# 2023–24 Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team

The 2023–24 Gonzaga Bulldogs women's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Bulldogs (also informally referred to as the "Zags"), were members of the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs, led by tenth year head coach Lisa Fortier, played their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center on the university campus in Spokane, Washington.

## Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the season at 28–5 and 17–1 in WCC play to win the WCC regular season championship. They advanced to the WCC women's tournament championship game where they lost to Portland. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Women's Tournament as a 9th seed in Seattle region 4 where they lost in the first round to Ole Miss.

## Offseason
### Departures

Due to COVID-19 disruptions throughout NCAA sports in 2020–21, the NCAA announced that the 2020–21 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any individual involved in an NCAA winter sport, including women's basketball. This meant that all seniors in 2020–21 had the option to return for 2021–22.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason left |
| Giana Riley | 2 | G | 5'8" | Freshman | Manteca, CA | Resume back to Gonzaga Bulldogs WSOC |
| McKayla Williams | 24 | G | 6'1" | Junior | Los Angeles, CA | Transferred to California |

#### Recruiting

There was no recruiting class of 2023.

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 2, 2023* 6:00 p.m. | | Warner Pacific | W 95–32 | | – | – | – | McCarthey Athletic Center Spokane, WA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 6:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | | at Montana | W 83–70 | 1–0 | 19 – Kayly. Truong | 9 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayly. Truong | Dahlberg Arena (2,603) Missoula, MT |
| November 9, 2023* 7:00 p.m. | | at No. 24 Washington State | L 72–77 $^{OT}$ | 1–1 | 22 – Kayly. Truong | 7 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayly. Truong | Beasley Coliseum (1,587) Pullman, WA |
| November 12, 2023* 2:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | | Toledo | W 91–70 | 2–1 | 22 – Ejim | 11 – Hollingsworth | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (4,843) Spokane, WA |
| November 15, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | North Florida | W 83–55 | 3–1 | 21 – Kayle. Truong | 8 – Ejim | 8 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (4,845) Spokane, WA |
| November 18, 2023* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Wyoming | W 80–64 | 4–1 | 18 – Kayle. Truong | 10 – Ejim | 8 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,059) Spokane, WA |
| November 24, 2023* 11:15 a.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Liberty Betty Chancellor Classic | W 102–59 | 5–1 | 25 – Kayle. Truong | 8 – Ejim | 8 – Kayly. Truong | Merrell Center (215) Katy, TX |
| November 25, 2023* 11:15 a.m., ESPN+ | | vs. Alabama Betty Chancellor Classic | W 68–58 | 6–1 | 23 – Ejim | 8 – Tied | 7 – Kayle. Truong | Merrell Center (530) Katy, TX |
| November 26, 2023* 10:45 a.m., ESPN+ | | vs. No. 20 Louisville Betty Chancellor Classic | L 70–81 | 6–2 | 23 – Ejim | 7 – Ejim | 7 – Kayle. Truong | Merrell Center Katy, TX |
| November 29, 2023* 6:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | | at Eastern Washington | W 82–80 | 7–2 | 23 – Ejim | 14 – Hollingsworth | 8 – Kayly. Truong | Reese Court (1,378) Cheney, WA |
| December 3, 2023* 1:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | | No. 3 Stanford | W 96–78 | 8–2 | 27 – Ejim | 12 – Ejim | 7 – Kayle. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| December 7, 2023* 7:00 p.m., P12N | No. 23 | at California | W 78–70 $^{OT}$ | 9–2 | 21 – Ejim | 9 – Tied | 12 – Kayly. Truong | Haas Pavilion (1,109) Berkeley, CA |
| December 9, 2023* 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 23 | at Rice | W 80–72 | 10–2 | 21 – Hollingsworth | 10 – Ejim | 5 – Kayle. Truong | Tudor Fieldhouse (1,367) Houston, TX |
| December 17, 2023* 2:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 21 | South Dakota State | W 83–58 | 11–2 | 17 – Hollingsworth | 12 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayle. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,120) Spokane, WA |
| December 20, 2023* 1:30 p.m., P12N | No. 20 | vs. Arizona Jerry Colangelo Classic | W 81–69 | 12–2 | 27 – Ejim | 11 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayly. Truong | Footprint Center Phoenix, AZ |
| December 22, 2023* 1:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 20 | New Mexico | W 67–56 | 13–2 | 22 – Ejim | 6 – Huijbens | 7 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,241) Spokane, WA |
| WCC regular season |||||||||
| January 4, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 18 | at Portland | W 74–53 | 14–2 (1–0) | 21 – Maxwell | 11 – Hollingsworth | 4 – Maxwell | Chiles Center (1,503) Portland, OR |
| January 11, 2024 6:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 16 | Santa Clara | W 87–49 | 15–2 (2–0) | 19 – Ejim | 7 – Hollingsworth | 4 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,155) Spokane, WA |
| January 13, 2024 2:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 16 | San Diego | W 85–67 | 16–2 (3–0) | 25 – Ejim | 10 – Ejim | 7 – Kayle. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,303) Spokane, WA |
| January 18, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 17 | at Loyola Marymount | W 72–48 | 17–2 (4–0) | 24 – Ejim | 12 – Ejim | 10 – Kayly. Truong | Gersten Pavilion (356) Los Angeles, CA |
| January 20, 2024 2:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 17 | Saint Mary's | W 89–60 | 18–2 (5–0) | 25 – Kayly. Truong | 9 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,439) Spokane, WA |
| January 25, 2024 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 17 | at Santa Clara | W 82–45 | 19–2 (6–0) | 19 – Ejim | 13 – Ejim | 6 – Kayle. Truong | Leavey Center (337) Santa Clara, CA |
| January 27, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 17 | at San Francisco | W 73–54 | 20–2 (7–0) | 21 – Ejim | 13 – Ejim | 6 – Kayly. Truong | War Memorial Gymnasium San Francisco, CA |
| February 1, 2024 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 19 | at San Diego | W 80–52 | 21–2 (8–0) | 19 – Maxwell | 8 – Tied | 12 – Kayly. Truong | Jenny Craig Pavilion (334) San Diego, CA |
| February 3, 2024 2:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 19 | Pacific | W 104–39 | 22–2 (9–0) | 21 – Ejim | 11 – Ejim | 9 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,633) Spokane, WA |
| February 8, 2024 6:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 19 | Pepperdine | W 83–46 | 23–2 (10–0) | 19 – Kayly. Truong | 8 – Hollingsworth | 3 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (4,921) Spokane, WA |
| February 10, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 19 | Loyola Marymount | W 71–47 | 24–2 (11–0) | 13 – Kayly. Truong | 7 – Stokes | 8 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,442) Spokane, WA |
| February 15, 2024 4:30 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 17 | at Saint Mary's | W 96–68 | 25–2 (12–0) | 20 – Tied | 10 – Ejim | 4 – Tied | University Credit Union Pavilion (441) Moraga, CA |
| February 17, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 17 | at Pacific | W 91–78 | 26–2 (13–0) | 28 – Ejim | 9 – Tied | 10 – Kayle. Truong | Alex G. Spanos Center (1,183) Stockton, CA |
| February 22, 2024 6:00 p.m., SWX/ESPN+ | No. 16 | San Francisco | W 74–48 | 27–2 (14–0) | 20 – Ejim | 6 – Tied | 5 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (5,415) Spokane, WA |
| February 24, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | No. 16 | at Pepperdine | W 75–41 | 28–2 (15–0) | 18 – Maxwell | 11 – Ejim | 6 – Kayly. Truong | Firestone Fieldhouse (103) Malibu, CA |
| February 28, 2024 8:00 p.m., ESPNU | No. 16 | Portland | W 90–40 | 29–2 (16–0) | 19 – Maxwell | 10 – Hollingsworth | 6 – Kayly. Truong | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| WCC women's tournament |||||||||
| March 11, 2024 12:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (1) No. 14 | vs. (5) Pacific Semifinals | W 72–61 | 30–2 | 20 – Hollingsworth | 13 – Ejim | 7 – Kayly. Truong | Orleans Arena Paradise, NV |
| March 12, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPNU | (1) No. 14 | vs. (3) Portland Championship | L 66–67 | 30–3 | 17 – Ejim | 11 – Tied | 5 – Kayle. Truong | Orleans Arena (2,594) Paradise, NV |
| NCAA Women's Tournament |||||||||
| March 23, 2024* 4:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (4 P4) No. 16 | (13 P4) UC Irvine First round | W 75–56 | 31–3 | 25 – Ejim | 14 – Ejim | 5 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| March 25, 2024* 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 | (4 P4) No. 16 | (5 P4) No. 21 Utah Second round | W 77–66 | 32–3 | 21 – Kayle. Truong | 13 – Ejim | 5 – Tied | McCarthey Athletic Center (6,000) Spokane, WA |
| March 29, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN | (4 P4) No. 16 | vs. (1 P4) No. 4 Texas Sweet Sixteen | L 47–69 | 32–4 | 14 – Ejim | 5 – Tied | 4 – Kayly. Truong | Moda Center (10,104) Portland, OR |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. P4=Portland 4. All times are in Pacific Time Zone. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | RV | — | — | RV | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 14 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 |