Gonzaga Women Cruise Past Santa Clara, Advance to WCC Tournament Final

Zags score 88 points, the most all season, to reach championship game

Published on Mar. 10, 2026

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The No. 2-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team dominated the No. 3-seeded Santa Clara Broncos 88-60 in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals. Junior guard Zeryhia Aukuso led the Zags with 14 points, while sophomore Allie Turner added 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range. Redshirt freshman forward Lauren Whittaker set a new Gonzaga single-season rebounding record with 326 boards, passing Yvonne Ejim's previous mark of 325 from last season.

Why it matters

Gonzaga is seeking its first WCC tournament title since 2022 and a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2024. An at-large bid is out of the question, so the Zags must win the tournament championship to earn the conference's automatic bid to the Big Dance.

The details

The Zags were locked in offensively, shooting 54.4% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Aukuso, a transfer from Saint Mary's, had a strong all-around game with 14 points, four assists, and three rebounds. Turner, an All-WCC First Team selection, continued her hot shooting. However, the Zags struggled with turnovers, committing 20 which led to 25 points for Santa Clara.

  • The WCC tournament semifinal game was played on Monday, March 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The players

Zeryhia Aukuso

A junior guard for Gonzaga who transferred from Saint Mary's. She led the Zags with 14 points, four assists, and three rebounds in the semifinal win.

Allie Turner

A sophomore sharpshooter for Gonzaga who is a back-to-back All-WCC First Team selection. She scored 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range.

Lauren Whittaker

A redshirt freshman forward for Gonzaga who set a new single-season rebounding record for the program with 326 boards, passing Yvonne Ejim's previous mark of 325 from last season.

Lisa Fortier

The head coach of the Gonzaga women's basketball team, who is seeking her first WCC tournament title since 2022 and a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2024.

Scott Rueck

The head coach of the Oregon State Beavers, who upset the No. 1-seeded Loyola Marymount Lions in the other WCC tournament semifinal.

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What they’re saying

“I think if you focus on those things then you're likely to not give your best effort. It's just a distraction. We do set some of those goals, but improve all the way to the end and stay focused on the task at hand. So while we want to be in the NCAA Tournament for sure, we really just want to be playing our best. If we play our best basketball, then we're going to be happy regardless of what the outcome is.”

— Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga head coach (Yahoo Sports)

What’s next

Gonzaga will face the No. 4-seeded Oregon State Beavers in the WCC tournament championship game on Tuesday, March 11, 2026 at 1 p.m. PT on ESPN2. The winner will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

Gonzaga's dominant performance in the WCC tournament semifinals showcases their potential to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but they must first take care of the ball and limit turnovers if they want to capture the conference championship and secure their spot in the Big Dance.