PORTLAND, Ore. – After not getting to play last season, the Western Oregon University women’s basketball team has been looking forward to returning to the court this year. On Wednesday, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference released the Preseason Coaches Poll that tabbed the Wolves ninth.
WOU garnered 20 points to sit in ninth, while Alaska Anchorage was the narrow pick to win with 92 points and seven first-place votes. Right behind them was Western Washington with 89 points and two first-place votes. Northwest Nazarene rounds out the top-three with 70 points and the other first-place vote. Simon Fraser was picked fourth (69 points), Central Washington in fifth (60), Saint Martin’s in sixth (48), Montana State Billings in seventh (47), Seattle Pacific in eighth (43) and then Alaska Fairbanks rounds out the poll in 10th (12).
The Wolves went 6-21 overall and 3-17 in GNAC play during the 2019-20 season. WOU picked up a big double-overtime win over Western Washington at home that season and concluded the year with a dominating 37-point win over Alaska Fairbanks. Down the stretch, WOU played several close games including the rematch with Western Washington in Bellingham (four-point game), overtime at Montana State Billings, two-point game against Seattle Pacific and three-point game against Saint Martin’s.
Top-scorer Keyonna Jones concluded her career at WOU during the 2019-20 season leading the team in points per game (11), shot 44 percent from the field and added 79 rebounds, 65 assists and 20 steals in 25 games. Shariah Green also finished up her career that season and averaged 10.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, shot 46 percent from the field and added 11 blocks in 27 games. The next two scorers from that year are back in Tresai McCarver and Cali McClave. McCarver averaged 8.7 points and 3.9 rebounds, along with 71 assists, 30 steals and connected on 23 three-pointers in 27 games. McClave played right away as a true freshman and averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds, along with 38 steals and made 30 three-pointers.
Meadow Aragon is back after a true freshman campaign as well in which she played in 27 games, averaging 4.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, along with 22 blocks, 19 steals and shot 45 percent from the field. Amber Winkler returns after playing in 27 games and averaging 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds, along with 50 blocks, 34 assists and 14 steals. Alexis Wright is back after seeing time in 26 games, tallying 3.1 points per game and pulled down 33 rebounds, three blocks and shot 49 percent from the field. Kaelin Williams-Kennedy is back this year as well, as she was on the team in 2019-20, but was a redshirt season.
Joining this year’s team will be a big group of freshmen including Erika Glenn, Caitlin Wheeler, Ana McClave, Madisyn Clark, Kylee Arzner, Kilyn Dawkins and Averi Young. Transfer Jewel “Princy” Paaluhi-Caulk joins the team after playing for Concordia (OR) her first season. Other transfers include Casandra White who played her first two seasons and Peninsula CC and Makenna Gambee who will play as a graduate student after playing four seasons at Hawaii Pacific.
WOU opens the season on Nov. 2 with a home exhibition contest against Lewis & Clark starting at 6 p.m. inside NPE Gym. The regular season officially tips off on Nov. 12 when the Wolves will play Hawaii Pacific in a neutral site contest in Lacey, Wash.
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