As the highest ranked recruit, 93 ESPN scouts grade, to ever commit to Gonzaga Women’s Basketball, much was expected of Bree Salenbien’s arrival to Spokane.
Highlighted in high school as a smooth perimeter performer and the ability to exploit mismatches in part due to her size, Bree featured early on for Fortier’s 2021-22 squad. The highlight of her freshman season came on the road against the University of Pacific Tigers as she dropped 14 points while 4-4 from beyond the arc.
However, a right knee ACL injury, her second as she tore the same ACL in high school, sustained in practice before the WCC cut short her season and forced her to miss the entirety of the 2022-23 campaign.
Bree was able to return for the 2023-24 season, albeit only at the end of December and featured in 12 matches for the Bulldogs. Just like in her freshman season, Salenbien once again posted 14 points against Pacific including 3 three-pointers. However, just like in her freshman season, the Michigander tore her right ACL for the third time in mid-February and there were major questions if the sophomore would return to the sport.
I’m reviewing this background, much of which you already know, because of just how impressive it is that Bree Salenbien managed to not only play in 2024-25 season, but that she posted career highs in pretty much every category.
In her 21 games, including 2 starts, the junior averaged 17.8 minutes during which time she scored 6.4 points, fifth highest on the team, 3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Her 32.8% three point shooting ranked third for the Zags among players that averaged more than 1 deep ball per game and highlights just how clutch Bree was at points across this season.
A great example comes from Gonzaga’s overtime victory against Washington State in which Salenbien dropped her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, 6 of which came on the offensive glass, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, and 1 foul.
However, I think we’d be remiss if we didn’t honor how Bree wasn’t going to be contented with her career high for single game scoring being stuck at 14 points. Heading into an incredibly important March 1st match against Santa Clara with a win necessary to win the regular season WCC, Bree came out ablaze with 8 points in the first quarter.
With the game going back and forth heading into the fourth period, Salenbien entered the game and managed to help seal the victory with her 1 assist and 4 points, two of which being clutch free throws in the waning seconds of the game that helped shut the door on the Broncos. She finished that game with a career high 17 points to go along with 6-8 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist.
I was really looking forward to seeing Salenbien with the team next year, but when she came out with Yvonne Ejim and the other seniors, it looked like we would no longer have the privilege of her gracing the McCarthey Center, but there was still hope. However, that was quashed when on March 31st, SWX reported that the upcoming senior had entered the transfer portal followed by an announcement two weeks later that Bree had joined the Ball State Cardinals
It’s always hard watching any Bulldog leave the program, transfer or graduation, but I’m struggling with this one because of how much adversity this particular player had gone through and how open her opportunity looked heading into next year at Gonzaga. We wish you luck Bree and that you achieve your dreams!
