Gonzaga Bulldogs freshman forward Lauren Whittaker now owns the record for the most West Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week awards in a season at 12. It was originally owned by Santa Clara guard Tess Heal during the 2022-23 season. The conference began recognizing a freshman of the week in the 2020-21 season.
In a 75-67 victory over the Saint Mary’s Gaels at home and a 92-91 overtime loss to the Portland Pilots on the road this past week (the Zags’ first at the Chiles Center since 2009), the National Freshman of the Year candidate added two more double-doubles to her historic first season of college basketball. Her 17 double-doubles of 2025-26 are the most of any freshman nationally and tied for the 12th-most in the NCAA on the women’s side.
Whittaker also leads the West Coast Conference in scoring (19.3 points per game), rebounding (10.2 rebounds per game), and field goal percentage (55.8 shooting percentage).
Coach Lisa Fortier’s unit (22-9, 14-3 WCC) was given the No. 2 overall seed in the West Coast Conference Tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The No. 1 overall seed is the (21-8, 15-3 WCC). Gonzaga will open up their tournament run on Monday, March 9, at 2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2, possibly against the No. 3 Santa Clara Broncos (23-8, 13-5 WCC) if they win their quarterfinal matchup. The championship is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, at 1:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
The Zags would need to win the West Coast Conference Tournament to receive an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. An at-large bid is out of the question.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
