On the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ (11-5, 3-0 WCC) way to handling the last-place Seattle U Redhawks (4-10, 0-3 WCC) on the road, 85-59, coach Lisa Fortier reached a personal milestone. She recorded her 300th career victory in 379 opportunities with the Zags, the fastest coach to do so in program history. Redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker grabbed her seventh double-double of the season (tied for seventh-most in the country) with 16 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 10 rebounds in the historic win.
Starting out as a coordinator of basketball operations from 2004-06 and assistant coach from 2007-2014, Fortier has now been at the helm for the last 12 seasons with Gonzaga and hasn’t looked back. She’s been to the NCAA Tournament eight times, including two trips to the Sweet Sixteen in 2015 and 2024.
Fortier has the third-best career winning percentage amongst active Division I college basketball coaches with at least 300 wins on their resume at .792 percent. Only LSU Tigers’ Kim Mulkey (.860 percent) and UConn Huskies’ Geno Auriemma (.885 percent) have better.
Given what the seven-time West Coast Conference Coach of the Year had to endure last season when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in February of 2024, no one is more deserving of this achievement than Fortier.
Fortier’s always been a fighter, on and off the court. She’s now cancer-free and an inspiration for many across the Pacific Northwest. What she has been able to build in Spokane, Washington, in the shadow of coach Mark Few and the men’s program over the years is remarkable and truly unique.
Next for the Zags is a quick turnaround to the Bay Area against the Santa Clara Broncos (12-4, 2-1 WCC) on Sunday, Jan. 4, at noon on ESPN+. Right near the Oregon State Beavers once again, Gonzaga is one of two remaining undefeated teams in conference play. The Beavers beat the Zags at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals last March.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
