team with 55 steals. Foy, who is averaging 8.1 points per game, has made a team-best 45 three-point field goals and is shooting 35.1% from three-point range. Zeryhia Aokuso, Maia Jones and Johnson, were each All-WCC Honorable Mention selections. Aokuso is averaging 9.2 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. Jones leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.2 points.
 
Pacific competed in the WNIT last season, defeating Cal Poly, 63-43, in the first round, before dropping a 77-62 decision at Minnesota in the second round. This will be the Tigers’ fifth appearance in the WNIT. Saint Mary’s will compete in the WNIT for the 13th time in program history and first since 2019. This will be Washington State’s fourth appearance in the WNIT and first since 2017.