BYU Women’s Basketball: Previewing the WCC Conference slate
By Shaun Gordon
Team-by-Team Preview
No. 20 Gonzaga (11-1)
It’s no real surprise that the Bulldogs are at the top of the standings. Their only loss of the season came against No. 1 Notre Dame, and they’ve knocked off No. 8 Stanford, Washington State, and UNLV.
The Zags are a shutdown defensive team, allowing just 56 points per game on 36.3% shooting. They’re balanced offensively, with eight players averaging at least six points per game.
Portland (8-3)
The Pilots enter WCC play with the No. 93 RPI, thanks in large part to their record. They haven’t beaten any significant teams so far this season and their three losses have come against good teams.
Unlike Gonzaga, Portland wins on the offensive side of the ball. The Pilots average 77 points per game, led by their scoring duo of Julie Spencer and Darian Slaga.
Pacific (7-3)
Like Portland, Pacific has built a Top 100 RPI (No. 86) by beating the teams they should and avoiding bad losses.
The Tigers are more balanced between offense and defense, though, scoring 72.7 points per game and allowing 68.4. Valerie Higgins leads Pacific in scoring, but three Tigers average double-figures.
St. Mary’s (7-4)
The Gaels’ only big win has come against Washington State, but three of their four losses came against Top 15 teams (No. 3 Oregon, No. 8 Oregon State, No. 13 Cal).
St. Mary’s isn’t going to shut you down defensively, but they’ll outscore you with a balanced attack that features seven players who average at least six points.
San Diego (7-4)
Like BYU, San Diego’s only bad loss came against Southern Utah. Their only notable win, however, came against cross-town foe San Diego State.
The Toreros have played in a number of close games, and they won’t blow you out offensively. They’ve got seven players who average at least eight points, but none that average above 13.
Santa Clara (7-4)
The Broncos have knocked off Nevada and San Diego State, but neither have been strong this season. They’ve avoided any bad losses, but they did get destroyed by No. 8 Oregon State 82-31.
Santa Clara is the women’s basketball version of the Memphis Grizzlies. They aren’t going to beat you on offense, but they’ll shut you down defensively and win in a slog.
Pepperdine (6-4)
None of the Waves’ six wins have been particularly impressive, and they’ve played a pretty soft schedule, which is why they have a sub-200 RPI even though they have a winning record.
The perfect word to describe them is “average.” They’re decent on both sides of the ball, but not great, and they rely heavily on the scoring of Yasmine Robinson-Bacote.
Loyola Marymount (7-5)
The Lions have big wins over UCLA and Arizona, but also some head-scratching losses against teams like Northern Arizona and South Dakota.
Loyola Marymount is a woeful offensive team, but they’re solid on defense. If Gabby Green isn’t scoring, though, that defense isn’t enough.
San Francisco (4-7)
The only WCC team to finish non-conference play with a losing record, the Dons have played a lot of close games but struggled to pull out wins.
They’re the opposite of Loyola Marymount. They’ll keep up with anyone offensively, but they give up more than 74 points per game.