The 2024–25 WAC women's basketball season began with practices in October followed by the start of the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in early November 2024. The conference began play in January 2025. This is the WAC's 63rd season of basketball. The WAC competed with nine teams due to two teams having left the conference since the prior season. UTRGV and Stephen F. Austin both joined the Southland Conference since the prior year. The WAC tournament will be held in March 2025 with all nine teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The opening round will be held at Burns Arena in St. George, Utah with the remaining rounds at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada. This was the last WAC season for both Grand Canyon and Seattle, which announced that they would join the West Coast Conference the following year.
Pre-season
WAC Media days The WAC's 2024 women's basketball media day was held on October 16.
+Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll Place Team Points First place votes 1. Grand Canyon 594 2. California Baptist 584 3. UT Arlington 53 1 4. Abilene Christian 37-- 5. Southern Utah 33 -- 6. Tarleton 28 -- 7. Utah Tech 24 -- 8. Utah Valley 17-- 9 Seattle U 15 --
WAC Preseason All-Conference First Team
NameSchool Yr. Pos. Trinity San Antonio† Grand Canyon SeniorG Payton Hull Abilene Christian SophomoreG Tiarra Brown Grand Canyon GraduateG/F Daylani Ballena Southern Utah GraduateG Avery Brittingham UT Arlington Fifth yearF † Denotes Preseason Player of the Year
Regular season
Early season tournaments
Team Tournament FinishAbilene ChristianFIU Thanksgiving Classic & Lobo Invitational1st & 1stCalifornia BaptistFGCU Homewood Suites Classic3rdGrand CanyonTalking Stick Resort Thanksgiving Classic & Have Fayth Christmas Classic1st & 1stSeattle UTalking Stick Resort Thanksgiving Classic2ndSouthern UtahNugget Classic4thTarletonBig Easy Classic2ndUT ArlingtonN/A ---Utah TechN/A ---Utah ValleyUSD Thanksgiving Classic2nd
Conference USA-Western Athletic Conference Challenge DateConference USA teamWAC teamScoreLocationLeaderNovember 4UTEPTarleton52–49Don Haskins Center • El Paso, TXCUSA (1–0)November 7New Mexico StateUtah Tech85–63Pan American Center • Las Cruces, NMCUSA (2–0)November 8Florida InternationalAbilene Christian76–73Ocean Bank Convocation Center • Miami, FLCUSA (2–1)Middle TennesseeGrand Canyon57–47Murphy Center • Murfreesboro, TNCUSA (3–1)November 9Kennesaw StateUtah Valley64–61Convocation Center • Kennesaw, GACUSA (3–2)Jacksonville StateSouthern Utah 77–58Pete Mathews Coliseum • Jacksonville, FLCUSA (4–2)LibertyCalifornia Baptist72–44Liberty Arena • Lynchburg, VACUSA (5–2)Sam HoustonSeattle 69–57Bernard Johnson Coliseum • Huntsville, TXCUSA (6–2)November 10Louisiana TechUT Arlington71–60Thomas Assembly Center • Ruston, LACUSA (7–2)November 21Western KentuckyAbilene Christian68–64Moody Coliseum • Abilene, TXCUSA (8–2)November 27LibertyGrand Canyon79–50Global Credit Union Arena • Phoenix, AZCUSA (8–3)December 14UTEPUtah Tech71–57Burns Arena • St. George, UTCUSA (9–3)December 16Sam HoustonSouthern Utah72–61America First Event Center • Cedar City, UTCUSA (10–3)Kennesaw StateSeattle64–41Redhawk Center • Seattle, WACUSA (11–3)Jacksonville StateUtah Valley49–45UCCU Center • Orem, UTCUSA (11–4)New Mexico StateTarleton65–55Wisdom Gym • Stephenville, TXCUSA (11–5)Florida InternationalUT Arlington72–56College Park Center • Arlington, TXCUSA (11–6)December 17Middle TennesseeCalifornia Baptist74–54Fowler Events Center • Riverside, CACUSA (12–6)WINNERS ARE IN BOLD. HOME TEAM IN ITALICS. Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game. Did not participate: none
Records against other conferences 2024–25 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season Power Conferences & GonzagaRecordACC 0–2Big East 0–0Big Ten 0–6Big 12 3–9Pac-12 0–0SEC 0–2Gonzaga 0–0Power Conference Total 3–19Other NCAA Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East 0–0American 1–3A-10 0–2ASUN 0–1Big Sky 5–3Big South 0–0Big West 5–4CAA 1–0C-USA 7–12Horizon 1–0Ivy League 0–1MAAC 0–0MAC 0–1MEAC 0–0MVC 0–0Mountain West 2–6NEC 0–1OVC 0–0Patriot League 0–0SoCon 0–0Southland 10–3SWAC 3–0Summit 1–1Sun Belt 2–1WCC (except Gonzaga) 1–5Other Division I Total 39–44 Non-Division I Total 16–0NCAA Division I Total 42–63
Record against ranked non-conference opponents This is a list of games against ranked opponents only (rankings from the AP poll/Coaches poll):
Date Visitor Home Score November 18 Grand Canyon #23 OregonL, 54–70 November 20 Tarleton #4 TexasL, 41–83 December 3 Cal Baptist #6 USCL, 52–94December 11Tarleton#24 NebraskaL, 50–63December 18Utah TechNR/#21 BaylorL, 34–97
Team rankings are reflective of AP poll/Coaches poll when the game was played, not current or final ranking.
Rankings
Improvement in ranking Drop in rankingRVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25NVNo votes received Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 Wk17 Wk18 Wk19Wk20 FinalAbilene Christian APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCalifornia Baptist APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVGrand Canyon APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVRVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVSeattle U APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVSouthern Utah APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVTarleton APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUT Arlington APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah Tech APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah Valley APNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNV
Head coaches
Coaching changes No coaching changes were made during the offseason.
Coaches Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. Overall and WAC records are from time at current school. Team Head coach Previous job Seasons at school Overall record WAC record WAC titles NCAA tournaments NCAA Final Fours NCAA ChampionshipsAbilene Christian Julie Goodenough Charleston Southern 13th 228–130 () 138–75() 2 1 0 0California Baptist Jarrod Olson Florida Southern 13th 133–54 () 76–26 () 2 1 0 0Grand Canyon Molly Miller Drury 5th 85–35 () 50–18 () 0 0 0 0Seattle U Skyler Young Portland (assistant) 2nd 6–23 () 6–14 () 0 0 0 0Southern UtahTracy MasonSt. Mary's (associate HC)7th84–87 ()22–16 ()1100Tarleton Bill Brock McLennan Community College 2nd 12–20 () 7–13 () 0 0 0 0UT ArlingtonShereka WrightVanderbilt (associate HC)5th64–48 ()41–27 ()0100Utah Tech JD Gustin Weber State (assistant) 9th 48–47 () 28–28 () 0 0 0 0Utah Valley Dan Nielson BYU (associate HC) 6th 57–81 () 37–48 () 0 1 0 0 Notes: Overall and WAC records, conference titles, etc. are from time at current school and are through the end of the 2023–24 season. Records and season totals only include time spent at Division I as head coach. NCAA tournament appearances are from time at current school only. NCAA Final Fours and Championship include time at other schools.
Postseason
WAC tournament
The WAC tournament was held in March 2025 with all nine teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The opening round was held at Burns Arena in St. George, Utah with the remaining rounds at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada. Grand Canyon won the tournament by defeating UT Arlington 65–62 in the championship game.
NCAA tournament
Teams from the conference that were selected to participate: 1
Seed Region School First Four First round Second round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship13SpokaneGrand Canyon BidsW-L (%):TOTAL:
Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament Number from the conference that were selected to participate: 0
Seed School First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals W-L (%): TOTAL:
Women's National Invitation Tournament Number from the conference that were selected to participate: 4
Seed School First round Second round Super 16Great 8 Semifinals FinalsN/ATarleton N/AAbilene ChristianN/AUtah ValleyN/AUT ArlingtonW-L (%): TOTAL:
Index to colors and formattingWAC member wonWAC member lost *Denotes overtime period
Awards and honors
Players of the week Throughout the conference regular season, the WAC offices name a player of the week and a newcomer of the week each Monday.
WeekPlayer of the WeekSchool Newcomer of the WeekSchool November 11Bella EarleAbilene ChristianDanja Stafford CollinsUtah ValleyNovember 18Alyssa Durazo-FrescasGrand CanyonAlyssa Durazo-FrescasGrand CanyonNovember 25Chardonnay HartleyUtah TechAaliyah IbarraUtah TechDecember 2Payton HullAbilene ChristianTaisiya KozlovaSeattleDecember 9Trinity San AntonioGrand CanyonKoi LoveUT ArlingtonDecember 16Laura ErikstrupGrand CanyonAlyssa Durazo-Frescas (2)Grand CanyonDecember 23Payton Hull (2)Abilene ChristianKoi Love (2)UT ArlingtonDecember 31Laura Erikstrup (2)Grand CanyonKoi Love (3)UT ArlingtonJanuary 6Avery BrittinghamUT ArlingtonKoi Love (4)UT ArlingtonJanuary 13Khloe LemmonCalifornia BaptistKoi Love (5)UT ArlingtonJanuary 20Laura Erikstrup (3)Grand CanyonEmma JohanssonCalifornia BaptistJanuary 27Miannah LittleTarleton StateKoi Love (6)UT ArlingtonFebruary 3Avery Brittingham (2)UT ArlingtonKoi Love (7)UT ArlingtonFebruary 10Jakoriah LongTarleton StateKoi Love (8)UT ArlingtonFebruary 17Trinity San Antonio (2)Grand CanyonCandy EdokpaigbeSeattleFebruary 24Trinity San Antonio (3)Grand CanyonAlyssa Durazo-Frescas (3)Grand CanyonMarch 3Trinity San Antonio (4)Grand CanyonPaige CoferUtah TechMarch 9Halle NelsonUtah ValleyKoi Love (9)UT Arlington
Totals per school - Players of the week School Player of the weekNewcomer of the weekTotalAbilene Christian University33California Baptist University112Grand Canyon University8311Seattle University22Southern Utah UniversityTarleton State University22University of Texas at Arlington2911Utah Tech University123Utah Valley University112Total181836
All-Americans
All-WAC First team NameSchool Bella EarleAbilene Christian Trinity San Antonio‡Grand Canyon Tiarra BrownGrand Canyon Avery BrittinghamUT Arlington Koi LoveUT Arlington ‡ WAC Player of the Year
Second team Name School Meredith MayesAbilene Christian Khloe LemonCalifornia Baptist Alyssa Durazo-FrescasGrand Canyon Laura ErikstrupGrand Canyon Jakoriah LongTarleton
All-Freshman team
Name School CeCe Legaspi†California Baptist Candy EdokpaigbeSeattle Kendal RobinsonUT Robinson Ellie TaylorUtah Tech Cambree BlackmanUtah Valley † Freshman of the Year
All-Defensive team Name School Bella EarleAbilene Christian Callie CooperGrand Canyon Trinity San AntonioGrand Canyon Tiarra Brown‡Grand Canyon Tahlia WhiteUtah Valley ‡WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Other awards Sixth Woman of the Year: Aspen Thornton, UT Arlington and Kylee Mabry, Utah Valley
Coach of the Year: Molly Miller, Grand Canyon
2025 WNBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality Team School/club team − − −
Home game attendance