The 2015–16 West Coast Conference women's basketball season began with practices in October 2015 and ended with the 2016 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena March 3–8, 2016 in Paradise, Nevada. The regular season started in November, with the conference schedule starting at the end of December.
This was the 31st season for WCC women's basketball, which began in the 1985–86 season when the league was known as the West Coast Athletic Conference (WCAC). It was also the 27th season under the West Coast Conference name (the conference began as the California Basketball Association in 1952, became the WCAC in 1956, and dropped the word "Athletic" in 1989).
Pre-season Pre-season media day took place in October at the Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes Studios. Video interviews will be hosted on the WCC's streaming video outlet, TheW.tv, beginning at 11:30 AM PDT. Jeff Lampe of WCC Live interviewed each coach and got a preview of their respective season. The regional television schedule announcement, the Pre-season Conference team, and the pre-season coaches rankings were some of the additional events that took place.
2015–16 West Coast Women's Basketball Media Poll Rank, School (first-place votes), Points 1. Gonzaga (6), 78 2. BYU (4), 76 3. Saint Mary's, 61 4. San Diego, 58 5. San Francisco, 51 6. Pacific, 40 7. Santa Clara, 30 8. Loyola Marymount, 25 9. Pepperdine, 20 10. Portland, 11
2015–16 West Coast Women's Preseason All-West Conference Team Player, School, Yr., Pos. Kylie Maeda, BYU, Sr., G Lexi Eaton Rydalch, BYU, Sr., F Shelby Cheslek, Gonzaga, Sr., C Ellie Tinkle, Gonzaga, Sr., G Sophie Taylor, Loyola Marymount, Sr., F Hailie Eackles, Pacific, Sr., G Shannon Mauldin, Saint Mary's, Sr., G Lauren Nicholson, Saint Mary's, Sr., G Malina Hood, San Diego, Sr., F Taylor Proctor, San Francisco, Sr., F
College Sports Madness Preseason All-West Conference Team
Coach of the Year- Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga Player of the Year- Lexi Rydalch, BYU Freshman of the Year- Andee Velsaco, Loyola Marymount
First Team Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's Malina Hood, G, San Diego Elle Tinkle, G/F, Gonzaga Taylor Proctor, F/C, San Francisco
Second Team Hailie Eackles, G, Pacific Shannon Mauldin, G, Saint Mary's Zhane Dikes, G, San Francisco Leslie Lopez-Wood, G/F, Loyola Marymount Shelby Cheslek, F/C, Gonzaga
Rankings The AP Poll does not do a post-season rankings. As a result, their last rankings are Week 19. The Coaches Poll does a post-season poll and the end of the NCAA Tournament.
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
Pre/Wk 1 Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 Wk17 Wk18 Wk19 PostBYU AP RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 22 RV Gonzaga AP RV C RV RV RV Loyola Marymount AP C Pacific AP C Pepperdine AP C Portland AP C Saint Mary's AP C San Diego AP RV RV RV C RV RV RV San Francisco AP C Santa Clara AP C
Non-Conference games BYU defeated #12/11 Texas A&M 72–64 to win the Tom Weston Invitational.
Conference games
Composite Matrix This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. BYUGonzagaLMUPacificPepperdinePortlandSaint Mary'sSan DiegoSan FranciscoSanta Claravs. Brigham Young - 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 vs. Gonzaga 1–1 – 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 vs. Loyola Marymount 2–0 2–0 – 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 vs. Pacific 2–0 1–1 2–0 - 0–2 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 vs. Pepperdine 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–0 - 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 vs. Portland 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 - 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 vs. Saint Mary's 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 - 0–2 0–2 1–1 vs. San Diego 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 0–2 2–0 - 1–1 1–1 vs. San Francisco 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 2–0 1–1 - 2–0 vs. Santa Clara 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 - Total 16–2 10–8 6–12 6–12 2–16 1–17 14–4 13–5 9–9 13–5
Conference tournament
March 3–8, 2016– West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament, Orleans Arena, Paradise, Nevada.
Head coaches The 2015–16 season sees one new face in the WCC. Lynne Roberts left Pacific to become the new head coach at Utah.
Jeff Judkins, BYU Lisa Mispley Fortier, Gonzaga Charity Elliott, Loyola Marymount Bradley Davis, Pacific Ryan Weisenberg, Pepperdine Cheryl Sorensen, Portland Paul Thomas, Saint Mary's Cindy Fisher, San Diego Jennifer Azzi, San Francisco JR Payne, Santa Clara
Postseason
NCAA tournament
Seed Bracket School First round Second round Sweet 16 Elite 8 Final Four Championship # BidsW-L (%):TOTAL: 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
WNIT
School First round Second round Third round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship # BidsW-L (%)TOTAL: 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
WBI
Awards and honors
WCC Player-of-the-Week The WCC player of the week awards are given each Monday.
Nov. 16- Sydney Raggio, F, Saint Mary's Nov. 30- GeAnna Luaulu-Summers, G, Pacific & Morgan McGwire, F, Santa Clara Dec. 14- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Dec. 28- Maya Hood, F, San Diego Jan. 11- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU Jan. 25- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU Feb. 8- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Feb. 22- Marie Bertholdt, F, Santa Clara Nov. 23- Malina Hood, G, San Diego Dec. 7- Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's Dec. 21- Ameela Li, G, Pacific Jan. 4- Georgia Stirton, Gonzaga Jan. 18- Kalani Purcell, F, BYU Feb. 1- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Feb. 15- Taylor Proctor, F, San Francisco Feb. 29- Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's
College Madness West Coast Player of the Week
College Madness WCC player of the Week Awards are given every Sunday.
Nov. 15- Maya Hood, F, San Diego Nov. 29- Morgan McGwire, F, Santa Clara (also High Major Player of the Week) Dec. 13- Malina Hood, F, San Diego (also High Major Player of the Week) Dec. 27- Lori Parkinson, F, Santa Clara Jan. 10- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Jan. 24- Malina Hood, G, San Diego Feb. 7- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Feb. 21- Marie Bertholdt, F, Santa Clara Nov. 22- Malina Hood, F, San Diego Dec. 6- Taylor Proctor, F, San Francisco Dec. 20- Lauren Nicholson, G, Saint Mary's Jan. 3- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Jan. 17- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU Jan. 31- Lexi Rydalch, G, BYU (also High Major Player of the Week) Feb. 14- Erica Ogwumike, G, Pepperdine Feb. 28- Maya Hood, F, San Diego
All West Coast Conference teams Voting was by conference coaches: Player of The Year: Lexi Rydalch, BYU Newcomer of The Year: Kalani Purcell, BYU Defensive Player of The Year: Maya Hood, San Diego Coach of The Year: Jeff Judkins, BYU
College Sports Madness Selections To be posted after the WCC Tournament.
All-Conference First team NameSchool Pos. Year Jill Barta Gonzaga F R-Freshman Marie Bertholdt Santa Clara F Junior Hailie Eackles Pacific G Senior Malina Hood San Diego G Senior Lauren Nicholson Saint Mary's G Senior Erica Ogwumike Pepperdine G Freshman Lori Parkinson Santa Clara F Junior Taylor Proctor San Francisco F Senior Kalani Purcell BYU F Junior Lexi Rydalch BYU G Senior
College Sports Madness Selections To be posted after the WCC Tournament. NameSchool Pos. Year
All-Conference Second team NameSchool Pos. Year Stella Beck Saint Mary's G Sophomore Zhane Dikes San Francisco G Senior Maya Hood San Diego F Junior Makenzi Pulsipher BYU G Junior Sophie Taylor Loyola Marymount F Senior
College Sports Madness Selections To be posted after the WCC Tournament. NameSchool Pos. Year
Honorable mention NameSchool Devon Brookshire Saint Mary's Shelby Cheslek Gonzaga Desire Finnie Pacific Rachel Howard San Francisco Devin Hudson Santa Clara Kylie Maeda BYU Kaylie Van Loo Portland
All-Freshman team NameSchool Pos. Jill Barta Gonzaga F Savanna Hanson Santa Clara G Erica Ogwumike Pepperdine G Sydney Raggio Saint Mary's F Cheyanne Wallace Loyola Marymount F
All-Academic team Player, School Year GPA MajorStella Beck, Saint Mary'sSophomore3.72PsychologyMarie Bertholdt, Santa ClaraJunior3.26BusinessDevon Brookshire, Saint Mary'sJunior3.70Psychology & BusinessShelby Cheslek, GonzagaR-Senior3.62Masters of Business AdministrationRachel Howard, San FranciscoJunior3.75KinesiologyMakenzi Pulsipher, BYUJunior3.42Recreation ManagementLexi Rydalch, BYUSenior3.25PsychologySophie Taylor, Loyola MarymountSenior3.20PhysicsKaylie Van Loo, PortlandJunior3.70MarketingSydney Williams, San DiegoSophomore3.45Behavioral Neuroscience
All-Academic Honorable Mention PlayerSchool Shelbi Aimonetti Loyola Marymount Erin Butler Pacific Brooke Gallaway Santa Clara Kiara Kudron Gonzaga Lisa Janko Saint Mary's Kyle Maeda BYU Hannah Mattson Portland Samira McDonald Saint Mary's Kristine Nielsen BYU Shaniqua Nilles Gonzaga Olivia Ogwumike Pepperdine Lori Parkinson Santa Clara Krista Pettepier Pepperdine Michaela Rakova San Francisco Anna Seilund San Francisco Kalyn Simon San Francisco Devin Stanback Pepperdine Georgia Stirton Gonzaga Emma Stach Gonzaga Elle Tinkle Gonzaga Carly Turner Saint Mary's
See also 2015-16 NCAA Division I women's basketball season West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament 2015–16 West Coast Conference men's basketball season West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament 2016 West Coast Conference men's basketball tournament
References