Gonzaga returns its top seven scorers, including Lauren Whittaker, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, making the Bulldogs my pick to win the Pac-12 in its first season as a nine-team league. Nala Williams, the Mountain West Player of the Year, is gone from San Diego State. Colorado State, Boise State, and Utah State lost most of their top scorers, and Texas State has a new head coach in Chris Kielsmeier.
The Big Picture
The Pac-12 has nine teams from three leagues: five from the Mountain West, three from the West Coast Conference, and Texas State from the Sun Belt. Only one of them has a new head coach: Kielsmeier, who spent the last eight seasons at Cleveland State, was hired in March to replace Zenarae Antoine. The other eight coaches are back.
The Pac-12 keeps more of last year’s best players from the West Coast Conference than from the Mountain West. Four of the ten first-team All-WCC players are back: Lauren Whittaker, Allie Turner, Kennedie Shuler, and Jenna Villa. So is second-team selection Eleonora Villa. Five of the ten All-Mountain West players played for current Pac-12 schools, and only one is still on a roster, San Diego State’s Naomi Panganiban, who will miss the season with an injury. The other four are gone: San Diego State’s Nala Williams, Colorado State’s Lexus Bargesser, and Boise State’s Tatum Thompson and Dani Bayes. Roughly 60 of the 125 players on the nine rosters are newcomers, and Texas State alone added ten. I pick Gonzaga to win the league, with Oregon State and San Diego State next. Colorado State won the Mountain West Tournament but has only five players back who appeared in a game, and Texas State is the biggest wildcard.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Gonzaga
2 - Oregon State
3 - San Diego State
4 - Colorado State
5 - Texas State
6 - Washington State
7 - Boise State
8 - Fresno State
9 - Utah State
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-Pac-12 Team
Libby Hutton, F, Boise State
Camryn Runner, G, Colorado State
Kloe Froebe, G, Colorado State
Rubi Gray, G, Fresno State
Allie Turner, G, Gonzaga
Lauren Whittaker, F, Gonzaga
Jaiden Haile, F, Gonzaga
Jenna Villa, G, Oregon State
Kennedie Shuler, G, Oregon State
Alayna Kraus, G, San Diego State
Eva DeChent, G, San Diego State
Crystal Henderson, G, Texas State
Kyra Anderson, F, Texas State
Charlotte Abraham, G, Washington State
Eleonora Villa, G, Washington State
Gonzaga
Record: 24-10, 14-4 West Coast (2nd, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Lisa Fortier, 13th season, 313-84
Gonzaga finished second behind LMU, went straight to the semifinals, beat Santa Clara 88-60, and won the tournament with a 76-66 win over Oregon State. The Bulldogs then lost 81-66 to fifth-seeded Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed. Only two players from last year’s roster are gone: Sierra Lichtie, a senior forward who averaged 2.9 points in 20 games, and Paige Lofing, a freshman guard who averaged 2.2 points and left for Montana.
Lauren Whittaker, a junior forward who redshirted in 2024-25, was the Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year after averaging 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds and starting all 34 games. Allie Turner, a first-team All-WCC guard, scored 14.8 points with 3.5 assists. Zeryhia Aokuso, a senior guard, scored 8.4 points; Jaiden Haile, the Sixth Woman of the Year, scored 7.1 points and grabbed 6.4 rebounds without starting. Inês Bettencourt, a fifth-year guard, scored 6.3 points and added 3.0 assists; Teryn Gardner scored 6.0 points; and Taylor Smith, a senior forward, scored 5.6 points with 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Julia Wilson, McKynnlie Dalan, and Christabel Osarobo each played in at least 26 games.
Emmy Roach, a junior guard, comes from Rider, where she averaged 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 28 games, and Jocelyn Medina, a senior guard, arrives from Denver after scoring 7.2 points in 25 games. The only freshman is forward Abby Lusk.
The seven leading scorers from a 24-win team are back, led by the Player of the Year and a first-team guard, putting Gonzaga first. The Bulldogs finished behind LMU in the regular season; Roach and Medina add two guards who scored 6.6 and 7.2 points at their last stops, and no other team in the league returns this much. The question is whether the Bulldogs can take another step forward this season.
Players to watch: Lauren Whittaker, Allie Turner, Jaiden Haile, Emmy Roach
Oregon State
Record: 23-12, 13-5 West Coast (3rd, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Scott Rueck, 17th season, 339-182 (31st overall, 627-270)
Oregon State finished tied for third, beat Portland 60-50 and top-seeded LMU 73-67 in the tournament, and lost 76-66 to Gonzaga in the final. The Beavers then lost 62-58 at home to Wisconsin in the first round of the WBIT. Second-team All-WCC guard Tiara Bolden, who averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds, is gone. Seniors Lizzy Williamson, who averaged 6.5 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Nene Sow, who averaged 3.3 points and 4.6 rebounds, are also gone, as are Cloe Vecina, Elisa Mehyar, Susana Yepes, and Lucia Navarro.
Both first-team guards return. Jenna Villa, a senior, averaged 15.6 points and 5.2 rebounds and started all 33 games, and Kennedie Shuler, the Defensive Player of the Year, scored 12.8 points with 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Ally Schimel scored 5.9 points and started every game, and Katelyn Field and Keira Lindemans each scored 1.3 points. Lara Alonso-Basurto, a sophomore forward, averaged 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 33 games as a freshman, and Mackenzie Shivers played 10 games. Catarina Ferreira, a fifth-year guard who previously played at Baylor, missed all of last season with an injury.
Mariia Ignatchenko, a junior forward, arrives from Salt Lake Community College. The freshmen are guards Ashley Uusitalo and Taylor Young and forwards Maggie Warpus and Evelini Smith.
Oregon State is second thanks to Villa and Shuler, two first-team guards who have proven that they can score. Bolden was the second-leading scorer, and little proven scoring sits behind those two and Schimel, who started every game as a sophomore, so a healthy Ferreira and a second year from Alonso-Basurto will decide whether the Beavers can challenge Gonzaga.
Players to watch: Jenna Villa, Kennedie Shuler, Ally Schimel, Catarina Ferreira
San Diego State
Record: 27-6, 19-1 Mountain West (1st, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Stacie Terry-Hutson, 14th season, 206-201
San Diego State won the regular season at 19-1 as the top seed but lost 83-76 to Air Force in its first tournament game, the quarterfinals. The Aztecs then beat UC Irvine 61-55 and McNeese 56-41 in the first two rounds of the WBIT before losing 85-78 at Kansas in the quarterfinals. Nala Williams, a senior guard who was the Player of the Year and an All-Defensive Team selection, averaged 9.9 points and 4.1 assists and is gone. Kaelyn Hamilton, the Sixth Player of the Year, scored 7.8 points and left for Houston, and CJ Latta, who scored 2.7 points, left for Boise State. Kendall Mosley, Sofia Kelemeni, and Aubrey Cook, who each scored fewer than two points, are also gone.
Naomi Panganiban, a junior guard and All-Mountain West selection, led the team with 14.7 points and started 32 games, but she will miss the 2026-27 season with an injury. Natalia Martinez scored 9.4 points, and fifth-year forward Kennedy Lee scored 9.3 points with 5.4 rebounds. Bailey Barnhard added 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds, and Alyssa Jackson scored 3.5 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds off the bench. Maria Konstantinidou scored 2.7 points, and Ellie Chen played 10 games.
Eva DeChent, a senior guard, comes from New Hampshire, where she averaged 17.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 28 games, and Alayna Kraus, a junior guard, arrives from Southern Illinois after scoring 15.8 points in 28 games. Nayli Padilla, a junior guard, averaged 8.0 points in 32 games at New Mexico, and Izzy Navarro, a senior guard, arrives from Point Loma. The freshmen are forwards Dionne Madjo, Mairead Hearty, and Mayenabasi Akpan.
San Diego State is third because Panganiban will miss the season, leaving the Aztecs without Williams and Panganiban, who averaged 9.9 and 14.7 points, respectively. DeChent and Kraus averaged 17.9 and 15.8 points at their last stops, and Martinez and Lee each scored more than nine points, so the scoring has to come from those four. This is the pick I am least sure of among the top three, and the Aztecs could move back up if the transfers adjust quickly.
Players to watch: Eva DeChent, Alayna Kraus, Kennedy Lee, Natalia Martinez
Colorado State
Record: 27-8, 15-5 Mountain West (2nd, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Ryun Williams, 15th season, 281-157 (32nd overall, 593-348)
Colorado State finished tied for second and won the Mountain West Tournament as the third seed, beating Grand Canyon 61-59, UNLV 66-59, and Air Force 56-42. The Rams then lost 65-62 to fifth-seeded Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed. Seniors Lexus Bargesser, an All-Mountain West guard who averaged 15.3 points and 5.8 rebounds, Madelyn Bragg, who averaged 8.2 points, Hannah Ronsiek, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds, and Marta Leimane, along with Lexi Deden, are gone. Brooke Carlson, a sophomore guard who averaged 11.9 points and 3.1 assists, left for Washington, and Jadyn Fife left for East Texas A&M.
Kloe Froebe, a junior guard, averaged 10.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists and started all 34 games. McKenna Murphy averaged 4.6 points in 34 games, and Olivia Pawlicki, Caitlin Kramer, and Gianna Smith played in 11, 14, and 15 games, respectively. Allie Roden and Bree Bowman, both sophomores, redshirted last season.
Camryn Runner, a junior guard, is the main transfer after averaging 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists and starting all 35 games at Evansville. Sophie Sene, a fifth-year forward, scored 9.3 points and grabbed 6.1 rebounds in 19 games at Utah State, and Maryn Archer, a fifth-year guard, averaged 1.8 points in 25 games at Arkansas. Heiður Karlsdóttir, a junior forward, scored 2.7 points in 28 games at Wyoming, and Anna Wikstrøm, a sophomore guard, scored 23 points in 18 games at Duke. The freshmen are guard Elsie Larsen and forwards Emilie Borges-Michaelsen and Kyla Hollier.
Colorado State lost five of its seven leading scorers, but Runner’s 18.2 points at Evansville and Sene’s 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds at Utah State give the Rams two proven starters, and Froebe started all 34 games. That keeps them fourth, ahead of Washington State, which returns more but won nine games, and Runner is the player most likely to replace Bargesser’s scoring.
Players to watch: Camryn Runner, Kloe Froebe, Sophie Sene, McKenna Murphy
Texas State
Record: 11-19, 7-11 Sun Belt (8th, tie)
Coach: Chris Kielsmeier, 1st season, 0-0 (27th overall, 596-196)
Texas State finished tied for eighth and lost 69-59 to South Alabama in the third round of the Sun Belt Tournament. Zenarae Antoine coached last season, and Kielsmeier was hired in March after eight seasons at Cleveland State. Mia Galbraith, a junior guard who averaged 5.8 points, left for Northern Colorado, and KP Parr, a sophomore guard who averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 assists, left for Northwestern State. Angela Carroll, a freshman forward who averaged 4.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, left for Arkansas State, and Kyla McBride, a junior forward who averaged 4.2 points, left for ULM. Senior guard Deja Jones, who averaged 5.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, is also gone, along with Amyria Walker, Taleiyah Gibbs, Kyaija Stewart, Myla Harbor, and Takeira Ramey.
Saniya Burks, a junior guard, led the team with 15.1 points and started 27 of 28 games, and Kyra Anderson, a junior forward, scored 13.0 points and grabbed 8.5 rebounds. Kaliyah Murphy, a sophomore forward, scored 3.0 points in 26 games.
Texas State’s four leading transfers averaged at least 10 points last season: Crystal Henderson, a senior guard, scored 16.6 points with 4.0 assists at Georgia State; Sofia Ceppellotti, a junior forward, scored 11.6 points at North Alabama; Cali Denson, a redshirt junior guard, scored 11.2 points in nine games at Oakland; and Lay Fantroy, a senior guard, averaged 10.1 points and 8.1 rebounds at Delaware. Other additions include senior center Lucija Milkovic from Seattle U, junior guard Aliyah Carter from CSU Bakersfield, junior guard Emma Pique from Northwest College, and senior guard Makenna Shaffer-Lauer, who previously played at Weber State, Buffalo, and Florida SouthWestern, plus freshmen Addison Carr and Hayden Hearst.
This is the team I am most up in the air on; they have a high ceiling and can finish near the top of the league, but if they do not gel, they could finish in the lower half. Burks and Anderson led the scoring last year, and four transfers averaged at least 10 points at their last stops, but the Bobcats won 11 games, only three players who appeared are back, and the newcomers have to learn to play together under a first-year coach. Kielsmeier has won 596 games as a head coach, and if Henderson and Fantroy score as they did before, this team can finish higher than fifth.
Players to watch: Crystal Henderson, Saniya Burks, Kyra Anderson, Lay Fantroy
Washington State
Record: 9-25, 6-12 West Coast (8th, tie)
Coach: Kamie Ethridge, 9th season, 125-129 (13th overall, 208-173)
Washington State finished tied for eighth, beat Seattle U 80-58 and Pacific 82-76 as the ninth seed, and lost 72-62 to Portland in the third round of the tournament. Sophomore guard Keandra Koorits, who averaged 6.7 points, left for Pepperdine. Sophomore guard Marta Alsina, who averaged 2.4 points, along with seniors Lauren Glazier and Jean Chiu, is also gone.
Four of the five leading scorers are back. Eleonora Villa, a senior guard and second-team All-WCC selection, averaged 16.5 points with 3.6 assists and started all 34 games, and Charlotte Abraham scored 10.3 points and grabbed 6.2 rebounds. Alex Covill, a senior center, scored 10.8 points in 20 games, and Malia Ruud scored 8.5 points. Mackenzie Chatfield scored 4.6 points with 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists; Tanja Valancic scored 3.3 points; and Malvina Haziri scored 2.2 points. Tahara Magassa, a forward, redshirted last season.
Sophomore forward Elizaveta Filchagina comes from SMU, where she averaged 0.9 points in 19 games. The freshmen are guards Aicha Bah, Gianella Espadale, and Reese Jordan.
Four players who scored at least 8.5 points are back, led by Eleonora Villa, and Keandra Koorits is the only departure who scored more than 3.3 points, which puts Washington State sixth. The Cougars won only nine games with this group, and Covill played only 20 of them, but a healthy Covill alongside Villa and Abraham gives the Cougars a core that should win more. The roster has just 12 players, so depth is the risk.
Players to watch: Eleonora Villa, Charlotte Abraham, Alex Covill, Malia Ruud
Boise State
Record: 25-9, 14-6 Mountain West (4th, tie)
Coach: Gordy Presnell, 22nd season, 398-265 (40th overall, 794-392)
Boise State finished tied for fourth, beat San Jose State 68-51 and New Mexico 62-61 in the Mountain West Tournament, and lost 68-66 to Air Force in the semifinals. Four seniors who started all 33 games are gone: Tatum Thompson, who averaged 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds; Natalie Pasco, who averaged 12.7 points; Dani Bayes, who averaged 12.4 points; and Mya Hansen, who averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 assists. Thompson and Bayes were both All-Mountain West selections. Emily Howard, a junior forward who averaged 2.4 points, left for Ole Miss, and senior Josee Steadman is also gone.
Libby Hutton, a junior forward, is the only returning player to average more than 3.0 points, scoring 10.5 points, grabbing 6.3 rebounds, and starting 32 games. Kenna Garza, a sophomore center, scored 2.9 points in 31 games, and Mason Borcherding, Morgan Maldonado, Izzie Harms, Jayda Lewis, and Keirra Thompson each scored 2.2 points or fewer. Madeline Cooke, a seventh-year center, played four games.
CJ Latta, a junior guard, comes from San Diego State, where she averaged 2.7 points in 32 games, and Grace Foster, a junior guard, comes from Utah, where she averaged 3.0 points in 30 games. Milly Sharp, a junior guard, comes from the Ballarat Miners in Australia, and Emerson McCrea, a freshman center, arrives from the Illawarra Hawks. The other freshmen are guards Mason Quinn and Zia-Daye Anderson and forward Paige Gilpatrick.
Boise State is seventh because four seniors who started all 33 games are gone, and Hutton is the only returner who averaged more than 3.0 points. Latta and Foster each scored 3.0 points or fewer at their last stops, so scoring has to come from players who have not done it yet. The Broncos won 25 games last year and have Hutton, Garza, and two guard transfers to build around, which keeps them out of the bottom two.
Players to watch: Libby Hutton, Kenna Garza, Grace Foster, CJ Latta
Fresno State
Record: 15-18, 8-12 Mountain West (7th)
Coach: Ryan McCarthy, 2nd season, 15-18 (16th overall, 338-98)
Fresno State finished seventh, beat Nevada 74-57 in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament, and lost 79-65 to UNLV in the quarterfinals. Emilia Long, a senior guard who earned All-Mountain West honorable mention and averaged 13.5 points, is gone, and Danae Powell, a sophomore guard who averaged 12.1 points, left for LMU. Jaisa Gamble, a senior forward and All-Defensive Team selection who averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds, is also gone, and Avery Watkins, a junior forward who averaged 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds, left for Pittsburgh. Seniors Djessira Diawara and Indiya Clarke, who averaged 5.0 and 4.9 points, are also gone, along with Morelia Chavez, Hedda Koehne, Diarrah Sissoko, and Aloni Oliver.
Ashlyn Rean, a sophomore forward, returns after averaging 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in only five games. Ava Marr, a sophomore guard and All-Freshman Team selection, scored 5.8 points in 32 games and started 14. Briana Webb played four games. Kenzie Sirowich, a fifth-year forward, redshirted last season after averaging 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds at Alaska Anchorage.
Rubi Gray, a senior guard, is the main transfer after averaging 14.3 points and starting 31 games at Sacramento State. Mekhia Chase, a senior guard, scored 6.9 points at North Texas; Jada Hunter, a senior guard, scored 6.0 points at Saint Mary’s; and Ivy Brown, a senior forward, averaged 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds at UTRGV. Zawadi Ogot, a junior guard, scored 3.8 points at LMU, and Lola Donez, a junior guard, scored 2.4 points at Cal. Latisha Wilson, a junior forward, arrives from Midland College. The freshmen are guards Sienna Clark and Mylaena Norton and forwards Ella Barmentloo and Ryleigh Schoonover.
Fresno State is eighth because Long and Powell, who combined for 25.6 points, are gone, and Gray is the only transfer who has averaged double figures. Rean’s 14.8 points came in only five games, so a full season from her will decide whether this team moves up, and if Gray also scores as she did at Sacramento State, the Bulldogs could pass Boise State.
Players to watch: Rubi Gray, Ashlyn Rean, Ava Marr, Mekhia Chase
Utah State
Record: 6-24, 2-18 Mountain West (11th, tie)
Coach: Wesley Brooks, 3rd season, 10-51
Utah State finished tied for 11th and lost 75-58 to Grand Canyon in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament. Six of the seven leading scorers are gone. Marina Asensio, a senior guard who averaged 10.6 points in 13 games, and Sophie Sene, a senior forward who averaged 9.3 points and 6.1 rebounds, are gone; Sene now plays for Colorado State. Seniors Jamisyn Heaton, who averaged 8.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, Karyn Sanford, who averaged 7.8 points, and Rachel Wilson, who averaged 5.2 points, are also gone. Sophomore guard Elise Livingston, who averaged 8.0 points, left for Utah. Sophomore forward Andjela Marojevic, who averaged 2.2 points, left for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Aaliyah Gayles, a senior guard, is the leading returner after averaging 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and starting 21 of 22 games. Aitana Rosello Lopez scored 3.4 points in 29 games; Paloma Munoz Herreros scored 2.4 points; Macie Brown scored 1.9 points and grabbed 2.8 rebounds; and Bella Cosme scored 1.4 points. Saskia Kruger, a forward, and Mirembe Twehamye Montanana, a guard, both redshirted last season.
Lisa Thompson, a senior guard, comes from Missouri after scoring 3.9 points in 32 games, and Danika Galea, a junior center, arrives from Arkansas after averaging 1.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 18 games. Sami Mancini, a sophomore center, scored 1.5 points in 28 games at Providence. Acacia Hayes, a senior guard, comes from Arizona State, and Kylani Rookstool, a senior guard, arrives from Western Oregon. Addy Horsley, a sophomore guard, and Catalina Roco, a junior guard, arrive from Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Daytona State College. Nicole Ogun, a forward, is the only freshman.
Utah State is ninth because six of its seven leading scorers are gone, and the three transfers with D1 numbers averaged 3.9, 1.8, and 1.5 points. Gayles is a proven scorer, but she played only 22 games, and the Aggies have won 10 games in two seasons under Brooks, so the rebuild is still ahead.
Players to watch: Aaliyah Gayles, Lisa Thompson, Danika Galea, Aitana Rosello Lopez
Pac-12 Round-Up
Gonzaga, Oregon State, and San Diego State keep most of the players who produced for them last season. Gonzaga’s top seven scorers return; Oregon State keeps both of its first-team guards; and San Diego State has Martinez and Lee plus two transfers who averaged more than 15 points per game, though Panganiban will miss the season. The gap between the three is smaller than the order suggests, and San Diego State was the Mountain West’s best team last season at 19-1.
The rest of the league is harder to sort. Colorado State and Boise State won 52 games between them last season but lost their leading scorers; Washington State returns four players who scored at least 8.5 points and still won only nine games, and Texas State is the team I am most likely to get wrong with a new coach and ten newcomers. Fresno State and Utah State both need transfers to carry the scoring. I will watch Whittaker and Runner most closely: Whittaker averaged 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds as a freshman, and Runner averaged 18.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists at Evansville and now faces stronger competition.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All nine rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 26th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 26th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
