By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications
PORTLAND, Ore. – Regular-season action is on tap for all 10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams as the 2024-25 season officially commences this weekend.
Four conference teams competed last weekend to start their campaigns early, and three emerged with winning records. Reigning GNAC regular-season champion Montana State Billings (2-1) appeared in both the WBCA (No. 6) and D2CSC (No. 20) preseason national polls, while reigning GNAC Championships tournament winner Western Washington was No. 10 in the D2CSC rankings and received votes in the coaches poll.
| This Week's Opponents |
| GNAC Team |
Opponent(s) |
Location(s) |
| Alaska Anchorage |
Jessup; Cal Poly Humboldt |
California |
| Alaska Fairbanks |
Cal Poly Humboldt; Jessup |
California |
| Central Washington |
Stanislaus State; Cal State East Bay |
Ellensburg, Wash. |
| #6 Montana State Billings |
Westmont; Vanguard |
Burnaby, B.C. |
| Northwest Nazarene |
Cal State East Bay; Stanislaus State; Oregon State |
Ellensburg, Wash./Corvallis, Ore. |
| Saint Martin’s |
Biola; Concordia Irvine |
San Bernardino, Calif. |
| Seattle Pacific |
RV Cal State LA; Cal State Dominguez Hills |
Carson, Calif. |
| Simon Fraser |
Vanguard; Westmont |
Burnaby, B.C. |
| Western Oregon |
Multnomah |
Monmouth, Ore. |
| RV Western Washington |
CSU Dominguez Hills; RV CSU LA; CSU East Bay |
Carson, Calif./Bellingham, Wash. |
YELLOWJACKETS SUCCESSFUL AT HOME: Going 2-1 at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead last week, Montana State Billings upended Texas A&M International 76-45 and Findlay 62-52 while falling 69-52 against No. 3 Grand Valley State. The Yellowjackets go international this week, facing Westmont (Friday, 1 p.m. PT) and Vanguard (Saturday, 1 p.m. PT) in a pair of games at the GNAC/PacWest Crossover hosted by Simon Fraser in Burnaby, B.C. Senior guard
Aspen Giese was outstanding to kick off her final season at MSUB, leading all GNAC players with 8.3 rebounds per game while adding 13.7 points. Fellow preseason all-conference selection
Dyauni Boyce led the team with 14.0 points per game and added 5.7 rebounds to start her senior campaign. Boyce was honored in a pregame ceremony before the season opener, after reaching 1,000-career points at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. She currently ranks second among active GNAC players with 1,105 points.
| GNAC Active Leaders – Career Points (as of Nov. 7) |
| Rank |
Player |
Points |
School |
Career |
| 1 |
Sunny Huerta |
1,368 |
Central Washington |
2021-25 |
| 2 |
Dyauni Boyce |
1,105 |
Montana State Billings |
2020-25 |
| 3 |
Asher Cai |
1,025 |
Central Washington |
2022-25 |
| 4 |
Sophia Wisotzki |
933 |
Simon Fraser |
2021-25 |
| 5 |
Kortney Nelson |
849 |
Montana State Billings |
2020-25 |
| 6 |
Aspen Giese |
774 |
Montana State Billings |
2021-25 |
| 7 |
Jazzpher Evans |
711 |
Alaska Anchorage |
2021-25 |
Read More: ‘Jackets conclude D2CCA Tipoff Classic w/victory (MSUB Recap)
Dyauni Boyce is second among active GNAC players with 1,105 career points (Shi Robison Photography).
WISOTZKI OPENS WITH A BANG: Leading all GNAC players in scoring last week was Simon Fraser senior
Sophia Wisotzki, who averaged 26.3 points to help lead the Red Leafs to a 2-1 start. SFU beat St. Edward’s 78-62 and Dominican 77-67, before falling to No. 4 Tampa 66-51 at the D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic last week. Wisotzki was one off her career high with 31 points in the season opener, marking her third-career 30-point game. The senior from Langley, B.C., is fourth on the GNAC active career leaders list, entering the week 67 points shy of the 1,000 mark. SFU is home again this week, playing Vanguard on Friday (3:15 p.m. PT) and Westmont on Saturday (3:15 p.m. PT).
Read More: 2024 D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic (SFU Recap)
SFU's Sophia Wisotzki (5) averaged 26.3 points across her opening three games of the 2024-25 season (Photo: Gary Ahuja).
LONG BREAKS STEALS RECORD IN DEBUT: In her first-career game at Alaska Anchorage (2-0),
Emilia Long broke the GNAC single-game record for steals as she came away with 11 in the Seawolves’ 103-24 trouncing of Simpson (NAIA). Long totaled 14 steals and 14 assists across the team’s first two games of the season, while averaging 17.5 points per game.
Elaina Mack led the team in scoring with 23.5 points per game, while making 16 of 32 field goals (50.0 percent) and 11 of 22 threes (50.0 percent). The Seawolves kick off their Division II schedule in California this week, facing Jessup on Friday (2 p.m. AK) and Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday (11 a.m. AK).
Read More: Seawolves start D2 slate w/2 in NorCal (UAA Preview)
FALCONS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK IN CALI: After starting the season 0-3 last week, Seattle Pacific plays against Cal State LA on Friday (5:30 p.m. PT) and at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday (5:30 p.m. PT) in a pair of games in Carson, Calif. The Falcons lost 65-49 to No. 4 Tampa, 82-60 to Gannon and 59-42 to Dominican last week in Canada.
Layne Kearns led the effort with averages of 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, earning all-tournament recognition.
Read More: SPU falls to Dominican in Canada finale (SPU Recap)
Seattle Pacific sophomore Layne Kearns (22) earned all-tournament recognition at the D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic last week (Photo: Gary Ahuja).
| GNAC In The National & Regional Rankings |
National top-25 rankings are released weekly by both the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (coach poll) and the D2 College Sports Communicators (media poll). The D2CSC also releases weekly regional top-10 rankings. Additional ranking information, including RPI projections, can be found in real time via
Inkblot Sports online here. The official NCAA regional rankings, which will eventually determine the eight-team field for the 2025 NCAA West Region Championships, will be released towards the end of the season beginning in February, 2025.
| Date |
Player of the Week |
School |
| 11/4 |
Emilia Long |
Alaska Anchorage |
Nov. 4 GNAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week
Emilia Long – University of Alaska Anchorage
First-career player of the week.
Long’s efficiency was off the charts in a pair of lopsided wins to start the season, and she needed just 22 minutes on the floor to break the conference record for steals with 11 last Friday against Simpson. Long also had 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting in her debut with the Seawolves, while adding six assists and a block. The senior transfer from Cal Poly Humboldt followed up with 14 points, eight assists and three more steals in just 24 minutes in the rematch against Simpson on Saturday. Long led all GNAC players on opening weekend in assists per game (7.0) and steals per game (7.0), while ranking third in scoring with 17.5 points per game, shooting 55.6 percent and posting an assist-turnover ratio of 2.8.
UAA Head Coach Ryan McCarthy: “Millie has shown so much improvement from the beginning of the year. This is the first preseason she has had to focus on basketball and it has really paid off. She made a lot of plays on both ends of the floor for us, but her defensive effort set the tone for our team and helped us to a strong start to our year.”
Also Nominated: Aspen Giese, Montana State Billings; Layne Kearns, Seattle Pacific; Sophia Wisotzki, Simon Fraser.
| 2024-25 All-Tournament Selections |
D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead
Nov. 1-3 at Billings, Mont. (Montana State Billings, Host)
MSU Billings: Dyauni Boyce; Aspen Giese
D2CCA Canadian Tipoff Classic
Nov. 1-3 at Langley, B.C. (Simon Fraser, Host)
Simon Fraser: Sophia Wisotzki
Seattle Pacific: Layne Kearns
| 2024-25 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team |
| Preseason Player of the Year: Sunny Huerta, Central Washington University |
| Name |
School |
Position |
Height |
Year |
Hometown |
Previous School |
| Tori Hollingshead |
Alaska Anchorage |
Forward/Center |
6-3 |
Senior |
Orem, Utah |
Umpqua CC |
| Sunny Huerta |
Central Washington |
Guard |
5-4 |
Senior |
Whittier, Calif. |
Saint Paul |
| Asher Cai |
Central Washington |
Guard |
5-9 |
Junior |
Colfax, Wash. |
Colfax |
| Capri Sims |
Central Washington |
Forward |
6-0 |
Sophomore |
Post Falls, Idaho |
Post Falls |
| Dyauni Boyce |
Montana State Billings |
Forward |
5-11 |
Senior |
Winifred, Mont. |
Winifred |
| Aspen Giese |
Montana State Billings |
Guard |
5-8 |
Senior |
Fort Benton, Mont. |
Fort Benton |
| Kortney Nelson |
Montana State Billings |
Guard |
5-8 |
Senior |
Scobey, Mont. |
Scobey |
| Kendall Clark |
Northwest Nazarene |
Guard/Forward |
5-10 |
Sophomore |
Melba, Idaho |
Melba |
| Madeline Gebers |
Northwest Nazarene |
Guard/Forward |
6-0 |
Senior |
Kennewick, Wash. |
Spokane Falls CC |
| Sarah Lamet |
Saint Martin's |
Forward |
6-4 |
Junior |
Tigard, Ore. |
Tigard |
| Hunter Beirne |
Seattle Pacific |
Guard |
5-7 |
Senior |
Mukilteo, Wash. |
Kamiak |
| Schuyler Berry |
Seattle Pacific |
Center |
6-3 |
Senior |
Portland, Ore. |
Grant |
| Sophia Wisotzki |
Simon Fraser |
Guard |
5-10 |
Senior |
Langley, B.C. |
Walnut Grove Secondary |
| Mason Oberg |
Western Washington |
Guard |
5-5 |
Junior |
Vancouver, Wash. |
Union |
| Olivia Wikstrom |
Western Washington |
Guard |
6-1 |
Senior |
Bainbridge Island, Wash. |
Bainbridge |